Fresh, Fun Halloween Parties for Kids and Teens

Stage Harry Potter, Spiderwick, Survivor, Pirate Parties on a Budget

Sep 23, 2009

Host one of these four super Halloween parties in a backyard, park, or group campsite, and shop second-hand stores for anything that can't be made or found at home.

Kids and teens love role-playing their favorite characters at a Halloween party. Here are four terrific new takes on some of the most popular Halloween party and Halloween costume themes.

Transform a yard, park, or campsite into scenes from J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world. From Quidditch™ to potions class, the magic and excitement of Hogwarts Academy™ can be staged with common items such as baking soda, liquid soap, and Hula Hoops®. Sort guests into Houses and have them scour the “woods” for wand material. Play a giant game of Wizards Chess™ or challenge guests with tabletop games like Gnome Toss™ (available on eBay.com). Check out the fun fodder for trivia games at this super "Muggles" site.

Don’t rake the leaves! Backyards are perfect fall settings for recreating “The Spiderwick Chronicles™” books and movie, but parks are a great option, too. Guests use found objects to create realistic sprite masks, household odds and ends to make shoebox brownie houses, and foam noodles to try fencing. Challenge kids to use field guides of their own creation and teamwork to spot trail markers while avoiding goblin traps. The menu includes brownies, of course! This is an easy theme for a Girl Scout Brownie party, too. Resources abound at The International Sprite League!

Does your tween or teen love watching those TV survival shows? Cooler fall weather is the best time of year to maroon guests on Endurance Island! Reserve a group campsite or picnic shelter, where your guests can compete in races, tug of war, and food challenges. Which team will first start their briquettes without matches? The winners get tongs for grilling their own hot dogs, and the losers have to figure out how to use string for retrieving their meal from the grill. Conduct an online search to learn more about using GPS technology or the exciting international sport of geocaching. Create a custom Halloween party cache that includes survival tools.

Pirate and Princess PJ Party

Try this twist for children who aren’t ready for overnights. Guests arrive in PJs for a Saturday morning brunch that begins with a simple pirate makeover and wraps with building edible candy and pretzel stick bonfires. A waffle bar, Pirates Punch, and sailing races will keep the action moving faster than the Black Pearl.™ Younger guests can practice walking board planks, set up just a few inches off the ground, and look for hidden treasures. An older group can take on treasure hunt with riddle clues. Guests old enough to add numbers will enjoy pirates dice. Pick up the game for just a few galleons through online auction sites.

Thrifty Halloween Party Rules

Halloween parties can be set up at free or low-cost sites such as backyards, garages, homes, parks, community buildings, campgrounds, or recreation centers. Guests may choose their own characters and Halloween costumes before the party, or accept roles and simple accessories upon arrival. Either way, it’s role-playing fun at its best!

Remember that great memories last forever, while most party favors and trimmings get tossed. Focus on fun, not stuff, and stick to the budget.

The copyright of the article Fresh, Fun Halloween Parties for Kids and Teens in Kids Holiday Activities is owned by Barbara Rohrer. Permission to republish Fresh, Fun Halloween Parties for Kids and Teens in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.