Spooky Halloween Party Ideas for Adults & Kids

Go beyond 'best costume' — add categories like scariest, funniest, most creative, best couples costume, and best DIY. Let guests vote by secret ballot.

Transform your garage, basement, or backyard into a haunted maze. Use black plastic sheeting, strobe lights, fog machines, and jump scares.

Set up a table with pumpkins, carving tools, stencils, and candles. Play Halloween music and serve hot cider while people carve.

Curate a lineup from family-friendly to terrifying. Start with Hocus Pocus, escalate to The Conjuring. Serve themed snacks between films.

Buy a Halloween-themed murder mystery kit and assign characters in advance. Serve a three-course dinner between acts.

Have friends decorate their car trunks with different themes and fill them with candy. Kids go car to car trick-or-treating in the parking lot.

Set up a self-serve bar with themed drinks — Vampire's Kiss, Witches' Brew, Zombie Punch. Use dry ice for fog and gummy eyeballs as garnish.

Set up fake tombstones around a fire pit, tell ghost stories, roast marshmallows, and play spooky sounds from a speaker.

Supply basic ingredients and let teams create the spookiest decorated cupcakes, cookies, or cakes. Blind judging at the end.

One person starts as the zombie. Play tag in a dark yard or park with flashlights. Once tagged, you join the zombie team.

Build an ofrenda, paint sugar skull faces, make pan de muerto, and share stories about loved ones. Educational and meaningful.

Map out the best-decorated houses in your area and walk the route together. Bring hot chocolate and rate each house.