Halloween Theme Children’s Party Ideas

It has taken a while to catch on, but Australians are starting to embrace Halloween. It seems to be  gaining popularity ever year, and it’s an excuse for families to dress up and embrace their spooky side. It's difficult not to get swept up in the fun and hype little ones have when Halloween comes around.

Halloween-themed parties are fun for all ages and can be easily organised at home with little mess or fuss. You don't have to spend a lot of money to have a great party at home, with some homemade spooky nibbles and some party games that everyone can get involved in.

For super spooky-themed party food, think mandarin jack-o-lanterns, mummy cupcakes and severed finger hot dogs. Party games to pair with this food are just as spooktacular, like wrapping the mummy, passing the pumpkin and pinning the bowtie on the Skelton. Check out our suggestions for fantastic food and game ideas for your next Halloween party below!

Halloween Food Ideas

Mandarin Jack-O-Lanterns

These mandarin jack-o-lanterns couldn't be simpler to create, have maximum impact and are a healthy snack for our little ones! All you need is a bag of mandarins and a non-toxic black marker. Simply draw your jack-o-lantern faces onto your mandarins and pile them on a plate. You will love the reaction of your party guests when they see these Halloween-themed mandarins, and parents will be delighted to see these nutritious party treats on the plate. These healthy mini pumpkins can be prepared well ahead of time and are also a great addition to a lunchbox. They can even be used as cute table decorations. If you want to take it a step further, add a sliver of celery pierced into the top of the mandarin!

Mummy Cup Cakes

Mummy cupcakes are a cute and easy treat to create at your Halloween party. You could choose to bake or buy your cupcakes or muffins. Many nutritious recipes online incorporate fruit and vegetables to give your mummy cupcakes a healthy spin. To create your mummy faces, you pipe white icing strips across the top of your cupcakes; just remember to leave room for the eyes. Your child will love helping make this treat, and the beauty of the mummy cupcakes is you don't have to be neat with the icing, and it can look even better when the mummy 'bandages' are a little wobbly. For the eyes, you can pipe the eyes on if you are feeling creative, or you can buy a lolly or icing eyes from your local baking supplier.

Severed Finger Hot Dogs

You will love creating these realistic and funny severed-finger hot dogs out of all the scary party food. To make, cut long hot dogs or sausages in half and slice a section at the end of the rounded tip to mimic a nail. You can put three lines in the middle to mimic the knuckle of the finger, place them in a small hot dog bun, and place a squirt of sauce on the severed end. You can put a small square of white cheese or onion in the nail as added decoration. Serve your gruesome severed fingers on a platter, and then you and your child can enjoy your guests' reactions.

Halloween Game Ideas

Wrap the Mummy

This super simple and cheap party game will give your guests a lot of enjoyment. Have your party guests pair off. Give one child in each pair a roll of toilet paper, or if you don't want to waste toilet paper purchase some white streamers from your local party supplier. Have the children wrap their mummy partner. When the time is up, you and your child can vote on which of the wrapped mummies is the most creepily creative.

Pass the Pumpkin

Much like pass the parcel we all grew up with, pass the pumpkin is instead a plastic pumpkin head bucket filled with tricks and treats. You could fill the pumpkin bucket with spooky party favours, sweets or even or even dares for them to read out! (but wrap the dares in paper so they don’t get singled out) The children pass the pumpkin around the circle, and when the music stops, the child holding the bucket gets to choose something. Keep going until everyone’s received a trick or a treat.

Pin the Skull on the Skeleton

This improvised party game is derived from the classic pin the tail on the donkey. You can pick up a cardboard skeleton around Halloween time from any good party supplier, and they are really inexpensive. You and your little learner can draw and cut skulls out for this one. Your little learner can give their fine motor skills a workout by cutting out each one. Then, just like pin the tail on the donkey, blindfold your guests and have them do their best to pin their skull onto the skeleton's neck. Write each person’s name after they’ve had their turn – the closest one wins!

We hope you will enjoy celebrating with friends and using some of our fun party ideas. You and your little learner will relish the joy of creating a Halloween-themed celebration for their guests