School Halloween Party Entertainment and Activity Ideas For PTO and PTA Groups

There is lots for elementary schools to celebrate in October - pumpkins, apple cider, autumn leaves, and of course, Halloween. These exciting fall traditions are perfect opportunities for PTO and PTA groups to plan fun and enriching activities for their students and school families.

Halloween parties are the classic elementary school Halloween event. Many schools, however, have chosen to move away from the traditional school Halloween party in favor of an event that is themed more to "Fall Harvest Time". The "Fall Harvest Time" parties have more of an emphasis on pumpkins, apples, and cider rather than ghosts, skeletons, and witches.

Whichever party theme your PTO or PTA group chooses, hosting a successful October party, requires a lot of volunteer time, organization, and planning. It is important to know that you have support from parents in your PTO group who are willing to volunteer time and resources to make the party a success.

Once you have your volunteers in place, you can begin planning the activities and entertainment for the party. You should also decide whether students will be allowed to wear costumes at the party, and if there are certain restrictions on costumes that they can wear (no masks, no weapons, etc).

Your school Halloween party could include a variety of entertainment options. Our personal favorite is a "Haunted Classroom", where a simple "not so scary" haunted house maze is created by hanging black plastic from the ceiling. Along the way, students encounter teachers who are dressed up in silly costumes and acting out funny Halloween scenes.

Trick-or-treating from classroom to classroom is always a hit with students. You can encourage creativity and class spirit by inviting each class to decorate their room to a Halloween theme.

Many schools hire a DJ to play Halloween music as "entertainment" at their parties. Generally, however, elementary students are going to be more interested in other activities and games than dancing to Halloween tunes. Therefore, the expense of a professional DJ (usually $100+ an hour) for an elementary school party is not necessary. With advances in digital music players, a PTA parent volunteer could easily create a fun play list of Halloween songs on their iPod or computer and have that play during the party.

Halloween party entertainment such as a magic show or puppet show can be a hit with students and parents, but it should not be scheduled at a time that would conflict with other activities at the party. Instead, it is best to schedule the Halloween party entertainment at the end of the party. This will provide you with an entertaining finale to your event, and encourage families to stay for the whole party.

An alternative to having your October party at the school is to have the party at a location that offers a Halloween or Fall themed activity. You will not have to look very far to find a local hayride, pumpkin patch, farm or corn maze that would be happy to host your school group. Many of these locations have already planned "Halloween party packages" that include food, games, and tickets for their attraction or activity. At first it may seem cost prohibitive to have the party outside of school, but if you compare with what your PTO would be spending on food, decorations, and entertainment for an in-school program, you may find that there is very little difference.

As a bonus, PTO and PTA planned parties that are hosted outside of school often are better attended, as you are offering families a unique entertainment experience.

There are many assembly presenters who have school shows that are written with Halloween and Fall time themes and messages. Hiring a Halloween assembly program or show is the easiest and most hassle-free way for a PTO group to bring some Halloween and Fall festivities to their students. A professional assembly presenter company will arrive at your school with everything they need to put on a program, so there are very few resources or volunteer time required.

Halloween and Fall Time assembly programs range from musical reviews and plays by Youth Theater groups to magic and illusion shows. The content of these shows are usually very lighthearted depictions of Halloween, with the focus on "silly fun" instead of anything spooky or scary. Many times, the presenter will also weave Halloween and Trick-or-Treat safety messages into the show.

Unfortunately, there are many horror stories of Halloween assemblies that have had an entire Kindergarten class in tears because the presenter was presenting content that was not age appropriate. Blood, gore, overly-scary images, and swords and knives do not have any place in a show for elementary school audiences, but they unfortunately end up in shows of performers who are inexperienced with entertaining young audiences. Be sure that you are hiring a professional entertainer and using a reputable school assembly booking company to avoid any unpleasant surprises the day of the show.

No matter what Halloween activity your PTO / PTA group chooses to do, early planning is the key to ensuring a successful and headache-free event. October 31st may seem like a long way away at the start of the school year, but with the excitement of back-to-school time, open houses, and fund raising kick-offs, Halloween can sneak up on you. If at all possible, decide on a Halloween planning committee before school gets out in June, or at least by August. If you are planning on hiring a Halloween assembly, the longer you wait to book, the fewer choices for dates and times you are going to have to choose from.

Have Fun With a Pumpkin Halloween Party

Pumpkins and pumpkin carving are one of the main highlights of Halloween. This year plan a Halloween party focused solely on pumpkins!

Your colors will obviously be orange with accents of black. For decorations feature orange tablecloths and napkins, orange and black crepe paper streamers, as well as balloons. Orange colored candles in black candle holders, black or pumpkin shaped serving bowls, along with any other decorations you use should fit into the color scheme and theme of the party.

Line your walkway to the house with flickering eerie pumpkin faces and scenes. Carve out your creations using either real pumpkins or the Fun-Kins carvable foam pumpkins. There are many wonderful patterns available for free on the Internet that you can print out and use.

Your menu could consist of pumpkin related foods such as pumpkin pie, bread, and cookies. Put together sandwiches cut into the shape of pumpkins using cookie cutters and serve orange flavored punch.

Take typical party games and transform them into pumpkin related activities. For example, children can play Pin The Nose On The Pumpkin or Pumpkin Bowling (use a child's bowling set, paint the bowling ball orange and add a pumpkin face). Adults could try their hand at a pumpkin trivia contest. For prizes hand out foiled covered pumpkin chocolates, gum, plastic key chains, pumpkin shaped cookies, or treat bags featuring pumpkin designs.

Not into pumpkins? Use these basic party planning ideas to come up with some other fun themes such as an all ghost party with white and black as your theme colors. How about a skeleton party or perhaps a glowing eyes theme where neon green and yellow are the main colors against a black background? Look around at Halloween sites and the various decorations featured for some great ideas on what items you can focus your party around. It's pretty simple, yet will make your Halloween party unique and fun to plan.

Halloween Party Theme Ideas

This Halloween, you might be thinking about having a party. Sure, you can do so without a theme, and just ask everyone to come as they are. Or you could make it a little more challenging, and more fun, and have a unifying theme. You can use the theme either as a basis for the decorations and food, or as costume suggestions for your guests. Here are some ideas.

Think of a category, such as movies, and ask everyone to come as a character. Or think of something you consider to be part of the holiday, like a jack o lantern, or pumpkin, or black cats, or witches. Use that thing as the featured motif in your decorations.

One of the most popular themes is spiders. You can easily spread fake cobwebs across your rooms, add tiny spiders to the tablecloth, and incorporate spiders into your food and tableware.

What about skeletons or mummies? Serve mummy dogs (pigs in the blanket) and mummified skin chips (pita chips) with your grossest dip.

For kids parties, think about what kids love, then think of ways to make that scary or fun. Ghosts are popular. Kids can make ghosts during the party from napkins and small balls, or balloons and pieces of cheesecloth or fabric.

Pirates are a huge hit with both girls and boys alike. Have a cake that looks like a treasure chest, and throw candies on it, to look like jewels. Have them make eye patches during the party, or play Pin the Hook on Captain Hook (a version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey.)

