by Angela Harris

Created on: September 20, 2010

Halloween parties are great fun for any age. Everyone enjoys dressing up and pretending to be something they're not for the night. Timid wallflowers become domineering queens and big, muscular men decide to be Peter Pan.

It's not difficult to host a fun Halloween party, as the nature of the holiday itself creates lots of entertainment. However, to ensure that you have the best party ever, here's a guide to throwing a great Halloween party with some easy suggestions and tips:

A great Halloween party starts with imaginative Halloween invitations. They don't have to be fancy. Simple invitations in traditional orange and black Halloween colors will do. Just be sure that they emit a spooky Halloween vibe.

Be clear about the date and both the starting and ending time of the party in your invitations. This is especially important for Halloween parties with kids. You don't want to end up babysitting until midnight when your party was over at eight!

If you are inviting guests to your party that are unfamiliar with the location, give concise directions on how to get to the party. Maybe even include a printed map. Also include your phone number with instructions to call if anyone gets lost.

You can include a theme for your Halloween party to make it more than just a general costume party. Some examples include a fifties theme, vampire party, famous kings and queens, your favorite musician, or other fun themes. If you decide to do this, make sure that the Halloween invitations provide the details.

Halloween party decorations need not be expensive to be effective. You can decorate your Halloween party for around twenty dollars and still make an impressive show. Hang up plenty of crepe paper in Halloween colors. Add some strategically placed cobwebs. Sprinkle confetti with a Halloween theme on flat surfaces here and there. (If very small children will be present, skip the confetti.) Add some Halloween balloons throughout, and you're done!

No great Halloween party is complete without creepy Halloween music and scary sound effects. Put together a Halloween music playlist. Play it throughout the party in a place where it can be heard well. Your choices for Halloween songs will depend on the ages of the guests and their relation to you. For example, don't play spooky songs for Halloween parties with really young kids. Avoid off-color songs if your party guests include people from work, especially your boss.

The choice of entertainment for a Halloween party will again depend on guest

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