Open your home this October and host your own terrifying gathering. Halloween party planning can be hard work, but it’s a great opportunity to let your imagination run wild!
Whether you’re planning spooky fun for kids, a wholesome family get-together or an eerie evening just for adults, you’ll find lots of inspiration with our Halloween party ideas.
We’ve got everything from impressive Halloween food inspiration to game suggestions. There’s face painting ideas for kids, tips for making your own invitations and much more.
Let us take the stress out of party planning and show you how to host an unforgettable night.
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200+ Halloween party ideas for a terrifying celebration
How to throw a Halloween party
There’s a lot to consider when you’re throwing a Halloween party (unless you’re just having a low-key affair).
You should think about the kind of guests you’re inviting and their needs to make sure everyone has a good time. For example, a family event will be very different from an adults-only gathering.
Here are some things to keep in mind when you’re organising your Halloween party:
1. The age of your guests
Keep things light for a kid’s party and save the scares for the grown-ups.
2. Party food
The food – If you’ve just invited a few friends over for drinks, you probably only need to provide snacks.
However, if you love cooking then there are lots of creative (and tasty) ways to creep out your guests. Don’t forget to check if your guests have any allergies! Check out our Halloween party food ideas.
3. Themes
Choosing the right Halloween party theme can bring your whole party together, inspiring your outfits, food and decor.
4. Party games
Halloween is a brilliant time to get in touch with your inner child and there are plenty of games suitable for all ages. Discover fun Halloween party games.
5. Decorations
Get everyone in the party mood by making your house look horrifyingly good. Make your house look scary with our DIY Halloween decorations.
6. Music
There are lots of spooky playlists available on Spotify or you can have a great time making your own bespoke mixtape.
If you’re bored of listening to music, you can give your party a cosy autumnal vibe by putting on a playlist of rain or thunderstorm noises.
7. Invites
Build anticipation for your party by sending out invitations well in advance.
8. Boring admin stuff
Everyone loves planning the exciting parts of a Halloween party, but it’s worth thinking about the practical side in advance too.
Here are some questions to keep in mind:
- Have you got enough room for everyone you’ve invited?
- Do people need to bring extra cushions or chairs for seating?
- Do guests need to bring food or drink?
- How is everyone getting there or getting home?
- Do you have enough cleaning products to tidy up afterwards?
- If you’ve planned an outdoor event, what will you do instead if the weather’s bad?
How to make Halloween party invites
Set the mood for your party by crafting your own Halloween party invites.
If you want to add your own handmade touch, you can make invitations using Gathered’s free Halloween printables.
Want your invites to look professional? We’d recommend using a design tool such as Canva, which has lots of free templates you can use right away.
30 marvellous Halloween party food ideas
No Halloween party is complete without an enticing feast to tuck into. Halloween food should be playful, surprising and utterly delicious.
Even adults will be delighted to see a fun Halloween spread that’s been made with care. There are so many incredible recipes to explore, from quick makes to more time-intensive treats.
- Make everything from sausage mummies to cauldron cakes with Gathered’s Halloween party food ideas.
Bake your own scary snacks this October
For those of you specifically looking for sugary snacks, head over to our collection of DIY Halloween treats. There's 13 easy recipes included, many of which are no-bake!
Whip up a scary charcuterie board for Halloween
Make a platter the whole family will love with our spooky charcuterie board ideas. These fun boards are a wonderful way of serving your loved one's food.
25 Halloween party games for all ages
Get the party started with a few Halloween party games! There are games for all ages, from little tots to full-grown adults.
We’ve chosen plenty of games that are suitable for the whole family, as well as ones for kids, teens and adults.
Halloween party games are often very cheap to set up or can be made using materials you already have at home, so it’s a brilliant way to entertain on a budget.
- Entertain family and friends with these Halloween party games for everyone.
21 Halloween party ideas for kids
Share the excitement of the spookiest time of year by organising a special Halloween party for kids!
There are plenty of fun Halloween party ideas for kids of all ages, from tiny tots to teenagers.
Halloween parties are a chance to get everyone involved in some seasonal fun. Older kids can join in with the party planning, helping to put up the decorations, set up games and preparing the food.
You can tailor your party to suit the number of guests and their ages. Older kids and teens may be happy to share a movie night with their friends, while little ones can burn off their energy with more active party games.
60 Halloween face paint ideas
Dreaming of being a hero, a villain or a magical creature? Face paints can instantly transform you into whoever you want to be!
Face paints can often provide Halloween costume inspiration too, with just a few accessories needed to complete the look.
Face painting is always a hit at kids parties, but why not try it at grown-up events too? Adults will love getting in touch with their inner child.
- Discover your new identity with our Halloween face paint ideas.
140+ easy Halloween costumes
Halloween costumes can be planned well in advance (unless you need very intricate makeup), so the earlier you start collecting your supplies the better.
If you’ve chosen a theme for your party, then choosing your outfit is a breeze. For those of us who like to leave their planning to the last minute, the good news is that there are plenty of outfits that can be thrown together with minimal preparation.
- Take a look at our DIY Halloween costumes guide to find looks for every family member.
25 haunted house ideas to enchant your guests
Give your house a bloodcurdling makeover this Halloween by turning it into a chilling haunted mansion. Learn how to cast a spell over visitors with Gathered’s haunted house ideas.