For adults, retro is always fun. Have a 60s party, complete with groovy decorations, hippie costumes, and gogo dancers. Or a 70s party, with black lights and psychedelic colors. Do an 80s party, with big hair and jewelry, shoulder pads, and 80s music, of course.

If you like to dance, do a zombie jamboree. Create a cemetery scene in your yard, complete with arms clawing their way out of the ground. Have your guests dress as zombies. Then you can all learn the moves from Michael Jackson's Thriller video and dance that together!

Don't forget your pets. Have a people and pets party. Be sure to have special pet-safe treats for the animals. Never feed them regular human trick or treat candy or desserts. They may contain things like xylitol and chocolate, which can be very dangerous, or even kill, your pets.

Let your imagination run wild. Look at pictures, or just remember what you used to do as a kid. You'll be able to come up with a great Halloween party theme for this year's celebration. Have a spook-tacular time!

Hosting A Halloween Party With Ease

Putting together a costumed Halloween party for adults is not as difficult as it might sound. With the right tricks up your sleeve, the resulting party is a treat to lead.

Some of the best ideas for creating a masquerade party that is a hit involve nothing more than a little careful planning. The keys lie in the invitations, the menu and focusing on the theme. When shortcuts and easy ideas are followed, the entire event will almost plan itself.

The first thing to do is to get the invitations out early. The beginning to mid part of the month generally works well. If a high-end masquerade ball is anticipated, September is not out of the question either so guests have the time to really pull together their costumes. Make sure the invitations include response cards and be certain to highlight the costume requirement. If the event is Bring Your Own Brown Bag, say that to avoid any confusion later.

Planning the menu will hinge a lot on the style of the party and the number of response cards. Easy ideas for foods include finger sandwiches, deli platters, restaurant catering and even lots of homemade treats. For higher end parties, consider catering to take the extra burden off hosting the gala. Do wait to order or start planning until the number of guests is reasonably in hand.

Decorations for the holiday virtually plan themselves. Think streamers, balloons and plenty of ghosts, goblins and jack-o-lanterns. If dancing is desired, push the furniture in the living room back to the wall, but leave plenty of seating open for those who do not want to cut a rug.

If an extra holiday flare is really desired, a horror movie marathon running on a screen or two in the house is not out of question. Ideas to keep this a little sequestered include offset family rooms, porches or even screening rooms if they are located in the house. Pull out the classics and some recent favorites and just keep them loaded up for the enjoyment of your guests.

To give the party a little extra zing and pizzazz make a contest out of the costumes themselves. When guests arrive, give them a ballot. Let them vote on their favorites. Before the evening winds down, tally the numbers and hand out prizes to the top three party people. Ideas for prizes include Halloween themed decorations, gift baskets and even a bottle of fine spirits in keeping with the season.

Hosting a costumed Halloween party is a great way for adults to get into the season. The effort does not have to take a ton of time, money or work to really pull off. Keep it simple by planning things ahead and taking shortcuts so personal enjoyment is also ensured.

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How to Host the Creepiest Halloween Party on the Block

It's just the right time of year to start making plans for Halloween. If you don't have small children, or if the weather just isn't right for trick-or-treating, you might want to consider hosting a fun and spooky Halloween party. Of course you'll want to use your own creative spark when hanging decorations and baking snacks, but here are a few basic ideas to get you started.

Decorations

You don't need to spend a lot of money to convert you house into the kind of creepy crawly locale suitable for Halloween. All it takes is a few supplies and a little imagination.

The first step is to choose a theme for your decorations. A little organization can lead to a much more appealing (and frightening) effect than simply taping scary images up. You can host your party in:

· A haunted mansion
· An eerie graveyard
· A mad scientist's laboratory
· A monster's lair
· A meeting place for fairy tale witches
· Any other place you can think of!

The next step is to gather your supplies. Of course, the kind of decorations you want to make will depend on your party's theme. If you're not sure what decorations would work best, or how to create the effect you want, there are plenty of websites with lots of great tips.

Refreshments

As we all know, refreshments are the lifeblood of a party. You don't want to serve any drab snack for a special night like Halloween. Fortunately, there are plenty of easy ways to dress up your favorite foods to create the perfect spooky snack.

For example, let's say you're serving deviled eggs - the perfect food for a scary party, right? After you've prepared the eggs, get some black olives and cut them in half. One half can be placed domed side-up on the egg yolk. The other can be cut into slivers and arranged around the other half. There is now a swarm of huge spiders on your food table.

As you can see, anything you may be preparing can be turned into an appropriately awful surprise for your guests. Simple cookies can become bones, fingers, eyeballs, and bugs. Gelatin can be easily molded into delightful shapes, from brains to space aliens to ghostly ectoplasm. Even harmless homemade breadsticks can become gangly skeletons or witches' brooms.

For more information about party hosting and refreshments, visit http://www.cdkitchen.com

Joseph Devine

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Throw a Dracula Dinner Bash for a Frightening Halloween Party

All set to sink your fangs into a Halloween sit-down feast?

Step #1: Plan your celebration for the actual day of Halloween -- Sunday, October 31st.

If that date doesn't work for you, think about dining on the every bit as scary eve of the full moon on Saturday, October 23rd.

Step #2: Setting The Table

Orange, Black & white, and blood red are the traditional colors of the damned, which means that you should set your stage in accordance with that. Begin with blood-red, orange or black placemats or a table runner, all with coordinating napkins and napkin rings. Color- coordinated dinnerware will have monsters' mouths watering, and blood-red crackle-glass stemware delivers a gothic, medieval feel to your table. Designed for your centerpiece, load a tall container with willow branches that you have glittered, encircled with votive candles and fun Halloween confetti. For placeholders, use red apples with your guests' nametags skewered to the stems.

Step #3: Choosing The Meal

Oh, wait a minute -- vampires of the underworld never consume food! Which will mean you are going to have to get imaginative with a few blood-inspired dishes. Begin with a soup of cool homemade borscht (and never mind the gagging, it's actually quite tasty) capped with a spoonful of sour cream. Either good rare lamb chops or perhaps steaks (not to be confused with stakes) are usually always welcome. For a side dish, some spaghetti topped by a hot and spicy red sauce always goes great. Oh, and don't neglect a salad to keep the annoying vegan vampires happy. As a dessert, consider Red Velvet cupcakes with a yummy cream cheese frosting.

Step #4: Pouring The Drinks

Ah, it really gets fun now! You can make bloody-looking goblets simply by dipping the rims directly into corn syrup mixed with red food dye and then turning them upright to let the goo drip on down the sides of the glasses. After this has had a chance to set, fill the glasses with cranberry juice and ice cubes made with red food coloring (and you can even freeze plastic bugs or spiders inside them, if you dare). Or perhaps forget about ice altogether and just go with a good Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cabernet. Everybody knows the undead really love their spirits.

Step #5: Designing The Decor

Consider decorations that are luxurious and captivating, like vibrant red, gold or purple (or even black) window curtain panels. Gleaming glass flower vases packed with apples or shiny glass beads of coordinating colors. Make bloody candles by simply dripping melted red candle wax onto white candles. Group plastic or silk plants and trees all around the party room for a woodsy feel, and then spice them up with tiny white twinkle lights to help take advantage of the magic. Finally, put on a creepy music soundtrack and take a seat at the dinner table.

