Ready to start planning your Halloween party? Here are some tips and ideas for planning the perfect Halloween party for the whole family.

Just like any other party, there are things you have to plan so that everything goes well and you don’t go crazy with the details. Save the craziness for the party itself!

To get some ideas, I headed over to the Warrior Forum and asked some of the members what they would do. And then I added my own ideas to the mix.

How are you inviting people?

The first thing you’ll need are invitations, unless you’re inviting people by setting up a Facebook event, sending emails, or just calling people.

Where do you organize the party?

If you have a big enough house or aren’t having many guests, you’re good to go. But if you’re expecting more people than your house can handle, here are some ideas for party venues:

• local fire company social hall
• Covered pavilion in a local park, if you live in a warm climate, that is.
• Book a banquet room

What supplies do you need?

Here’s a suggested list that covers pretty much everything for any party. Just use your imagination for Halloween colors and themes:

• Disposable Tableware
• party decorations
• Cake, Baking and Pastry Supplies
• Cards, stationery and invitations
• party favors and goody bags

Halloween party themed food and drinks!

Here are some great suggestions that I wouldn’t have thought of! Again, use your imagination.

Obviously, it’s best to have a buffet for a Halloween party and not a formal dinner like you’d expect at a wedding or something more formal. Think of the products of the fall season when preparing your buffet menu. Some ideas to have on your menu are:

• heirloom corn on the cob
• stuffed acorn squash
• Yams
• Chicken wings are always a favorite. Make sure you have bland wings for the kids or for people who don’t like hot and spicy things.
• A bowl of sweet corn
• Pumpkin Apple Pies are the Season’s Favorite Desserts

Favorite seasonal drinks:

Be sure to have soda and hot chocolate for the kids and non-drinkers. Plus, apple cider is a Halloween party favorite.

And for the adults who like to splurge a little, have some hard cider or apple cider “spiked” with wine or rum.

Fun party game ideas for kids and adults

Of course, no Halloween party is complete without an apple hunt!

You can also have costume prizes, for example:

• best costume
• funniest costume
• The most creative costume
• The most outrageous costume
• scariest costume

And last but not least…

Party ideas!

What you decide to give away for party favors will depend on your budget. But here are some ideas to get you started:

• Halloween Wrapped Candy Bars
• Orange and purple plastic stadium cups.
• themed bottle openers
• Candy Apples
• Ghost and Pumpkin Cookies