How to Host a Halloween Party

Making a Haunted House O' Horrors

Hang up your decorations. Hang up black sheets on the walls using gorilla tape or tacks. There's no need to cover the ceiling, because you can turn the lights off and put up strobe lights. Get fog machines for added creepiness. You can cover your furniture with black sheets and sprinkle flour on them to make the room look old and dusty.

Prepare your sound effects. Put 1 or 2 CD players hidden behind the sheets, with creepy sound effect CDs in them—no one will know where the sound is coming from. Also, to kill two birds with one stone, get sound strobe lights.

Add extra effects. Hallways are best for extra effects, because you can split them up into 3 or more sections, such as the effects room, spider room, skeleton room, and just plain creepy room. Or you can mix it all up to be equally creepy.

Let the guests in. Hallways are also useful because they're normally at the front of the house. One person can lock the door at the end, and keep it closed for a while, then let them the guests in, where the party is just starting!

Celebrating Halloween the Fun Way

Make a funny playlist of Halloween songs. If the haunted house idea isn't for you, you can have a more lighthearted Halloween instead. You can include, "Monster Mash," "Ghostbusters," and "Thriller" on your playlist. Make sure the mood is festive so that everyone can really dance.

Have a dance contest. The best dancer gets a prize.

Have a costume contest. Anyone with the best costume wins a prize, like a bucket of candy, or a spider. Don't have themes; just mix it all up.

Show only two movies if you are having a film fest. Try old universal monster classics and be sure to have popcorn! Also, set up buckets of candy throughout the house, so guests can pick out whatever looks appealing.