Ideas for Teen Halloween Parties

Having hosted a few teen Halloween parties for my teenage boys, I've become a bit privy to what will and won't work for a teen Halloween party. Most importantly, don't fall into the trap of boring party games and food fit for a third grade classroom. The right mix of mom-approved stuff with believe-me-mom- this-is-cool stuff and the teenagers will flock to the party.

INVITATIONS
Don't waste a bunch of money on store-bought invites. Take the teens to a craft store and let them create their own. They know what will lure their unsuspecting friends to the party!

DECORATIONS
Drench the house in cobwebs, litter the table tops with creepy-crawlies, and don't forget to freeze some in the ice cubes too! Tack some cooked spaghetti just above the bathroom light switch. Set flashlights upright instead of candles, and throw in some freaky-scary music to enhance the ambiance.

ENTERTAINMENT
Here are four my boys and their friends enjoyed.

Tie donuts onto the end of some twine that's tacked to the ceiling. Pair the teens up and, without using their hands, have them eat the donut off the string at the same time, one on each side of the donut. It's harder than it looks, but lots of fun to try.

Take them on a scavenger hunt. They could go door-to-door through the neighborhood collecting things like a pair of black socks, a newspaper, a clothes pin, a can of corn etc. Let your teen make the list, but if you want to be sure no one lands in the slammer, make sure it meets with your approval.

Charades, bobbing-for-apples and of course the scariest story you can come up with!

FOOD AND FAVORS
Don't fuss over the cuisine. Stick to the tried-n-true winners among teens; pizza, chip-n-dip, crackers and cheese, pepperoni, finger sandwiches, and course cupcakes, cookies and brownies.

Favors can be something as simple as miniature pumpkins, a bag of candy or give each teen a disposable camera to take pictures with. Let them take it home and keep the pictures.

Teen Halloween parties are lots of fun. If all goes well you'll scare the dickens out of them, and like most teens, they'll be back for more next year.