Cheap and Creative Halloween Party Ideas for Kids

Halloween is upon us and planning a party for kids is the most fun this time of year. This is a holiday where you can be super creative, use the most of your imagination, and put on a great party for very little expense and minimal time. And the best part is that the kids can be involved in everything.

Invitations are always more fun when hand made. You can find loads of creativeness at a local craft store. From colored construction paper, glitter, colored pens and pipe cleaners, allow the kids to get creative and make the invites. Pre-made invitations are also out there and can be very inexpensive. You can also find already made templates on the Internet and print them out and fill in the blanks.

Decorating for Halloween is easy. At party and Halloween stores, you can find many things for just dollars or even less. Artificial spider webs, hanging ghosts and skeletons, skulls, wall decorations, and novelty lights are all available and can be very inexpensive. Festive table ware can also be found at these stores, although the best selection is found online. You can even find your basic party wares at 99 cent stores. Once you have purchased your supplies, have fun decorating. Allow the kids to help. Setting up for Halloween is sometimes more memorable than the party itself. And pulling out the reusable items year after year creates more excitement for this holiday. Several party favors can be found in bulk at party supply centers. From candy, spider rings, to edible aye balls. I always place two or three favors in a Halloween bag and fill the rest with candy. Bu tying green and purple ribbon around the bag, you have a Frankenstein effect, or you can use 4 black pipe cleaners to tie the bag shut and bend them into spider legs.

There are many fun games to play at children's Halloween parties. Bobbing for apples is a great classic game but when face paint and masks are involved, you can also tie the apple to a string which then hangs from the ceiling and let the kids bob for the apples that way.

The "freeze dance" is also a fun one especially when set to Halloween songs like Monster Mash. Play the music and let the kids show their best moves. When the music stops, the kids stop. Whoever is left moving gets eliminated until one person is left, who becomes the winner.

Musical chairs is a fun game but becomes a Halloween game when played with pumpkins instead of chairs. Remove 1 pumpkin after each round. The children left standing when the music stops get eliminated from the game, leaving a winner.

And what is Halloween without treats? Dessert is a must for any party, but Halloween is super fun and spooky. I have made numerous desserts for my son's holiday parties but there were two that always stood out the most. The Graveyard cake which I have found a video of here. This dessert is adorable, as fun to make as it is to eat, and is absolutely delicious. I recommend the Pepperidge farm Milano cookies for tombstones. My other favorite is the Jell-O Brain. This dessert gets noticed wherever you take it. My brain mold gets used 4-5 times per year. I found mine on EBay for about $8.00 several years ago. You can make it in any color. Peach Jell-O makes it flesh colored, you can mix colors to make gray, and lime Jell-O makes it like an Alien green. I always serve mine on a Silver platter garnished with lettuce leaves for the 'main course' effect. The kids get a kick out of it every time. A video recipe can be found here.

By using your creativeness and adding your own touches, your party will be a blast. Setting up for the party should be just as fun as the party itself. Happy Halloween!