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Macaroni Parties!

Top Tips for Planning a Winning Halloween Party

By Nicki Hemby October 14, 2010

Fall is here and as the last days of summer fade away completely, our little ones’ minds have officially turned from new backpacks and pointy pencils to that all important question—what will they be for Halloween?
 
Parents know that it takes more than a great costume to make Halloween a true success, especially if you opt for a Halloween party instead of the traditional trick-or-treating. So here are some of our top tips for making this year’s celebration spooky, sweet and sinfully stress-free:
 
1)      Select an appropriate theme.
Not everyone enjoys ghosts and goblins. In fact, some kids are too young to really enjoy the scarier aspects of Halloween, so keep all of your guests in mind when you plan the festivities. Dress-up can be fun whether you go with Hello Kitty or monsters and witches, but a party doesn’t have to be frightening to be fun!
 
2)      Get creative with your decorations.
Whether you decide to match your decorations to your Halloween party invitations (http://www.tinyprints.com/shop/halloween-party-cards-invitations.htm#) or not, you can have almost as much fun planning for the party as you do at the actual event. Planning in a hurry and on a budget? A bag of fake cobwebs can transform an entire living room. Throw a few fake spiders onto the webs and your guests will never know it only took a few minutes.

3)      Plan some playful activities.
Once your guests have arrived and the costumes have been admired, it’s time to break out the fun. While keeping your audience in mind, it’s a good idea to plan for more activities than you think you’ll need. Some games go much faster than planned, and it’s nice to have a backup plan in case something is a flop.

Need some ideas? Little children will love a round or two of Hot Pumpkin, Pin the Hat on the Witch or even Cauldron, Cauldron, Broomstick! Older kids can have a pumpkin decorating contest, go bobbing for apples or guess the ghoulish body parts—timeless classics like peeled grapes make amazing eye balls and cold spaghetti is a great stand in for brains.

4)      Have a little fun with your party food.
Planning the menu can be a lot of fun. So much food lends itself perfectly to Halloween, so let your imagination (and your can of orange frosting!) go wild. Buried Alive Cupcakes anyone? (http://blog.tinyprints.com/you-tell-us/trick-or-treat-you-tell-us/  )
 
These tips are courtesy of Tiny Prints, your home for simple, modern and unique stationery from photo cards to personalized greeting cards to thank you cards and business cards. Offering exclusive designs from the nation’s top designers, easy card personalization, a powerful preview engine and top-notch customer service and paper quality, their designs have been lauded by numerous television networks, publications and celebrities. With Tiny Prints by your side the Holidays will be a cinch! They offer adorable Halloween Cards, Thanksgiving Cards, Christmas Cards, Hannukah Cards,  and even New Years Cards. All fully customizable and personalizable.