10 Halloween party ideas for adults
1. Ghost painting party
If you’re on TikTok, you’ve probably seen this trend doing the rounds! Buy a few old prints and paintings from a charity shop, then invite your friends over for a ghost painting party.
Your pals can get creative and add their own ghosts to their chosen painting, as well pumpkins, cobwebs, witches and bats.
2. Cocktail making masterclass
Stock up on a few supplies and get your guests to make their own cocktails or mocktails together.
Buy a recipe book for your guests to use or allow them to brew up their own original potions.
3. Games night
For an affordable party idea, hold a games night at your house. Ask your guests to bring a game with them to contribute to the evening’s entertainment.
4. Movie night
Relive your teenage years by inviting your friends over for an evening of gossip and scary movies! Extend the night by turning it into a sleepover, so no one has to travel home late at night.
5. Dinner party
Want a more grown-up event? Invite people over for a Halloween-themed dinner party. It’ll be a quieter occasion, giving you plenty of time to catch up with loved ones.
This is a great option if you love cooking Halloween food and want to make more intricate dishes.
6. Photo booth
Make your own photo booth so you’ll have lots of amazing pictures from the party. Supply your own props including wigs, glasses, signs and lots of fun accessories.
If you want to make it seem like a real photo booth, give your guests 15 seconds between photos to change their props and poses!
7. Party bags
Give your guests a little goodie bag filled with candy to take home with them at the end of the night. They’ll love it!
8. Pumpkin carving contest
Get your guests to compete in a pumpkin carving contest with a prize for the most impressive design.
If there’s alcohol at your party, we’d recommend doing the contest before the drinking starts to prevent any accidents – the tools are very sharp!
9. Ghost tours
Most UK towns and cities offer ghost tours, so why not book one for Halloween? You can enjoy the spine-chilling ghost stories and get to know your area’s dark history.
Make an evening of it by going out for food or drinks!
10. Trivia
Put your friends’ knowledge to the test by planning a trivia night. You can use general knowledge questions or personalise the questions to find out how well your guests know one another.
10 Halloween party themes
Choosing an imaginative theme for your party makes planning much easier and can inspire everything from the food to the decor. We have collected 22 Halloween party themes here on Gathered for you to explore!
Here are a few bonus Halloween party themes that your guests are bound to love…
1. Barbie
Hi Barbie! We can’t get enough of 2023’s hottest movie – and it’s such a fun theme for a Halloween party.
You can make everything pink including the food. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
2. Addams family
If pink’s not your thing, go gothic by choosing an Addams family theme for your Halloween party.
3. Heroes and villains
Heroes and villains is a Halloween party theme that’s full of possibilities!
You can come dressed as superheroes, action movie villains or even fairytale characters. How you interpret the theme is entirely up to you.
4. Historical figures
A historical figures theme means that you can come as any well-known person from the past. Dress up as kings and queens, knights, military leaders, famous writers, politicians and more.
5. Masked ball
Take the glamour up a notch with a masked ball theme. Put on a suit or a cocktail dress teamed with a decorative mask for an elegant soiree.
6. Pirates
Hoist the mainsail and get ready for a pirate-themed celebration. The pirate theme works perfectly for kid’s Halloween parties, but it’s a fantastic theme for adult Halloween parties too.
Pirate costumes are easy to assemble and it’s a theme that everyone can get on board with.
7. The Great Gatsby
Recreate the energy of the Roaring Twenties with a party inspired by F Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby.
Make 1920s cocktails, put on flapper dresses and dance the night away.
8. Stranger Things
Welcome to Hawkins! Bring a nostalgic 80s vibe to your Halloween party by dressing up as some of your favourite characters from Stranger Things.
Cover your house in creepy vines to make it look like the Upside Down or put up Joyce’s Christmas light display from series one.
9. 70s disco
Get down and boogie with a 70s party theme. You can prepare a playlist of classic 70s hits in advance and if you’re feeling brave you can recreate some iconic 70s dinner party dishes.
10. Harry Potter
Is there anything more magical than a Harry Potter party? Transform your dining room into the Great Hall at Hogwarts by hanging some floating candles from the ceiling, or turn your hallway into the Forbidden Forest.
Your friends and family will be waiting eagerly for their Hogwarts letters!
45+ DIY Halloween decorations
Set the scene for a petrifying party by making your own decorations. You can keep things simple by making origami bats and carving your own pumpkins, or go all-out and decorate your doors, windows and yard.
If you like your Halloween to be cute rather than creepy, there are lots of family-friendly decoration ideas for you to get stuck into too.
- Prepare for a night of terrors with these magical DIY Halloween decorations.
Plan a spooktacular celebration with our Halloween party ideas
Get into the spirit of the spookiest time of year by arranging a haunting Halloween party. Whether your guests are young or old, there are tons of ways to plan a party to remember.
Organise fun Halloween party games for all ages, prepare plenty of terrific treats to eat, pick a theme, plan your costumes and send out professional-looking invites.
You can even turn your home into a bone-chilling haunted house for the occasion!
Welcome guests with a carved pumpkin
Leaving a pumpkin on your doorstep is often used as a way to signal that trick-or-treaters are welcome, but you can display them anywhere in your home.
Carving a pumpkin is an incredibly creative activity and one that every family member can get involved with. Learn how to carve a pumpkin with Gathered.
