We have an annual Halloween party every year. After all it is the Terrible Twosomes wedding anniversary! We set up a haunt in our yard, have a dinner in the house, also decorated and maybe finish off with a horror movie and pumpkin carving. It's usually an adults only party because we go heavy on the gore factor, but we do make a section in the yard for kids that come trick-or-treating so they don't freak out.

Whether you have an adult Halloween costume party or a children's party, you want it to be the best it can be. With the right planning, you can make your party the best ever!

You'll need to plan invitations, food, drink, decorations and music. Decide if you want a theme, say, Vampires, Zombies, Famous Monsters of Hollywood or something else. We always give a prize to the best dressed person and couple, so you'll need prizes of some kind if you do the same.

You'll have to plan your food and drink around how many people you invite. If you invite a small number of people, you can get away with mini foods or appetizers. If you are having a big group, you might want to go all out and make actual meal items.

Decorating can be costly so check discount stores for Halloween decor. We find plenty of paper plates designed for Halloween and everything to go with them at local mass retail "superstores". They also carry inexpensive decorations or ones that you can put together to make centerpieces and displays.

You'll also want to make sure that you have the greatest costumes to wear so plan ahead on that as well!

You can basically use the ideas for the adult party and scale them down for kids. Add some games in to keep them busy. If Halloween is on a week day, have the party the week-end before. Afternoon is a good time for the party but night time makes a Halloween party a bit creepier for kids. Have a scavenger hunt in the back yard, tell spooky stories around a campfire. Make it a party the kids will never forget!

I've gotten lots of ideas at Halloween Online. They have sections for decorating, party ideas, games, food, costumes, you name it. It's a fantastic Halloween resource! Check it out!