FAMILY HALLOWEEN PARTY – GRANDMA STYLE!

As a child, Halloween was one of my favorite holidays. I would dress up in a costume my mom made and run up and down our street with my neighborhood friends planning to “trick” anyone who didn’t give us a “treat”.  We never had to make the tough decision because all our neighbors showed up at the door with handfuls of candy, home-made cookies, and tons of other snacks, and poured them into our pillowcase or treat bag with a big smile. We thought we were the luckiest kids in the world!

When my children were the same age, things had changed. Most kids didn’t go out alone on the candy capers, and there was always a parent hovering near the sidewalk to make sure their kids weren’t being tricked in any way. The kids loved it, just as I had, but some of the innocent shenanigans, like wrapping trees in toilet paper, were gone.

Today we only get a handful of trick-or-treaters at our house, and sometimes they’re as tall as I am! What?  So, I’ve decided to have a family halloween party at home that appeals to all ages, even adults. And the best party is that grandma is going to put her special spin on it! I’m hoping our Family Halloween Party – Grandma Style will be an annual event with memories just as endearing as the toilet paper tree-wrapping of yesteryear. And even if your grandkids don’t live in the same city as you do, you can plan the events together by texting, or on WhatsApp.  And the day of the party, you can Facetime each other during favorite moments and of course send lots of photos afterwards to keep as precious souvenirs.

THEME & ATMOSPHERE

I wanted the family halloween party to have a theme and I went with “kinda spooky” rather than “really scary so the little ones wouldn’t get nightmares, but still keep it exciting for older kids and adults. Here are some of the ideas I used:

• Front Door Welcome: Giant spider, inflatable pumpkin, ghost, or witch cauldron.
• Lighting: Orange & purple string lights, flickering flameless candles, glow-in-the-dark window decals.
• Photo Spot: Black backdrop with cobwebs, paper bats, and props (witch hats, vampire capes, pumpkin glasses). Or you can purchase a pre-made Halloween backdrop below.
• Music: A playlist with “Monster Mash,” “Ghostbusters,” “This is Halloween,” and light dance beats for later. YouTube offers a number of nice selections to choose from.

And there’s more:

COSTUMES

• Encourage everyone, yes, grown-ups too, to dress up.
• Have a Costume Contest with fun categories so everyone gets a fair shot:
  • Funniest Costume
  • Cutest Costume (kids)
  • Most Creative Homemade Costume
  • Best Grandma/Grandpa Lookalike Costume (reverse-age dress-up can be hilarious)
  • Group/Family Theme Costume
• A few costumes for various ages:

• Tip: Hand out Halloween medals or small trophies—Dollar Tree has cheap options you can decorate with glitter.

FOOD & DRINKS

Savory:

• Mummy hot dogs (crescent roll-wrapped hot dogs with “eyes” made of candy)
• Witch’s broom snacks (pretzel stick handle, string cheese bristles tied with chive)
• Spider web taco dip (layer dip topped with sour cream “web” and olive “spiders”)

Sweet:

• Monster cupcakes
• Candy corn fruit cups
• Dracula donuts

DRINKS:

• Kids: Witches’ Brew punch (lemon-lime soda + pineapple juice + lime sherbet) with gummy worms

• Adults: Pumpkin spice sangria or apple cider with cinnamon whiskey

ACTIVITIES

• Pumpkin Bowling: Use small pumpkins and 2-liter soda bottles wrapped in toilet paper like mummies.
• Sticker Station: Halloween sticker sheets, mini paper pumpkins to decorate.
• Bean Bag Toss: Toss into Halloween buckets or cauldrons.
• DIY Haunted Cupcakes: Set out frosting, sprinkles, candy eyeballs for a decorating showdown.
• Minute-to-Win-It Challenges: Stacking candy corn, moving marshmallows with a straw, wrapping someone like a mummy with toilet paper.
• Pumpkin Decorating: (paint instead of carving for mess-free fun)
• Spooky Story Circle: (older kids & adults can make them funny for younger kids)
• Glow Stick Dance Party: (dim the lights and hand out glow necklaces)

GAMES

• Halloween Bingo: Cards with pumpkins, bats, candy, witches, etc.
• Pass the Pumpkin: Like hot potato, but to Halloween music (you’ll find tons to choose from on YouTube).
• Scavenger Hunt: Hide little plastic spiders, mini pumpkins, or candy around the house. Give clues for older kids, pictures for younger kids.

PRIZES

• Halloween-themed mugs, glow-in-the-dark socks, novelty candy, spooky slime kits for kids.
• For adults: small gift cards, fall-scented candles, or homemade pumpkin bread wrapped up pretty.

GRANDMA’S EXTRA FUN TOUCHES

• Send home goodie bags: candy, a small toy, glow stick, and a “Thanks for coming to Grandma’s Halloween Bash” tag.
• Create a party playlist with each child picking a favorite song (Halloween or not).
• Have a memory board where guests can snap Polaroids and stick them up before leaving.

There are so many fun ways to celebrate your family Halloween party so be sure to add your own to personalize the party. Most importantly, have fun and be sure to take lots and lots of pictures as everyone will cherish seeing them in the years to come!

~~~ What’s your favorite family halloween party tip? ~~~

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