Party Tips, Recipes & Activities Articles

Play Dough Pumpkins That Taste Fantastic!

Play Dough Pumpkins That Taste Fantastic! Looks like play dough? Check. Smells like candy? Check. Great for Halloween? Check. Tastes great? Yummy! Edible play dough is such a great thing. Kids can play with it and eat all they want (because there is no sugar, and they will get their fill quickly). The recipe is quick and adjustable, and even better it can be used with 'butters' other than peanut butter! Playdough Ingredients Making home-made play dough is simple: 1 cup creamy peanut ...

Cool Halloween Games for Kids

Cool Halloween Games for Kids Halloween is a time for giggles and guffaws. A time for kids and former kids to join together in fun appreciation of the autumnal season. With this in mind, here are some easy games for kids both young and old alike. Word Search Universally regarded as one of the most fun puzzles around, word search puzzles are now easy to create on your own. There are a number of educational sites like http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com that allow you to ...

Making Halloween Memories: A Guide to a Season of Fun for your Child

The Author’s Happy Halloween memories! Are you like me? Does Halloween form the basis of many of your favorite childhood memories? It was absolutely magical for me as a child. Now that I’m a parent, I try to bring that level of excitement to my own munchkins. I’m no craft-happy homemaker (don’t I wish?!) but I do try to piece together some special times during the season. Traditions form the fabric which weaves the happiest, richest holiday memories. I ...

Witches Brew on a Broomstick

Witches Brew on a Broomstick "Hubble, bubble, a dead man’s stubble, … A poisoned well became my task, A fog crowned night in stealth I crept And in the vacant mouth I poured A leprous flask of blasted sin." ...

Decorations at a Moment’s Notice (or D.A.M.N.)

Decorations at a Moment’s Notice (or D.A.M.N.) Some people in this world can make a gorgeous Halloween decoration for any occasion out of a bowl of grits and twist tie. Well, ok, not grits, but you get the point. Me? Nope, I’m not one of them. Notice the title of this section? I have to think about what I want to do and plan well in advance . . . unlessssssss I decide to throw together a last minute gig! I hope to make a few suggestions ...

Graveyard Surprise Cake

Graveyard Surprise Cake The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out! I dare you to enter this dark, spooky graveyard and dig in the dirt. When you do, you will discover worms and the slimy (but yummy!) layers beneath the dirt. This gelatin concoction is great for kids’ parties. It is fun and simple for kids to make. The result is a festive, colorful presentation and a combination of flavors and textures that is completely delectable. It looks gross, but isn’t that the ...

How to Host a Spooktacular Halloween Movie-Themed Party

How to Host a Spooktacular Halloween Movie-Themed Party Everyone loves a scary movie, and Hollywood has brought us plenty of them. From the Werewolf to demonic possession to creatures that creep in the deep or come from outer space, movies have helped shape what we think of as horror. Hosting a Halloween movie-themed party celebrates the monsters that keep us on the edge of our seats, year after year. So grab your cape and walk this way to get started on creating what’s sure to be the ...

Haunted Ghost Cake (with real flaming eyes!)

Haunted Ghost Cake (with real flaming eyes!) Boo! What is a Halloween party without a little haunting and some magic? This ghost will surprise and delight guests of any age when you turn off the lights and let the flaming eyes dance and dazzle. It will be spooky! Not only is this cake simple and fun to make but you will find yourself using this very easy chocolate dump cake for all of your recipes. It is almost as simple as a mix, yet it turns out ...

Pumpkin Brains (aka Spaghetti in a Pumpkin)

Pumpkin Brains (aka Spaghetti in a Pumpkin) One of my favorite family Halloween traditions is eating spaghetti in a pumpkin on Halloween night. Every year, without fail, my dad would hollow out a pumpkin while my mom cooked the spaghetti, and we would feast at the table. It is a bit messy and time consuming if you are not having a party. However, if you are having a party, or having the neighbors and their kids over for dinner before or after trick-or-treating, it ...

Yummy Pumpkin Cookies

Yummy Pumpkin Cookies The highlight of Halloween when I was growing up were the pumpkin cookies. The recipe originally came from a can of Libby’s pumpkin, but we have tweaked the recipe a bit and made it our own. My mom would spend hours tirelessly (well, maybe not tirelessly) making the cookies so that my sister and I, along with our friends, could decorate them. The Pumpkin Cookie tradition endures to this day. My sister phones my mom from ...

Beware of Gamers on Halloween – And the Dice They Roll in On!

