5 Halloween Party Themes That Will Spook You Silly

Planning a Halloween party for kids can be a bit challenging, especially if the little ones aren’t quite old enough to handle seriously scary themes. But there is more than one way to approach a Halloween party, even one for young kids. You can include some mildly spooky details while keeping the main focus of the party on light, wholesome fun. Pottery Barn Kids can help with some awesome party supplies you can use again and again.

Spooky campground theme

If you live in a climate that’s cold, rainy or even snowy at the end of October, you can still create a campground feeling by setting up some teepees or tents indoors. Dim the lights in your house and set up a CFL or LED lamp with red and orange tissue paper made to look like a campfire. Reduce fire hazards by using a cool bulb type. You can have kids gather around the fire for some G-rated spooky tales, and create a separate area for the older kids who may prefer slightly scarier stories. S’mores and other camping treats can help to enhance the theme, and, of course, don’t forget to include flickering jack-o’-lanterns for some extra mood lighting.

Super hero theme

Superheroes are all the rage these days, and lots of your little one’s friends are likely to select one of these characters for their costume. Throw a superhero-themed party and let all your attendees dress as their favorite hero, whether it’s a real person, a fictional character or a hero of their own invention. You can bake up a bunch of themed treats, and set up craft stations for kids to decorate their own mask or cape. To keep the theme a little bit creepy, make sure to feature some well known villains, as well.

Costume contest theme

Seeing happy, excited kids all dressed up in their costumes is one of the best parts of Halloween. Add another dimension to the excitement by throwing a costume party for the neighborhood kids. Come up with a number of categories and mention them on your invitation so the kids can prepare their costumes beforehand. Give out awards like “spookiest costume,” “most ferocious animal” and “scariest monster” in addition to other, less frightening themes like “most creative” and “best homemade costume.” To make sure no one goes home sad, include plenty of award categories and be prepared to make some up on the spot. Provide plenty of candy and goodies for everyone, and your costume contest Halloween party will be a success.

Wild animal theme

From tigers to sharks, wild animals can be pretty spooky. They can also be cute and interesting, which is why this is such a great theme. Let our collaboration with the World Wildlife Foundation inspire you; invite kids to dress up as their favorite animals and play some games for prizes relating to the theme. You can have kids guess on trivia, play charades acting out their favorite animals and make themed crafts such as paper plate masks or drawings.

Classic autumn theme

The classic Halloween theme is a favorite for a reason. From bats and ghosts to jack-o’-lanterns and cobwebs, there are lots of ways to decorate for a traditional Halloween party. Emphasize the autumnal parts of the season by incorporating plenty of pumpkins, apples and fallen leaves into your decor. Set up some traditional fall festival activities like bobbing for apples or bean bag tosses through a large jack-o’-lantern cutout. Incorporate some spookiness by setting up a small haunted house maze with some mild frights for kids to enjoy. Aim for laughs rather than terrified screams, and everyone should be happy.

There are plenty of ways to interpret spookiness for a kids' Halloween party theme. Ultimately, your young guests will have a great time as long as they can eat some sweet treats, play some fun games and show off their costumes to all of their friends. Tell a ghost story or two as the sun goes down, but remember that some kids really don’t like getting scared. If you have some kids in your group who love scary stories, let them tell their own tall tales to make sure the spookiness stays child-appropriate.