Bone appetit!

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All Set For a Sexy Halloween Party

If you are planning, or going to, an adult Halloween party then why not turn it into a Hot Halloween affair with a sexy theme, or at least a sexy interlude later in the evening. What can you do, though, to add a bit of spice to the annual horror fest, without drifting too far from the traditional Halloween themes and practices?

Setting the Sexy Party Scene

To achieve a sexy Halloween atmosphere for your party, you can make use of many of the usual Halloween props. If you are the host or hostess, then all is under your control. If your friends are hosting the party, then you could always take the initiative, suggest the sensual ambience, and then offer to help get it all set up.

Creating a sexy atmosphere for Halloween is not necessarily that difficult, as lighting can play an important role in both a frightening Halloween scene set, and also a romantic and seductive atmosphere. So, if your home, or one room of your home, is set for a traditional Halloween scene, with low lights, and hidden horrors, it need only take one catalyst to turn that very same atmosphere into a sensual one.

As far as the lighting goes, some Halloween props are ideal for this dual role. Strips of black lights can be very effective at creating horror effects, illuminating fluorescent paint graphics, and they can also make white surfaces glow and dark surfaces disappear. But those same lights, charged by the sexiness of the atmosphere, can be sensual too.

The same applies to strobe lights. Pulsating in the darkness or subdued light, they can create some strange effects against the walls and ceiling, where you may have your Halloween scene setters, wall and mirror grabbers, and hanging decorations. They can also help to provide the mood for a more sensual interlude later.

There are two more types of lighting that can be appropriate for the sexy and scary Halloween atmosphere. Glow bulbs are a great innovation for some really weird lighting effects. When exposed to any light source, the special silicone film shines a vivid neon, and these can be especially effective with strobe lights shining on them intermittently. Finally, never forget the candles, associated with romantic evenings, seduction, witches brewing their evil brews, and vampires drooling over their poor victim in the dungeon, about to sink those fangs into her defenceless neck. In fact, candles can be the ultimate lighting prop for any Halloween party.

Dressing For A Sexy Halloween Party

If you are inviting people to your home for a Halloween party, then you can advise them in advance that it will be a sexy theme. In other words, "please come dressed in the sexiest Halloween costume you can find".

Finding that outfit will be much easier for the women than the men. The sexy costumes sold online all seem to be for women, but come on guys, use your imagination, I am sure it will be appreciated.

Popular girls' and women's costumes that are most popular with the guys can also serve for Halloween. Seductive woman cop costumes, and this year especially, sexy pirate costumes are the vogue. There are loads more ideas to choose from, though, including seductive schoolgirls, revealing nurse's uniforms, French maids. With a more Halloween touch, vampires, wizards and witches can be transferred into alluring and irresistible women with the right costume, and yes, you can find them. The only problem for the ladies is choosing from such a vast range of possibilities.

Adding the Sexy Catalysts to the Party

You have the lighting set up for horror or sensuality; your guests have taken the request seriously and turned up dressed to kill in their alluring, tantalizing, evocative and seductive costumes. With all that sexiness on view and display, it would surely be a sexy Halloween party. But what else could you do to take that sexiness to a higher level?

One thing you could do is to play some horror dance music, if you can find it; if not, some other fun dance music will do. Then, have a sexy dancing contest for men and women. With the strobe lighting and revealing costumes, that could be an enjoyable prelude to a party game, such as Pervartistry, an adult, but tasteful, form of charades which is sure to take the sexy mood up to a new level. Just imagine playing that game, and the dancing, in a sexy Greek toga or other sexy Halloween costume!

Whatever you decide, have fun!

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How to Choose a Halloween Party Theme

When deciding on a party theme, there are several factors to consider. Not all of them will apply to your party, but it might be a good idea to give them a thought just in case.

Guests

The first thing that you will want to consider is your guests. Probably the most important aspect is the age group. If the party is going to be composed only of adults, then you have a little more leeway in picking a theme and planning food and drinks. If kids are going to be present, be sure to let the other guests know so that they can plan appropriate costumes. As the host, it is also your responsibility to provide entertainment for the kids, so you should have some fun Halloween games, and maybe a prize or two, ready to go.

Decorating

Some themes are much easier to decorate for than others. When was the last time you tried to make your house look like a view from under the ocean? While complex themes like space and the jungle can be fun, and can provide people with great costume opportunities, they're also hard to decorate for. Themes like a decade, i.e. the 50's and 60's, are much easier to decorate for, but are also already popular themes. Some themes, like a Greek theme or an Egyptian theme, are somewhere in between.

Food

Along the same lines as decorating, food can be tough to prepare for themes that push the traditional boundaries. Luckily, a quick search on Google will usually turn up at least a few themed recipes for almost any idea, but some of them can be time consuming and require advanced baking skills. Certain themes have lots of foods associated with them already, and you can always take a few shortcuts and just make cookies that look like something from the theme.

Activities

The more space you have for your party, the easier it is to come up with activities. Most party games can be tweaked to make them applicable, but certain themes just lend themselves to games better. Once again decades are really easy to plan for, especially if most of the guests lived through the decade that you choose. If only adults are attending the party, you might not need activities, but it can still be fun to play a game or two as the night goes on. If you can't think of one or two activities for your theme right away, you might have to do some research.

Party Theme Ideas

The Traditional Party

A traditional Halloween party takes the themes that most people associate with Halloween and puts them into party form. Decorations are usually geared towards the haunted house look and guests are asked to dress up. One of the great things about throwing a traditional Halloween party is that people can dress up however they want. You can also set a theme, but it makes more sense to decorate for a certain theme if you want people to all dress in a similar fashion.

Prehistoric Party

Cavemen, Cavewomen, dinosaurs and sabertooth tigers, what could be more fun than a prehistoric party? Unfortunately, planning a party with such an elaborate theme can be time consuming. Decorating for this theme is especially hard. Make foods simple, think foraged berries and nuts as well as some kind of meat; kabobs are always a big hit. For activities you can play Spell that Dinosaur.

Undersea Party

Like the prehistoric party, the undersea party has great costume and decorating potential if you're willing to put time into it. Once again food is pretty easy, just serve seafood and fish crackers! For games you could have a Go Fish tournament.

Space Theme

Prepare to have your house invaded, there are sure to be plenty of aliens that show up. This theme also has the added bonus of having a rich history of characters like Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. Decorating is pretty easy, just put up some stars and a few planets; food is the real struggle with this one. You could make oddly shaped brownies and have them be edible moon rocks.

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Have A Home Bar Halloween Party

When that time of year rolls around when the days get gradually cooler and the trees change color, It is time to plan a Halloween party around your home bar. Home bars are great "centerpieces" in which to focus on the theme of your party. They are a natural place for guests to get acquainted and food and beverages to be served.This article will focus on some ideas for party themes, favors, decorations and entertainment.

When all is said and done, a Halloween party would not be complete without costumes. Your decision on costumes has everything to do with the selection of the theme of your party, and the guests you intend to invite. Some party themes will probably require that you and your guests rent or purchase professionally designed costumes. If you feel renting or purchasing costumes will be necessary, consult with your guests first. On the other hand, some party themes will be easily suited to homemade costumes. Let your imagination be your guide.

