5 Tips for a Horrifying Halloween Sleepover

‘Tis the (spooky) season! And if you’re looking to delight your mini ghouls and goblins with frightening festivities, we’ve got you covered with easy entertaining Halloween sleepover ideas, this October half term.

After all, is there anything scarier than a roomful of sugar-loaded kids with no direction? (Spoiler: there isn’t).

So, we’re sharing our wicked wisdom with you in the form of Halloween sleepover ideas that’ll delight, and most importantly, occupy your tiny terrors.

Things to Do at a Halloween Sleepover

There’s no one-size-fits-all Halloween sleepover, and how far you crank up the spook-o-meter will depend on the ages and sensitivities of your guests, so it’s important to be mindful of everyone’s individual needs.

That said, some activities never go out of style, and with a few simple twists, you’ll have yourself a monster’s ball to remember.

Whether it’s hosting a spooky costume contest, judging a bizarre bake-off, or simply crafting devilish decorations, it’s important that your Halloween sleepover party is brimming with activities.

It’s also important that you cover the basics and capture the essence of spooky season. Sound tough? We’ve got tricks to ensure it’s not.

So, what do you need to consider?

1. Spooky, Not Scary

When planning your all-ages spooktacular, it’s important to remember that ‘spooky’ and ‘scary’ are very different ideas.

For example, while teenagers might prefer getting their wits well and truly scrambled by the latest slash-fest, younger guests will require something less intense. After all, you don’t want to trigger any sleepover-ruining nightmares.

So, when you’re planning your boneyard bash, aim for something that’ll send a ripple of excitement (not horror) through your guests.

Need inspiration? Consider the classics. Mummies. Wolfmen. Dracula. Frankenstein’s Monster – each of these iconic monsters (and their tropes) can be tweaked to suit all ages and sensitivities, meaning your Halloween sleepover will be a roaring success.

2. Eerie Eats

Right, let’s get something out on the table. If left to their own devices, your mini monsters will dose themselves with so much sugar that they’ll still be twitching at Christmas.

Your goal is to prevent that from happening. But how?

Well, whether you’re planning on preparing a beastly buffet or serving up petrifying pizzas, the trick is to make the savoury food as appealing as the sweets. Tall order, right?

Wrong. It’s your chance to channel your inner Dr Frankenstein and let your creativity soar as you use toppings to depict a ghoulish rogues gallery!

Elsewhere, you can style your buffet table (and the food that’s on it) as a terrible tableau, filled with other savoury snacks shaped like spooky icons. For example:

• 'Mummified’ Hot Dogs - simply wrap filo pastry around a hotdog, using the sauce for eyes
• Tortilla ‘Graveyard’ - cut tortillas into headstone shapes and toast or pan-fry
• ‘Eyeball’ Pasta - regular pasta, with meat/veg balls styled as ‘eyes’ using cheese and olives

And that’s just three! The possibilities are endless. By offering savoury snacks, you’ll ensure that kids who either don’t like or can’t eat sugary treats feel included in the fright-fest, too.

3. Petrifying Playlist

Maybe it’s because we’ve got form in curating playlists, but we’re firm believers in setting an atmosphere with music. And that counts triple for Halloween.

So, transform your Halloween sleepover party into a boneyard ball by putting together a playlist bursting with hits that’ll get boots stomping and neck bolts popping. We’ll get you started:

• Monster Mash - Bobby Picket & The Crypt-Kickers
• Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival
• Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Junior

You could mix it up (literally) by including iconic film & TV themes in your spooky playlist. As always, think spooky, not scary.

4. Ghoulish Games

Let’s face it, the guests attending your spooky soiree are guaranteed to be brimming with energy and unless you devise a cunning plan to burn it off, your Halloween sleepover will be less sleepover, more overtired.

Our advice? Keep everyone on their toes with a variety of engaging Halloween-themed party games.

Whether you opt for several rounds of musical monsters (musical statutes, but… monstrous), the bonafide classic pin the tail on the witch, or dividing everyone into teams to design toilet paper mummies, there’s plenty of eerie entertainment to be had.

You could even weave in some pumpkin carving, apple bobbing, or competitive face painting for an old-school vibe.

5. ‘Campfire’ Cooldown

Our final entry emphasizes the ‘sleep’ aspect of the Halloween sleepover.

As the evening draws to a close, you’ll need to shift gears from fizzing your little fiends up to slowly winding them down. And, if done correctly, they won’t even notice your diabolical sleep scheme until they’re already yawning.

Firstly, gather everyone’s pillows and duvets in the lounge, placing them in a circle around a tablet or smartphone playing campfire ambience. Then, serve cocoa. Finally, spin an appropriately spooky (not scary!) tale that’ll dazzle them as they begin to doze off.

Voila! A gloriously ghoulish Halloween sleepover complete. Perfect for occupying your little monsters this October half term.

Let us know how you’re celebrating spooky season on social.