This Party is So Budget-Friendly, it’s Scary!

One of the best things about Halloween is its inherently DIY properties. For those conscious of budget, it is a holiday that can combine the fun and the frugal quite easily.

Get some extra mileage out of your children’s costumes by giving them an opportunity to wear them a second time and host a Halloween bash.

Here are some activities and treats that will make your party frightfully delightful.

Some Assembly Required

Print out a skeleton (templates can be found online, or draw one freehand- you’ll need one for each guest).

Have guests race against each other to see who can assemble their skeleton first (you can either pin them on poster board on a wall, or glue them on a flat surface).

Haunted House

Granted, you’ll have to tone this one down (or up) depending on the age of your children. If your kids are younger, think adventure, not house of horrors. Keep lights on, and drape areas in blankets and scarves, with plenty of smiling Halloween creatures along the way.

For the older set, you can turn lights off, turn on some scary music and be creative with costumes and “attractions”. You can even mimic scenarios from famous scary movies.Have stations with “brains” (cold spaghetti) and “eyeballs” (grapes).

Monster Mash

Think Freeze Tag meets the dance floor. Put on your favourite Halloween tunes (Thriller is always good!) and have a stompin’, creepin’ dance party. Pause the music, and the kids have to freeze. Movement- and you’re out! Last one grooving wins a prize.

Pumpkin Toss

Decorate empty cans of various sizes with orange and black construction paper and dress them up like the usual Halloween suspects (pumpkins, cats, vampires etc.). Place the cans in a pyramid shape several feet away from the children, and have them toss a beanbag into cans. Most points wins!

How Many?

Fill a jar (or large bowl) with a notable Halloween treat (like candy corn, rockets or M&M’s) and have the kids guest how many. Winner gets a whole lot of candy (to share with his friends, of course).

Pumpkin Piñata

Make a pumpkin-shaped piñata out of paper mache, decorate to look like a Jack-o-Lantern and fill with candy and small toys.

Line your ghosts and goblins up for a crack at the pumpkin.

Skeleton Cupcakes

These are regular cupcakes, just slightly spookier.  Using a cake mix (or from scratch, if you are adventurous) bake cupcakes and ice according to package directions.

To make skeleton “toppers” take a stick (like those used in a lollypop) and stack pieces of yogurt covered pretzels, which make up your skeleton’s rib cage. For his head, take a marshmallow and draw a face in black icing and place atop the stick.

Ghostly Crackers

Take crackers (saltines or large rounds work best). Smear with cream cheese in a “ghost” shape and place two raisins for eyes.

Yummy and scary.

Boo Pizza

Spread mini-pizza shells with pizza sauce. Have the kids decorate their own, using special, Halloween-themed toppers (which you have created using Halloween cookie cutters). Shape cheese like ghosts and pepperoni like pumpkins.