A theme that is easily adapted to your home bar would be a "wild west" theme. All your guests should be given a particular "character" to play. The females should probably uniformly be "saloon girls", as they were the only women allowed in saloons. If you have a friend with a bushy mustache, he could be the bartender. Just slick back his hair and give him an apron or vest. A fun form of entertainment would be to have a "gunfight" between a designated marshall and a wanted "bad" guy. Water pistols only, of course! Tables could be set up for poker and black jack games, with an appropriately dressed dealer. Whole peanuts in the shell and pretzels are perfect snacks "of the day."Make sure that you have mugs for the beer and old fashioned shot glasses for decoration.

If your home bar has a "retro" theme, a "Star Wars" theme could be great fun. Most of us remember the famous futuristic bar scene from Star Wars. You could attempt to duplicate some of the characters who appeared in the scene, as well as the traditional members of the cast. For a "Star Wars" theme, you are probably going to need professional costumes and props.Fun drink selections would consist of the imaginative use of food colorings."The music might be hits from the 50's or 60's, which is certainly ironic in a futuristic gathering. Another fun activity would be to play charades in costume. That is always good for a few laughs!

A couple of final party theme ideas would be a "gypsy"theme. You could have Tarot card and palm reading as entertainment. Or even a 60's and 70's theme, complete with bell bottoms and "Beatle" wigs. The point of the party is to have fun and "cut loose."Please remember to plan ahead, Halloween is right around the corner. Happy Halloween!

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Doing Hard Time At Your Kids' Halloween Party

Of the many different kinds of Halloween parties a hard-time party is bound to be intriguing. Appropriate invitations for this type of party are written on torn pieces of brown paper decorated with a black-cat sticker. Black cats, witches, and bats from the dollar store make effective home decorations.

Pictures can be hung at an angle or upside down. The dressing table may boast a shiny pie tin used for a hand mirror along with an old comb minus many teeth. Gunny sacks make lovely window curtains for this hard-time affair.

Such a setting entails very little expense, not too much effort and creates an atmosphere of hilarity that starts the party off with a bang.

A game that all young people will enjoy is a game o£ "Halloween Ten Pins." In keeping with the hard-time motif use ginger ale bottles for pins and solid heads of cabbages for balls. Set a certain score for game and let some expert bowler keep score for the crowd. Don't keep at one game too long.

Halloween is synonymous with fortunetelling. No Halloween party would be complete without some sort of fortunetelling stunt, especially for teenagers. "Goblet Fortunes" are fun to do. Place a goblet on a table. Tie a ring to a string. Let each guest drop the ring to the bottom of the goblet while he recites the alphabet. Immediately when the ring strikes the side of the goblet the person stops. The letter with which he or she stops is indication of the name of the person he or she will marry.

"Halloween Hags" are lots of fun. Draw on a sheet a life-size witch with stringy hair, peaked hat, etc., with a hole where the face should be seen. Hang a sheet in an open doorway. Let the girls stick their heads in the opening, making faces to disguise their identities. Boys write their guesses as to who each one is. Then the girls take their turns at guessing whose face they see. It is surprising how hard it is to guess each face. The youngsters are very good at face-making and have a grand time doing it.

At the conclusion of the games serve your guests a hearty meal. Have the dining table set with a clean ragged cloth or brown paper doilies. Cracked and nicked dishes are in order along with old and odd pieces of silverware. Candles stuck into empty pop bottles may be used for table lighting.

Colored magazine ads that represent each of the guests may be used for place cards. This causes a riot of fun and you'd be surprised how quickly each guest will spot his place.

John Lenaghan writes about Halloween party ideas and other party-related topics for the Party Ideas 4u website. Read more at http://www.party-ideas-4u.com

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Easy Kids Party Decorating

Kid party decorations can be cheap and easy, yet impressive, if you follow these simple guidelines and use a little imagination and advance planning. Get rave reviews with our fun decorating ideas!

GREETING SIGN

A greeting sign in your front yard or on your door is a nice way to welcome party guests. Match it to the party theme and colors. For a construction party write "Caution: Work Zone" in black on a yellow background. For a luau party, draw orange, yellow and pink leis around the word "Aloha". A western party sign could say "Welcome to the O.K. Corral".

With just a little imagination, a homemade sign can be better than a store-bought one and you'll be complimented on your ingenuity to boot!

BALLOONS

Balloons are a must for every kids party. They are cheap, colorful, and every kid loves them! Choose the balloon color to complement your party theme. For example, two shades of green for a jungle party, orange and black for a Halloween party, yellow and orange for a construction party, and so on.

Assorted helium-filled balloons can be bunched and anchored in the middle of the party table as a centerpiece, or attached from the light fixture in the center of the room. I always get a special birthday mylar which relates to the party theme and tie it to the birthday child's chair.

A balloon arch is an impressive way to direct guests to the party area. Simply attach helium-filled balloons to a ribbon about every 12 inches and secure it to the ground on either side of your doorway. Remember to attach a few balloons to your mailbox to show guests where the party is. Be sure you have enough balloons to give one to each party guest as they leave.

CREPE PAPER

Another cheap and easy party decoration is crepe paper. Tie four to six pieces from the center light fixture in the room extending to the corners and walls. Twist as you go and

secure with masking tape or rubber cement, both of which are easily removed after the party is over. For an extra fancy effect, twist two different colors of crepe together. Attach a couple of balloons over the crepe paper ends to cover any tape or glue.

Hang crepe paper strips in doorways similar to the 60's beaded look. Alternate colors for more visual interest. Balloons and crepe paper alone are enough to give your party area a fun and

festive atmosphere.

TABLE DECORATIONS

Personalize your party table with some homemade embellishments.

Start with a tablecloth designed by the party child. Cut a length of butcher paper and let him or her decorate it with colorful markers, crayons, pictures cut from magazines, construction paper shapes - let the imagination run wild! Then, sandwich your child's creation between a colored

plastic tablecloth and a clear one, so it can be appreciated by all, yet protected from spills.

Use one or more of your child's toys relating to the party theme as a centerpiece. For example, a large teddy bear for a teddy bear picnic party, a grouping of Barbies for a dolly party, a cowboy hat for a western party - you get the idea. You can even anchor a balloon bouquet to your unique

centerpiece.

Curl several lengths of curling ribbon and lay on the table surrounding your centerpiece. Add a few sprinkles of party confetti - it even comes in different themes - to complete the effect.

COSTUMES

You may not think of costumes as decorations, but they are! They just happen to be adorning people, not walls or tables! It's fun for the party hosts and party child to dress with

the party theme, even if it's just a hat, funny glasses, or themed T-Shirt. This conveys a playful mood to get your party going in a festive spirit.

If you plan your theme several months ahead, you can anticipate your needs and take advantage of sales and discounts to keep the cost of decorations down. Keep a storage container of party

decorations you see on close-out throughout the year. If you throw an annual party on Halloween, Valentine's Day or other holiday, shop the day after the holiday for deeply discounted items and save them in your party container for the following year's party.

Follow these simple kids party decorating tips, and you'll reap the benefits with rave reviews from party guests and parents alike!