Beware of Gamers on Halloween – And the Dice They Roll in On! WARNING! You May Not Be Able to Go Back to Scrabble! Sure, you can play Toss the Body Part or Bobbing For Apples or, heck, even Boo-opoly at your Halloween party, but what if you have some geeks ("Urr, we prefer to be called gamers, thank you") staring at you from beyond the half-empty bowl of cheesy Monster Fingers? We're not talking about nerds, those shadowy computer techies who constantly ...

Banana Brain Cake

Banana Brain Cake Your guests will be delightfully disgusted to see you serving a brain on a platter. Easy fondant icing helps you create a brainy surface that looks realistic. The fun begins, though, when you slice into it and banana pudding oozes out! Bring out your inner cannibal with this tasty idea. Ingredients 2 boxes white cake mix 8 inch diameter stainless steel bowl 8 inch cake pan spray oil pan release, like ...

Doom Cupcakes

Doom Cupcakes "Doom" has several different definitions. The most familiar meaning of the word is "destruction," or "ruin," but an older definition is fate or destiny. These cupcakes incorporate both meanings of the word. They are decorated for Halloween to look like a little slice of the graveyard, but they can also hide fortune, to reveal the destinies of you and your guests. Of course, the fortune-telling part is all fun and games. The cupcakes, on the other hand, are seriously ...

Marshmallow Monster Eyes

Marshmallow Monster Eyes These sweet, squishy Halloween treats look positively unnerving staring up from a party platter. For the ultimate in gross realism, the eyeballs gush "eyeball jelly" when eaten. Gross… but very tasty! Kids love these, but they do have a lot of sugar. So, unless you have padded walls, it is probably best to make sure they have an outside activity to do afterwards - trick-or-treating, perhaps? These are much easier to make than they look! Ingredient List 1 bag ...

You’ve Got the Right Stuff – An 80′s Theme Party

You’ve Got the Right Stuff – An 80′s Theme Party Over twenty years later, we may no longer have to fight for our right to par-taaay, but that doesn't mean we should stop. Throwing an 80's Theme Party is a fun way to be nostalgic, whether it was for your teen years or your childhood. Yes, mullets and shoulder pads were terrible, but they make for easy to find and fun to put together costumes. If you want to throw a tubular 80's party, keep reading for great tips ...

Savory Severed Monster Fingers

Savory Severed Monster Fingers Severed fingers with rotted black fingernails . . . hungry yet? A twist on the traditional pigs in a blanket, these delicious digits are simple to prepare, yet they look wonderfully gruesome on an appetizer platter. Everyone needs at least one quick and easy Halloween recipe. Kids will love these, and this recipe is easy enough that they can help make the fingers. Monster Finger Ingredients 2 cans of refrigerated crescent roll dough, ...

Throwing a Widow’s Ball

Throwing a Widow’s Ball A Widow's Ball is the ultimate, gothic-themed night. Don your black and lace attire and get ready for a Halloween dinner party to remember. All the elements that go into planning a successful Widow's Ball are the same as a regular dinner party, just darker, spookier, and much creepier. To learn how to throw a memorable Widow's Ball event this Halloween, keep reading for great tips on invitations, decorations, and menu and gothic costume ideas. A Gothic Theme ...

Brain Dip with Bone Breadsticks

Brain Dip with Bone Breadsticks Mmm . . . brains! The human brain is the preferred food of zombies everywhere, so why not serve it at your next Halloween party? This recipe is actually a tasty red pepper hummus dip in a bread bowl. This is easy to make and delicious. This dip is complemented by a simple bone breadstick recipe for dipping. Brain Dip Ingredients 1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained 3 ...

How To Throw a Black & White Ball

How To Throw a Black & White Ball Invoke the glamor of early Hollywood films or simply the stunning graphic effect of a room filled with only black and white, and host a Black & White Ball! Great as a fundraiser or a memorable social event, the premise of a Black & White Ball is that guests are requested to only wear black and white. One of the most infamous Black & White Balls was hosted by author Truman Capote in 1966. Held at The Plaza Hotel in ...

Ghostly Kid-Friendly Party Punch For Halloween

Ghostly Kid-Friendly Party Punch For Halloween This is a recipe with flair! The presentation is part of the overall recipe, and it makes a great centerpiece your Halloween party. On your table, hang Halloween plastic streamers (the kind with the ghosts and/or witches and cats) around the edges, about one or two inches down. Place a white or light-colored table cloth over the streamers, covering them completely. You can also get a large table cloth that will hang near to the floor. Under the table place an ...