With Halloween right around the corner, you may be feeling festive enough to throw a last-minute party.

Why not? It doesn’t take much to pull together a great evening, especially for a festive evening that counts on “audience” participation. For a novice host, ensuring that the best time is had for everyone may seem out of reach and too much to handle. Never fear–as long as you follow these last-minute tips for the best Halloween party, your guests will be raving about your hosting skills until next year!

10. Good music

While it may be tempting to simply throw on a random playlist from your old music collection, one person’s music taste will rarely encourage everyone to get into the partying spirit. Take the time to search for a special playlist on a streaming service or make sure to curate your own mix filled with classics and new hits for everyone.

9. Good food

If food is in the plans for your best Halloween party then make sure that there is an option for everyone. Snacks and small bites would be the best way to go in order to save time, money, and hassle. Encourage people to bring a dish if you want to have an even wider variety of choices. Stop at your grocery store, grab snacks that you can open and pour into a bowl, and peruse the selections in the deli section and the bakery. Talk about a time-saver!

8. Dance Floor

A common mistake for modern party hosts is that they underestimate people’s willingness to dance once the festivities get going. Push some furniture around to make a little room. Just making the space available attracts people to the dance floor over the course of the night.

7. Costume contest

Consider including on the invitations that there will be a costume contest as a real treat for your guests. The winner could receive a homemade treat or a surprise gift box appropriate for the season. Check out some fall gift ideas for inspiration on what to put inside your surprise gift box.

6. Play classic horror movies on TV in the background

A simple, yet effective mood-setter for a Halloween party is a classic horror movie playing silently in the background or projected on a wall with a screen projector. You wouldn’t want anything gory, but instead, want to inspire conversation for those who will inevitably sit on the couch or notice the film.

5. Fun activities

Party games will always be fun, no matter how old we get. Themed charades, races, and dance contests are ways to make a memorable party for all of your guests.

4. Spooky decorations

We all enjoy a good scare now and then so why not indulge our childish side with spooky decorations? There are candy bowls with pop-up hands, spiders that fall down and scare those who pass underneath, and other gag jokes available at your local Halloween supply store.

3. Mocktails

Non-alcoholic beverage options are appreciated by kids and adults alike. Studies show that the popularity of adult social drinking is decreasing over time. Mocktails, mock cocktails, are surprisingly simple to make and will certainly be appreciated by those guests who abstain from alcohol. Add some of these to your offering of Halloween cocktails.

2. Candy

Don’t forget the candy! The one thing sweet-tooth-owning adults miss about the holiday is the fun of trick-or-treating and the seemingly endless days of candy afterward. Give everyone a taste of nostalgia by picking up a few bags of classic Halloween candies. Remember to have enough on hand for those little doorbell-ringing ghouls and goblins. Guests can help answer the door or take turns sitting outside on the front steps to hand out treats. The bonus? Everyone is in costume!

1. Cleaning Supplies

Partying late into the evening will not make getting up early to clean up easy. Stock up on everything you need to clean up well before the party begins. Trash bags, paper towels, and disinfecting solutions will be endlessly useful so be sure to have some stocked up.

Remember that throwing the best Halloween party is just about making memories with people you care about. As long as you have good people together, a good time is sure to be had by all.

by Catalogs.com Info Guru Lauren DeJesus-Glasgow