Copyright 2004 Kids Party Paradise All Rights Reserved

Patricia B. Jensen is a mother of three and kids party enthusiast. She is the webmaster and owner of Kids-Party-Paradise.com - a complete resource for kids party ideas including invitations, cakes, decorations, games, costumes, favors, and food.

For all the latest party news, read her Kids Party Blog.

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Planning a Halloween Party That Elementary School Kids Will Love

Every family celebrates Halloween differently. Some parents are too busy to prepare a grand party and simply carve out a pumpkin face, put a candle inside and position the scary pumpkin in a window facing the street. However, if your child is attending a school Halloween party and you're going to participate, you have to think of more Halloween ideas to contribute. Here are some suggestions:

"Scary Face" Painting

If you have a week or so before the party, you can learn the basics of face painting and use your skills to make Halloween more fun and memorable to the kids attending your Halloween party.

If you're not the artistic type, you can hire two face painting artists for the day and put up a stall in the venue for face painting. Some kids will be lacking in the costume department, and face art will make up for what they lack. Divide the kids into two and line them up to have their face painted. Let the kids choose the designs by giving out flyers with a list of the images they can ask the artist to paint.

Create Your Painted Pumpkin Family

You can use paper mache pumpkins or real ones for pumpkin painting. The objective is to give younger kids something to do with Halloween pumpkins without exposing them to sharp edges, knives and the other dangers associated with jack-o-lantern carving.

If you're ordering pumpkins, ask the supplier to pick out large, medium and small sized pumpkins to represent each member of the child's family.

For school events, however, the kids can have one pumpkin to paint and bring home after the party. Prepare supplies like glues, acrylic paints, permanent markers, colored paper, old newspapers, eye-drawing cut outs, ribbons, colorful stickers and party hats. Let the kids paint funny faces on their pumpkins and decorate them using the supplies you provided.

Freeze Dancing

One of the best activities that a group of elementary kids can participate in at a Halloween party is Freeze Dancing. Choose a lively Halloween CD and let the kids dance for a while before stopping the music. Each child has to "freeze" when the music stops. You can designate two or three teachers or parents to supervise the game and eliminate kids who move even a little while the music is not playing. The last child standing is declared the winner.

Snacks

You can turn any snack (cookies, rice pudding and ice cream) into a creepy, crawly Halloween treat just by using green or orange food coloring and serving with candy corns.

There are a variety of other activities you can do at a Halloween party like dance dance revolution or halloween carnival games.

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Plan a Halloween Party They'll Never Forget!

Have you noticed that Halloween isn't just for kids anymore? It can be a great night for the whole family and particularly if you want an alternative to trick-or-treating. Throwing a Halloween Party is a sure fire way to get both adults and kids excited about Halloween.

Halloween party invitations are very important. They are the best way to get your guests excited about the party. Send out some great hand made Halloween party invitations, it will get the kids involved, and you can be sure your party will stick in people's minds. Two weeks in advance is the best time to send them. Let them know there will be prizes for the best costume or scariest pumpkin (more about this later *)

- Create a cute ghost card using your kid's footprint. Use some black construction paper and fold it in half. Have your child dip his/her foot into white paint and stamp the card with the footprint. Let your cards try. With a black marker a face to your ghost. Write a message with a gold pen inside your card.

- Use some of our printable Halloween invitations and write your message with a shaky hand, then wrap it in a little cob webbing and enclose little black plastic spiders for extra creepiness.

Create the spooky ambiance Halloween is famous for. Hairy spiders in webs in ceilings and corners is the classic but here are some other decorating tips:

- Cover tables with black table cloths and decorate with pumpkin cutouts and pumpkin garlands (you can get a pattern to make it yourself)

- Cover sofas and chairs with white sheets.

- Light essential passageways to the toilets or the bar with inexpensive rope lights but try to keep general lighting to a minimum, substituting black or red light bulbs.

- Have a pumpkin contest (announcing it in your invitation). * Ask your guests to bring their carved pumpkins to the party and you will have some of the best decorations delivered to your door.

- Make a pumpkin patch. Put some boxes on a table to get different heights for display, draping dark fabric over them. Add some real vines of leaves or green ribbons for contrast and of course use tea lights to illuminate. This could also be a good place for your snacks.

- Roll up orange napkins with black cutlery inside placing it inside a bat napkin holder.

- Place rows of tombstones with the names of your guests leading up to your door. Use decorated cardboard or cereal boxes.

- You can also hang Halloween lights around your front door and use a fog machine to welcome your guests (available at party rental stores)

Games and Activities can really make all the difference and they encourage people to mix. Don't forget to have lots of prizes on hand.

- Create a Halloween photo backdrop for everyone to get a picture taken.

- Have an area where kids can create their own frame for their photo.

- Have a dance contest to the Monster Mash song.

- Have a Halloween Lotto giving out prizes of miniature candy bars or party favors.

- Rent Halloween videos for later in the evening.

When it comes to food and refreshments, it's hard to know where to start. Serving chips and dips in black plastic cauldrons or floating a rubber hand in the punch bowl are just the beginning. There are many sites with great Halloween resources.

Halloween isn't just ghosts, witches and monsters or about candy or costumes. Halloween is a perfect time for spending time with family and friends. Having a Halloween party offers plenty of easy and interesting decorating projects and activities for kids as well as for adults.

Jolanda Garcia is a former teacher and educational content designer and runs several websites. Her goal is to give parents and teachers great resources to nurture their children?s development and creativity through crafts and activities. Visit her websites at:http://www.KidsSoup.com and http://www.HalloweenPartyBox.com

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How to Throw a Kid-Friendly Halloween Party

When I was a wee tot, I loved Halloween, even the scary side of it. When my friends were dressing in princess costumes for trick or treating, I was looking for the scariest costume I could find for a little girl.

That was decades ago. I'm now a grandmother to a wonderful grandson who loves Halloween, but dislikes the scary stuff. Witches, skeletons and scarecrows all give him nightmares. This got me thinking about creating a kinder and gentler Halloween party for little kids, say preschool age to about second grade--one that is heavy on the fun, but light on the fright.

If you're planning a Halloween party for a group of younger children, and you don't want to scare the pants off them, these ideas will come in handy:

Host a party for little ones during the day. This is naturally less scary, and if parents have plans to attend their own grown-up Halloween party in the evening, this won't interfere. If the weather is nice, you can have the party in the back yard.

If you want to have a party later in the day, arrange to take the children trick or treating early in the evening as a group (you'll want the help of a few parent volunteers). Then have all the kids back to your house for an hour or two after gathering treats throughout the neighborhood.

Encourage everyone to come in costume, but don't make the party about the costumes. Wearing a funny hat or a colorful wig can be just as much fun as wearing an elaborate costume.

Decorate for fun. Smiling pumpkins and happy ghosts are more fun for little ones than ghouls and goblins. Crepe paper in orange and black can be hung or arranged on tables. A table cloth in a fun motif, such as candy corn, happy jack-o-lanterns, or falling leaves will help set the tone and get the kids in the mood for Halloween fun. Or just go to the fabric store and buy some inexpensive orange fabric to cover your table with it. Disposable plates and napkins can easily be found in Halloween colors to complement your decorations.

