Halloween prep has taken up a huge, wonderful chunk of this month. It’s been a month of deadlines for some great projects, but it’s also been making H’s costume and getting stuff together for this party. It was the most Pinteresty party that ever Pinterested.

I’ve wanted to throw a kids’ Halloween party for a while, and this year was really the first year H was old enough and in the right class to do it. She’s moved out of the toddler room at school into full-fledged preschool, and so it seemed like the year to invite her whole class over to celebrate. Plus the families we know from the other class. Plus her cousins. Plus some of her other friends.

In total, we had about 25 kids partying it up in our backyard on Sunday. It was originally going to be more, but it rained Sunday morning and we delayed the festivities an hour to let stuff dry out. But 25 was plenty, we had the best time. H’s babysitter came over to help us run games and stay organized, and she brought a friend (who turned out to be a former student of mine, back when she was in 4th grade!). That was the best decision, those girls were rockstars with all the little costumed munchkins everywhere.

We had a painting station with mini pumpkins, everyone made one to take home.

We had a few games, which Adam helped make and set up. Ghost bowling was the biggest hit, this was such a great Pinterest idea. Adam wrapped thin rolls of paper towels (not the jumbo Costco rolls) in some of my cute washi tape, and then I showed him how to draw the eyes on with a Sharpie. He got very into this. We used a basketball as a bowling ball.

We also had a witch hat ring toss, again made by Adam from a Pinterest idea. He used a dinner plate to make paper cones on some of my cardstock, and then he made brims and taped them together. He drew the buckles on with a silver Sharpie. I bought a ring toss game from Amazon, and we just used the rings. That guy is hella crafty, let me just tell you. The criss-cross tape to give those black foam boards some contrast? All his idea.

My favorite was our haunted house building blocks. These were also a huge hit, but they took a beating. Which was fine, I’d just wrapped a bunch of boxes from our recycling pile with black wrapping paper. Then we used yellow Post-Its to make windows. Low key, and the kids looooved this.

They were destroyed by the end of the party, but that was fine. Sometimes an empty box is the best thing ever.

We went easy and fun with food. Ordered some pizzas, put out those awesome apple mouths above. My mom put those together; apple slices tossed with some lemon juice, with a thin layer of peanut butter on each slice to hold a few mini marshmallows together. And then I did this veggie platter with hummus and a chive-loaded veggie dip (both from Whole Foods).

Like my “bootensils” sign? I thought it was rad.

So we also set up the yard with “trick or treat” stations. I pre-filled these goodie bags with temp tattoos, erasers, and an organic lollipop. We had a bucket full of glow stick bracelets. (The Target $1 bins are amazing). But then those plastic pumpkin pails were parked at each game/activity and filled with candy, so the kids could stop and fill their goody bags at each spot.

And after all that prep, it was just a great party. With H in her Supergirl costume! I have a whole post coming on that one. It took me a few weeks to sew, and it’s basically the most amazing thing I’ve ever made. I say that a lot, but this time I mean it. 

All the kids were decked out, the costumes were fab!

I took so many pictures, but I’m trying not to show faces of the kids I’m not related to. We wound down the party with a costume parade across the yard (to the Ghostbusters theme, of course).

Followed by an impromptu dance party (that’s H’s BFF in the curls).

Oh, she had the best day ever. So did we, the work putting it together this month was well worth it. And so much stress over the weather, but in the end it was fine.

You know it’s a good day when you get a nap like this 10 minutes after Nana goes home: