Halloween has always been an exciting holiday for kids. They get dressed up, hang out with friends, and know that asking these few simple words, “Trick-or-Treat?” means getting free candy. As our kids hit junior high school, costumes are no longer ‘cool’ and their days of trick-or-treating reluctantly come to an end. In an effort to keep the holiday fun for tweens, why not throw a party?
I know what you are thinking: ‘How am I going to come up with entertainment that is not lame and that will keep everyone amused?’ Simple! Check out these tween-approved party games that will challenge, gross out, and deliver hours of good times and laughter. But beware, if the kids have too much fun at your party, they will want you to host another party again next year!
Pumpkin Face. Have the kids put a layer of Vaseline on their faces. Put several cheese balls on a long table. On “go,” each person has to cover their face with cheese balls without using their hands. Set the timer for one minute and the person with the most cheese balls on their face wins. This is also a great photo opportunity!
Plastic Wrap Mummy Race. Break the group into teams. Choose one person from each team to wrap in plastic wrap (from the neck down). As soon as the mummy is wrapped, the team has to gently lower the player to the ground and roll them down the racecourse. When the player gets to the finish line, the team stands the player back up and completely unwraps them. For a longer race, have each team rewrap the next person and race back down to the other end.
Create a Crime Scene. Create a bag of things found at a mock crime scene but don’t include obvious murder weapons like knives or rope. Instead, find silly things like an apple, wooden spoon, stuffed animal, a children’s book, and a magnet. Break everyone up into groups of four or five. Each group has to create a crime scene based on the items in the bag and present it to the group. This is a great activity to do while you are serving dinner.
Halloween Egg Hunt. Fill plastic eggs or plastic pumpkins with candy and hide around the room or outdoors. Take advantage of the early setting sun and search for the eggs with flashlights.
Bubble Gum Pie. Fill a pie plate with whipped cream and bury a few pieces of round bubble gum inside. Using only their face, the first kid to find the bubble gum, chew it, and blow a bubble, wins.
Guess the Candy Bar. Melt five different candy bars in the microwave. Be sure to crush up any large pieces. Place the melted mess inside a clean disposable diaper and place on the table. Have the kids smell or taste what’s in the diaper to determine what candy bar it is.
Fear Factor: Egg Roulette. Hard boil 12 eggs and let cool in refrigerator. Place eggs on a table in front of your guests. Tell the kids that there is one raw egg among the hardboiled eggs. Challenge them to find it by choosing an egg and smashing it on their forehead. Get your cameras ready - their expressions will be priceless!
LCR. This is a great way to end the night. LCR is a popular dice game that can be played with any size of group. You can either purchase LCR dice or use regular dice and determine which number is L, C, and R. Normally you would play with chips or coins, but since it is Halloween, use candy instead. Every player starts with three candies. As each player rolls the dice, the candy goes to the (L)eft, (R)ight, or into a bowl in the (C)entre. The winner is the person holding the last piece of candy!
Tired of pizza? Try these dinner options for tween parties:
Hot dogs on a stick. Leave the mess outside and let the kids roast their own hotdogs over the fire pit.
Taco bar. Make your own tacos with meat, shells, and all the fixings.
Spaghetti with meatballs. Whether they like red sauce or plain with butter, pasta is always a hit!
Comfort food. Fried or baked chicken, mac & cheese, and baked beans.
Soup, salad, and breadsticks. A great make-ahead meal perfect for a Fall evening!
Pizza fondue. Warm pizza sauce in a pot and use pepperoni sticks, mozzarella cheese cubes, and bread for dippers.
Sliders. Pulled pork, chicken, or mini burgers. Serve with a side of coleslaw or fruit salad.
Sub sandwiches and chips. Order from your favorite deli or make your own. This quick meal is a crowd pleaser!
Baked potato bar. Serve bakers with sour cream, cheese, bacon, broccoli, or chili. Yum!
Breakfast for dinner. Serve up trays of breakfast casserole, bacon, or silver dollar pancakes.
Pam is a freelance writer and mom of three teens. All of her parties include good food, lots of laughter and, of course, games! Check out her other party ideas on Etsy at Pam’s Party Printables.
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