For food, keep things simple. You can do anything from ordering in or making pizza, to creating a sandwich smorgasbord, to grilling hot dogs and hamburgers. Don't worry about making the food look gross or scary. If you want, you can call the pizza something catchy and Halloween-ish like "petrified pizza", or the hot dogs "horrifying hot dogs". Don't forget about the "screamingly scary sandwich smorgasbord". Serve punch that is "frighteningly fizzy". You get the idea.

Play Halloween music in the background--fun Halloween music. The Monster Mash, The Purple People Eater, Ghostbusters, and The Addams Family theme song are good examples of fun and friendly Halloween music. Let the kids make up their own funny dances to the songs, or teach them the words and let them have a Halloween sing-a-long.

For additional entertainment, you can have the kids play pin the nose on the pumpkin, or the tail on the black cat. Or purchase or make your own Halloween pinata and give each child a try at whacking the filling out of it. You could also have your young guests decorate Halloween cookies to take home. Just use Halloween cookie cutters to make a batch of sugar cookies before the party. Have orange, white and black frosting ready for use, and let each child decorate a few cookies.

If you want to give party favors or goodie bags to your guests, avoid the cheap plastic toys and more candy. Instead, give a small box of crayons and a coloring book, or a small package of Play Doh to each child.

For young Halloween revelers, keep it light and keep it playful. The scary and spooky stuff can wait a few years.

Lenore Ravenwood holds a degree in Landscape Horticulture and is fascinated by everything Halloween. You can visit her blog, Raven's Rest Halloween at http://www.ravenshalloween.blogspot.com.

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October is Halloween Party Time!

Why not have a Halloween party this year, after all, Halloween is the second most celebrated holiday in our country. Christmas is the first most celebrated holiday, and the most decorated. But October 31st is second in the house decorating department. You will see many houses with Spooky decorations and lots of kids in unique costumes...it's a real treat!

Are you wondering how to plan your Halloween party? Don't, it's easy and it's fun. Read about how to plan a party and give yourself plenty of time to arrange the details. Allowing yourself more time than you need to plan your party will help you to plan a stress free event! This means you can have fun right along side of your guests!

How to Plan a Halloween Party

Planning your Halloween party will be as easy as A B C, once you are familiar with the basics. The first thing to plan is how many people you are going to invite. So make a list of the people you'd like to come to your party.

Then decide what kind of party it's going to be. Is it going to be a costume party, a horror movie marathon or just a holiday get together with some interesting foods and a few parlor party games.

Party Invitations

Then buy or make your party invitations, fill them out with all the details...what kind of theme, time, date, place and an RSVP phone number. Now you can mail the invitations out! You can use snail mail or if you are a savvy computer user, send them out over the Internet using a service like Evite. (That will also save you the trouble of buying or making them!)

Decorating Ideas

Next, it's time to plan your decorations. This is the fun part. You can "window shop" online right from your own home. There are dozens of Halloween themes you can use. The difficult part is choosing one. Of course, there are pumpkins, monsters, witches, famous Hollywood couples, a fortune telling event and many more. Buy some colorful and fun theme party plates and cups, get some cut out decorations to hang up, and perhaps some orange lights for the outside of your home.

Fun Food Ideas

As the party date approaches it's time to begin thinking about the food you will be serving. You can set up a buffet table with some scary looking, fun food dishes like Deviled Eyes, or Graveyard Cake. Dips and appetizers are easy to make and serve and they are easy dishes to eat. Whatever you decide to serve make it look festive. You can put some raisins in your ice cubes and make it look like there are bugs in the drinks, or you can put a frozen ice hand in the punch bowl.

Get Out The Costumes

If you are having a costume party make sure to get some prizes for the best costume, the funniest costume, the biggest costume and the littlest costume! Have a dance contest and call it the "Monster Mash" or play some "Horror Movie Charades or Trivia". If you decided to have a Horror Movie Marathon, get some red food coloring and add it to your popcorn butter! Whatever type of party you decide have lots of fun this Halloween!

Ms. Party Ideas is Jillian Gallo and she writes about fun party stuff! Find all the unique party ideas and cheap party supplies at http://www.partyideasparade.com You can learn how to plan and organize your party ideas...all kinds of kids creative party ideas, delicious and easy party menu recipes and of course, fun party games is what you will find along with some great cake and cupcake decorating ideas! Make it yourself party food, invitations and decorations. You can find some great tips for a Halloween party at http://www.partyideasparade.com/halloween-party-decorating-ideas.html Jillian enjoys swapping good party ideas with you, so if you have a great party idea...please let her know!

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Party Decoration Ideas For Little Pirate Scallywags

Avast there ye pirate scallywags! Ye need go no further than the Pirate Flag for ideas for your own Pirate themed party. For those of ya that want to add a touch of realism to yer party argh, we'd suggest that ye read on.

In other ships scrolls we've given ye ideas on creating yarrgh invitations and on how to make 'em the best around and now we're goin' to tell ye how to make the venue for yarrgh party look fantastic and give yarrgh some ideas on how to amuse yarrgh little scallywags until it's time for 'em to walk that there plank to 'ome.

Pirate Decoration Themes
Having adopted a pirate theme for your party, you have three options for the decoration theme. The first - and by far the most popular - is the Treasure Island. Next we have the Pirate Boat and lastly - and probably better for adults so not covered here - is the portside Inn. Once you've identified which theme your going to follow it's time to get working on transforming your venue and here are a few tips;

Treasure Island
The degree of realism will depend on whether you are indoors or outside. If you are lucky enough to be outside you could create a real island with a pile of sand which can be placed on some sand coloured cardboard to protect the surface. You can extend the cardboard to create the whole island by taping it together using strong tape on both sides and then when you have an area big enough to hold all of your little pirates, it can either be shaped to resemble the island outline or the remainder painted in blue to resemble the sea. You can mix some sand with the paint in-order to get a textured finish. To get enough cardboard you can ask your local supermarket for some cardboard boxes and then cut these open and join them together. This idea also works well for an indoor island.

On the edge of your island you may want to add some inflatable sharks and you could extend the sea up your walls by hanging some blue sheets or crepe paper and then attaching some pirate ship cutouts and fish.

To decorate your island you need some inflatable palm trees, a collection of various sized boxes, paint some as treasure chests others as packing cases - these can be stacked for best effect. To create a packing case, seal the box and then paint it all over with a light brown colour. Using a thin paintbrush create the slat effect horizontally around the case. If you want to you can create the shadow lines about 2" from the top and bottom for the lid and base covers - alternatively these can be constructed simply from 2"x1" wood cut to length and then screwed (from the inside) to box. Adding a washer to the inside prevents the batten being ripped off too easily. Double sided tape on the outside also works well. These battens can be painted. To all painted surfaces, using a marker create knotholes and a wood grain effect. Stack the completed packing cases for the best effect.

