• If your child was born around the end of October or the beginning of November, Halloween birthday parties are a natural theme. Children love games, candy, costumes and make-believe, all of which are a big part of Halloween. It also makes it easier for you, because your birthday-party decorations can double as Halloween decorations when the party is over.
  
  

Theme

• Consider giving the Halloween birthday party a particular theme based on your child's interests and age. For example, older kids (particularly boys) might enjoy a movie-monsters or mad-scientist theme. If you have a young daughter interested in playing dress up, she might enjoy something less scary, such as a princess theme. Talk to your child and choose a theme together.
  
  

Decorations

• Your decorations will vary depending on the theme you choose, but there are some decorations that are always fun for Halloween. For example, black lights, strobe lights and flickering-flame light bulbs will help to set the right mood for nearly any Halloween birthday party (see Resources). Fake spiderwebs, spooky Halloween cutouts and the like will work for some Halloween birthdays, but they might be too scary for little kids. If your child is very young, consider making some of the decorations with them for the birthday. It will make a great family craft project and ensure that the decor isn't too scary.
  
  

Games

• Almost any game you would play at a typical birthday party can be tailored to Halloween. For example, pin the tale on the donkey can be changed to pin the nose on the pumpkin or pin the hat on the witch. Similarly, you can make pumpkin cutouts with holes in them to use for beanbag-toss games. For younger kids, paint pumpkin faces on orange balloons and let the party guests play catch.