Halloween Party Food for Kids

Halloween is one of the most popular and beloved holidays for both children and adults. It's a magically creepy time where kids can dress up as their favorite character or monster and get lots of free candy (much to the dismay of parents' checkbooks after the next dental visit!) Parents, despite the hassle and danger of dental woes enjoy helping making Halloween safe and fun for their children. If you're planning on hosting a Halloween party for kids, here are some food and drink ideas I've rounded up to help get you started planning your spooktacular event.

Cupcakes are always a hit with children and there is no shortage of ideas on creepy Halloween cupcakes, ranging from simple in design to elaborate and freaky. The good news for beginning bakers is that around Halloween, seasonal themed wrappers and toppers are widely available. Online shops such as Bake It Pretty also carry wrappers and toppers in the shapes of zombie hands, spiders, black cats, and gravestones. With a simple cupcake and frosting recipe, you can customize the colors of your cupcakes, orange and black or green, red, and brown for a zombie theme. For the more adventurous bakers, check out Martha Stewart's "Creepcakes", Family Fun's "Batty Cupcakes", or Paula Deen's brownie bite spiders.

Now that you have cupcakes covered, you'll need other party food. From "A Bit of This and a Bit of That" comes a recipe for "finger food" that kids will surely devour because they're made of miniature wieners and actually look like fingers. There are all sorts of things you can do with gummy body parts or whatever variety of gummy candy is available in your area. Use them inside Jello-O Jigglers or use gummy worms to garnish drinks and the punch bowl. Gelatin can also be used to make an interesting "Wiggly Jiggly Crystal Ball" dessert filled with starry shapes as seen on Family Fun. This monster eyeballs recipes combines two things most children love: chocolate and peanut butter. The blogger at Smashed Peas and Carrots has posted an interesting recipe for Rice Krispie Eyeballs. If you're looking for a gross food idea, try Spaghetti and Eyeballs, which is both scary and delicious at the same time. Remember to always supervise children if they're helping you in the kitchen and happy haunting!

Sources:
A Bit of This and a Bit of That: Finger Food
Epicurious.com
Family Fun
Hostess with the Mostess
MarthaStewart.com
PaulaDeen.com
Smashed Peas and Carrots