Add some coils of rope and barrels if you can find any. Add some plastic pirate rum bottles or an assortment of bottles to complete the scene. Bottles can be made from paper mache (a mixture of torn newspaper and paste) which can then be applied to a wine bottle which has been previously smeared with Vaseline. Build up layers of paper mache but keep the shape of the bottle and leave the bottom uncovered - so that the bottle can slid out. Leave to dry. When dry slip the fake bottle from the real bottle and repeat the process as many times as required. Level the base (so they stand) and paint as you wish incorporating skull and crossbones etc into your design. If you want the bottle to lie on their sides or be propped up, add a circle of card as a base attached with tape or more paper mache strips. This is best done before painting. For an authentic look, drip a coloured candle wax over the top of the bottle to represent the seal.

If you are inside and looking for an craft project for your party, make loads of fake bottles in advance and paint them the basic colour. With lots of paper spread out, get your guests to decorate their own bottle - the painted result can also be part of their party bag at the end.

If you have a tree or post available, attach lengths of bunting from this to various points around the edge. If indoors use the bunting across the room. The bunting can either be homemade using colourful rectangles of plain material attached to some binding or can be bought pirate bunting.

Pirate Ship
The Pirate Ship will require a little more thought and lots of cardboard. The easiest solution is to create just a part of the ship out of cardboard - one of the cabins. Using cardboard taped together, create a large box shape - depending on the size you may want to incorporate some wooden supports, paint the whole structure in brown and the outline the planks and nail heads in black. Create planks of different lengths just like in a real ship. Cut windows in the sides and decorate around the windows as much as you want - it helps to download a picture of a pirate galley as a template.

You can extend to the front of the structure with more cardboard painted like planks and this can for the deck of the boat. Around the edge you could paint a sea blue - see above. Decorate the deck of your pirate boat with treasure chest, packing boxes, barrels, bottles and ropes as outlined for the Treasure Island. If you are outdoors, then you could add a tall pole to the back of the structure to create a mast from which you could attach your bunting to symbolize sails. If you are indoors bring the bunting in from the corners of the room to the centre above the cabin.

Neither of these decoration themes can be achieved in 5 minutes. Each will take some thought and some planning to produce the best results, but there is nothing to prevent you starting to construct decorative items well in advance, the packing cases and pirate bottles can be made at anytime and will store indefinitely proving they are kept dry. In fact they will last for years and many parties and like Halloween, you could add to them as time goes on.

Having created the perfect decorated party venue for your pirate scallywags, don't forget to include the fact that you expect all of your guests to come to the party in pirate fancy dress.

Discover an extensive range of Pirate fancy dress costumes and costume accessories along with a veritable pirate's chest full of themed party goods and decoration ideas by selecting the following link and browsing our specially selected Pirate catalog. Browse the section for ideas or use the search feature to find a specific Pirate themed party item: http://www.karnival-house.co.uk/acatalog/Pirates.html.

If a Pirate themed party is not what you are looking for, Karnival Costumes is sure to have something just for you. Discover the complete range of themed costumes and for other party ideas when you visit our website, browse our costumes and accessories for as long as you need before making your final selection. Purchase with confidence and security from one of the leading costume suppliers in the UK. Visit our vast array of costumes at; http://www.karnival-house.co.uk.

We also have a large selection of articles on a wide range of party themed topics. Why not join our newsletter for up to date information on the latest trends in costumes, news and notification of our special offers?

Article submitted by: KV Sinclair who has nearly 40 years of business experience and in addition to being a part time University Lecturer on Business Studies, he is CEO of Karnival House; a group of companies operating in the party sector. Karnival Costumes is part of this group and specialises in fancy dress and fancy dress costume accessories. Karnival Costumes can be found at karnival-house.co.uk and is one of the UK's fastest growing internet Fancy Dress Retailers. With massive stocks for immediate dispatch and an ever expanding range, Karnival Costumes continues to strive simply to offer outstanding service combined with outstanding value.

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Themed Kid's Party Food

When planning a party for your child, birthday or otherwise, you can make it much more interesting and fun by serving food that matches the overall theme. With a bit of recipe research, the task is probably easier than you think.

By coming up with a yummy themed party food menu, the kid's in attendance will love the event even more.

Holiday parties are probably the easiest events to plan this type of menu around... especially Halloween. Other parties that are great choices when serving theme-related food include almost any type of character party such as Harry Potter, Barbie or Thomas the Train.

Performing an Internet search using the phrase, 'Halloween party food for kids' will bring up hundreds of spooky, goopy, recipes that any kid will love. Everything from chicken fingers that look like the real thing to great tasting punches that bubble and ooze.

If you want to plan a menu around Barbie or Thomas the Train, the job is even easier. A Barbie party menu can consist of dainty foods such as finger sandwiches, small pastries, fruit and cheese nibblers and anything pink, in color. (Remember, Barbie's favorite color is pink!). Serve on Barbie themed plates and you're good to go.

For a Thomas the Train or any other character related party, you can easily serve traditional party foods, giving them creative names that relate to the party. An example of this might be Sir Handel had dogs, toot-toot tater tots and Splatter milk shakes. You are only limited by your imagination.

Sports are an easy theme for a kid's party, both girls and boys. If your kid loves football of course you'll be serving hot dogs and hamburgers. But don't stop there. Incorporate the football theme into the decorations.

Hand out nerf footballs to all the party guests and have a throwing contest. Arrange three baskets of different sizes, the first and largest about 10 feet away, the second and middle sized about 15 feet away and the last and smallest about 15 feet away. The closest basket is worth 3 points (a field goal), the middle one 6 points (touchdown) and the farthest one 8 points (touchdown and 2 point conversion.)

Another game is to play throw and catch in teams with the football. Divide the children into two equal teams. Half of each team faces each other about 20 feet apart. The first two members of each team throw the nerf football to the member of their team standing across from them. That person catches the ball - or if they miss chases after the ball - and runs to the other side. The team that has all members both catch the ball and run, wins.

Themed parties are great way to make sure your kids party is one to remember.

Dee Power is the author of several nonfiction books. Free report Party Ideas For Kids. Dee also writes about weddings Get your free copy of Weddings on a Shoestring Budget

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The Secret to a Great Party is in the Birthday Party Decorations

Birthday Party Decorations are the key to a successful party, as well as a good time for all guests. When choosing the specific decorations, you should always keep in mind the age group of your target audience. Age appropriate decorations, especially for a birthday party for children.

Birthday party decorations for young children are not only age specific, but typically gender specific as well. For girls, princess themes are quite common, as well as car racing or action figure themes for young boys. Whatever theme you choose you should always remember to stick with that theme and not try to incorporate unrelated things into it. However, keep in mind the age group of the guests, at all times.

For children typically under the age of seven, live characters, are always a great hit with all the guests. Not only is this the best decoration of the party, used to tie it all together, but also provides helpful entertainment.

Themes are not only important at birthday parties for children. Adult parties call for a theme as well in order to plan the decorations accordingly, however the theme itself may appear less obvious. Typically the theme is a specific color, rather than an idea. However, for important coming of age parties, such as: 21, 30, 40, etc. These should always be the central theme in your party.

Games can be a key factor at any party. The game should incorporate the theme already present, and can be a nice way to include all the guests together. At a party for young children it is important that as the host, you make sure that every child is included in the game equally so as not to bring about jealousy at the party. At a party for adults, this is the most opportune time to break the ice among all the guests. Games that include the first names of each guest are usually a good idea in order to help everyone become better acquainted.

