Halloween has always been an exciting holiday for kids. They get dressed up, hang out with friends and know that a simple “Trick or Treat” means free candy. As our kids hit middle school, costumes are no longer cool and their days of trick or treating, reluctantly, come to an end. In an effort to keep the holiday fun for teens, why not throw a party?

I know what you thinking – “How am I going to come up with entertainment that is not lame and that will keep everyone amused?” Simple! Check out these ten teen-approved party games that will challenge, gross out and deliver hours of good times and laughter. But beware, if the kids have too much fun at your party, they will want you to host again next year!

Go Fishing – Fill a small swimming pool with water and live goldfish. On the bottom of the pool, place several marbles. Set as many chairs around the pool as will fit. Ask your guests to sit in the chairs and remove their shoes and socks. That’s right, they are going fishing for marbles with their feet. Add a little fear and anticipation by blindfolding the participants or turning off the lights.

Pumpkin Face – Have the kids put a layer of Vaseline on their face. Pour orange puffed corn cheeseballs on a long table. On go, each person has to cover their face with cheese balls without using their hands. Set the timer for one minute and the person with the most cheeseballs wins. This is a great photo opportunity!

Plastic Wrap Mummy Race – Break the group into teams. Choose one person from each team to wrap in plastic wrap (from the neck down). As soon as the mummy is wrapped, the team has to gently lower him to the ground and roll him down the race course. When he gets to the finish line, you need to stand him back up and completely unwrap him. For a longer race, rewrap the next person and race back down to the other end.

Coins and Crickets – Fill a large jar (like a sun tea jar) with 20 crickets from the pet store. Place several coins on the bottom of the jar and have each player try to pick up 5 coins. Make it more challenging by having the kids pick up only dimes or choose the winner based on the least amount of money (not coins) collected.

Create a Crime Scene – Create a bag of things found at a mock crime scene but don’t include obvious murder weapons like knives or rope. Instead, find silly things like an apple, wooden spoon, stuffed animal, a children’s book and a magnet. Break everyone up into groups of 4 or 5. Each group has to create a crime scene based on the items in the bag and present it to the group. This is a great activity to do while you are preparing dinner.

Halloween Egg Hunt – Fill plastic eggs or plastic pumpkins with candy and hide around the room or outdoors. Take advantage of the early setting sun and search for the eggs with flashlights. Try adding a few tricks instead of treats and fill some of the eggs with worms or crickets. (Be sure to open the eggs outside!)

Bubble Gum Pie – Fill a pie plate with whipped cream and bury a couple pieces of bubble inside.  Using only their face, the first kid to find the bubble gum, chew it and blow a bubble, wins.

Fear Factor – Egg Roulette – Hard boil 12 eggs and let cool in refrigerator. Place eggs on a table in front of your guests. Tell the kids that there is one raw egg among the hardboiled eggs. Challenge them to find it by choosing an egg and smashing it on their forehead. Get your cameras ready. Their expressions will be priceless!

LCR – This is a great way to end the night. LCR is a popular dice game that can be played with any size group. You can either purchase the LCR dice or use regular dice and determine which number is L, C and R.  Normally you would play with chips or coins, but since it is Halloween, let’s use candy. Every player starts with three candies. As you roll, the candy goes to the left, right or into a bowl in the center. The winner is the person holding the last piece of candy!

Tired of pizza? Try these dinner options for teen parties.

1. Hot dogs on a stick – Leave the mess outside and let the kids roast their own hotdogs over the fire pit.

2. Taco Bar – Make your own tacos with meat, shells and all the fixings.

3. Spaghetti and Meatballs – Whether they like red sauce or plain with butter, pasta is always a hit!

4. Comfort food – Fried or baked chicken, mac and cheese and baked beans.

5. Soup, Salad and Breadsticks – Great make ahead meal that is perfect for a fall evening!

6. Pizza Fondue – Warm pizza sauce in a pot and use pepperoni sticks, mozzarella cheese cubes and bread for dippers.

7. Sliders – Pulled pork, chicken or mini burgers. Serve with a side of coleslaw or fruit salad.

8. Sub Sandwiches and Chips – Order from your favorite deli or make your own, this quick meal is a crowd pleaser!

9. Baked Potato Bar – Serve bakers with sour cream, cheese, bacon, broccoli or chili. Yum!

10 .Breakfast for dinner – Serve up trays of breakfast casserole, bacon or silver dollar pancakes.

Pam Molnar is a freelance writer and mother of three.
She has fond memories of summertime games with her neighbors and looks forward to watching her children make summer memories of their own.