The party theme can also be included in the food served. Birthday parties that fall close to big holidays may be centered on this idea. As an example, food for a Halloween centered party may be cupcakes with black frosting, or dressed up as other scary ideas or animals.For Christmas themes, Santa centered cupcakes or snowflake cookies are a nice touch.

As a whole, Birthday Party Decorations are the main factor in a successful party because they are the center of everything. When done correctly, your guests should simply subtly notice how nicely the entire party is tied together. Decorations need not overwhelm the party in excess; therefore, shopping on a budget is never a problem.

Party Decorations

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Party Panache - How to Budget Your Kid's Birthday Bash With Style

Whatever the budget for your kid's birthday party, you can create a birthday bash with panache. It's creativity that makes an event memorable. To that happy ending, here are some ideas to get the party started:

Hand deliver the invitations. Present a mini "glass" slipper for a princess party, or a small dinosaur figurine for a Jurassic party, then direct parents to check their e-mail for the Evite. This will make a big impact on your kid's party, and probably cost you a lot less than paper invitations with postage.

Invite fewer guests. No one says you have to invite all 22 kids from school. Besides, having just a handful of kids at the party is more manageable and makes your guests feel privileged for attending. Just be sure to handle invitations discreetly.

Double the fun. Divvy up the costs of entertainment and food by combining a party with another kid. Even if you hold separate parties when it comes to the food and drink, you could trim expenses on the location, decoration, bounce house, or talent by partnering with someone you know.

Set the scene at home. Your toy chest likely holds heaps of decor in your selected party theme. So get out the horse figurines for a pony party. Create a carnival atmosphere by hanging sheets on a line and floating rubber duckies in the kiddie pool. Run a DVD on continual play (Nemo's virtual aquarium works great for an under-the-sea theme party). Insert a glass with flowers into a cowboy boot for an instant vase. Your creativity will find new uses for old things.

Turn your guests into the decorations. Have kids bring their own cuddly bear for a teddy bear tea party. Give the young buckaroos a mustache you draw with an eye liner and outfit them with a bandanna or cowboy hat for a Western theme. Provide home-made fairy wings, and rainbow face painting for a fairyland theme party. Or invite guests to dress the part of a knight, princess or pirate.

Skip the helium balloons. Standard balloons are just as festive when attached to chairs, walls or the floor. For an underwater birthday theme, try affixing blue and green balloons to the floor to create an ocean effect. Instead of balloons, buy some inflatable toys on eBay -- they double as decorations and favors. You'll find a selection of affordable 15-inch inflatables from horses, cows, and monkeys to pink poodles, swords, magic wands and more on eBay. Or try a festive life-size monkey for a luau party, or red dragon for a knights and princess party: also found on eBay.

Do without. Sure, you can borrow tables and chairs, but why not have fun with your theme and do without them? Set up bales of hay for a horse theme party. Sit on towels for a pool party. Create a faux campfire for a cowboy theme party. Or just put picnic cloths on the lawn for your guests. You can do without some utensils too, if your food is portable. Ice cream cone cupcakes, for example, make a substantial impact on your budget when compared to a store bought cake. Instead of paper cupcake cups, just pour cake batter into colorful ice-cream cones and bake. You save on plates, forks and ice cream.

Make food and drink memorable. Try themed shaped cookie cutters for sandwiches. Set up the toy farm and create a "paddock" for the cupcakes at your barnyard party. Turn a submarine sandwich into a pirate ship with sails for the little scallywags. Use colored sugars like margarita salt for your princess party drinks (just wedge a lemon around the glass, then dip with blue or purple sugars and pour pink lemonade for an ethereal look that kids won't soon forget). Decorate water bottles with stickers in your party theme. You'll find a great selection of affordable stickers in on eBay. For a pink pirate party, we chose a pink colored Vitamin water and decorated the bottles with pirate stickers.

Create your own themed favors and treats. Use your computer and printer to make new labels for candy. Send kids home with a doggie dish of dog-bone shaped gingerbread cookies. Wilton makes several great candy molds to make lollypops or chocolate treats. You can also use them to mold crayons or soaps to match your theme.

Hire student performers or helpers. The hired help doesn't need to have artistic talent - just supply some tattoos you find on eBay and they can become instant "face painters. Helpers can also organize games and activities, serve the cake, help with the presents, or read a theme related book so you can enjoy your party.

Think ahead. Find candy on sale for the pinata after Valentine's Day, Halloween, or Christmas. Purchase costumes after Halloween, but in advance of your party. Stock up on drinks and chips when they're on sale to save money.

You can create the perfect party in your mind and deliver memorable results for your child as you save money. Be sure to include your child in as much of the pre-party planning as possible -- you may be surprised at the wonderful party ideas that may surface as a result.

M.C. Nygard is a former Platinum Powerseller on eBay and is the creator of http://www.PONYPARTYIDEAS.com filled with inspiration for your pony party. Get ideas for your "mane" event, including horse party themes, as well as menu, cake, favors, games, activities and more. Plus, learn how to get cash back at eBay for purchase of party supplies.

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Planning a Party? Top 3 Party Themes of All Time

Are you looking to throw the perfect party but don't know what you can do to spice up the mood and make sure your guests have the time of their lives? You're not alone. Lots of people struggle to find the perfect angle for a good time.

Choosing an ideal party theme will depend on your guests and their interests. If you're planning an all-boys get-together, you're probably not going to choose a pajama party theme. Likewise, a group of girls might not be so fond of a poker party theme. Fortunately, there are great party ideas targeted for men and women and are appropriate for all age groups.

Here is our list of the top 3 party themes of all time:

1. Beach Party. Beach parties are a great way to spice up a party and keep your guests excited. Everyone loves to throw on a pair of shorts, their bathing suit or even track pants and a tank top (for those more interested in comfort) and drink the night away.

What you'll need: All you need to pull off a beach party is a bunch of leis, some grass skirts and a few posters of sunny beach destinations. If you want to get really technical, you can throw a bunch of sand in your garage and setup some beach volleyball nets to really fuel the mood.

2. Black and White Party. Color-schemed parties are extremely popular these days. Black and white used to be the most popular but many party-planners are opting for black and pink, black and red or red, white and blue parties. Color themed parties are a quick and easy way to spice up any event.

What you'll need: All you'll need to do is coordinate your decor with the color scheme you choose for your party. Invitations, table centerpieces, favors and all of the decorations should match the colors you indicated on your invitations.

3. Costume Party. Costume parties are fun and exciting and allow you to be someone completely different for a night. This type of party is relatively easy to throw, mostly because your guests are doing the majority of the work for you.

What you'll need: If it's a Halloween costume party, you can purchase Halloween themed decorations but if it's just a generic costume party, there's not a whole lot you'll need. A good location and some delicious treats are about all that's left for you to worry about.

All of the unique party ideas listed above work well for both men and women and are relatively appropriate for individuals of all ages.

Party planning doesn't have to be stressful. In fact, it should be fun. Using one of the ideas above will ensure you and your guests have a fabulous time.

We hope our tips help. Have fun and happy planning!

Sunny Sherbourne loves to throw parties and is filled with incredibly unique party ideas. When she's feeling really generous, she shares some of her favorite tips and tricks with the readers of Occasions365.com.

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