On Halloween, you can be whomever. Kids go trick or treating, dressed to the nines, and come home with an admirable stash of treats. However, Halloween isn’t just for kids. Plenty of adults go in for the spooky event. Adult Halloweeners might be frowned on if they go trick or treating … taking candy from kids? Halloween part gatherings are better suited to adults. If you’re thinking of hosting a Halloween party, here are some group Halloween costume ideas to help liven things up.

Let’s say you’re inviting twenty or thirty people. Develop several group Halloween costume ideas, each with a different theme. For example, one theme might be period costumes, such as Medieval, early American, French Revolution or ancient Greek attire. A celebrity theme might include Elvis, Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe and Ingrid Bergman. Famous horror movie characters are yet another theme. The trick is to suggest themes which will promote a diversity of characters within each group so you get a good mix of costumes.

When you use the group Halloween costume idea, members of each group tend to be more creative in terms of making their character recognizable, with greater detailing. Everybody wants their theme group to outdo the rest. It’s as simple as that. Halloween parties not using a contest type format can result in lazy partyers who show up wearing regular clothes and a scary mask. Not nearly as much fun.

Once you’ve developed your choicest selection of group Halloween costume ideas, divide your guest list in groups of four or five. When you send out invitations, let each guest know it’s a theme party and assign one of the themes to each guest. Once you’ve got all your RSVPs, let everyone know who’s in their group, so the collaboration begins!

If you have specific characters you’d love to see, you can include them as suggestions. Maybe someone will take you up on it, but at least your suggestions help to spark imaginations. You can also get more enthusiasm going by letting your guests know there will be prizes for best group and best costume in each group. Prizes can be silly, inexpensive and fun. A prize can be as simple as a gold net bag of chocolate coins on a ribbon, mimicking a ‘gold medal’. You can design cool medals on your PC and print them out.

You can also help your party to succeed by giving your guests leads on local and online places to find obscure costume accessories. For example, theatre and dance supply houses carry extensive lines of makeup, feather boas, sequined sashes, rhinestone tiaras and wigs, at affordable rates. Other inspiring resources include period fashion websites with photos of authentic attire of the times and retro shops.

The group Halloween costume idea makes for an outstanding and entertaining Halloween party your guests won’t forget.

These days, couples who show up at Halloween parties in modern concepts of Halloween costumes for couples, fall prey to some unimaginative ideas that are just mildly amusing, but don’t bring much more than couple identification to the entertainment.

Come on now, we only have this one day a year to publicly indulge ourselves in a famous or infamous persona, so why not really get into it and add some drama? The ball and chain costume involves little more than, well, the ball and chain. Celebrity couples can be tough, especially if you’re doing a Branjelina costume. Brad Pitt and Angelina are a tough act to follow, although a satirical spoof might work. Here we present seven Halloween costumes for couples that offer lavish possibilities for the costume freaks.

Remember the classic movie, ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’? The mild mannered dedicated scientist versus his chemically induced alter ego, Mr. Hyde might have you fighting over who gets to be Mr. Hyde, but once you get that ironed out, you can focus on being in character. Mr. Hyde will need lots of face paint and distorting special effects. Dr. Jekyll can be the 19th century equivalent of a classy nerd. Google can serve up photo results from the movie to perfect this couple’s Halloween costume.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick, Dr. Watson make another perfect Halloween costumes for couples concept. It’s easy to find images which show every detail of the manner of dress and demeanor of each.

History buffs will appreciate the fun and pomp of dressing up as Napoleon Bonaparte and his love Josephine. Think of the wigs, clothing and great accessories to work up these costumes. Putting on pompous airs of greatness are part of the act.

King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette did arrive at a dire end, so this Halloween costumes for couples ideas can be worked in one of two ways. You can come in their pre-Revolutionary splendor or after the guillotine part. Pompous or ghoulish, take your pick.

Guinevere and Lancelot will please the romantic souls, Guinevere, with long flowing hair and gossamer gown and Lancelot in shining armor.

Romeo and Juliet, the star crossed lovers are perhaps the ultimate romantic couple. The clothing of the time was elaborate and gushing with Renaissance romance in velvets, silk embroidery and gold lace trims. Juliet definitely steals the show, but your Romeo probably won’t mind his more manly attire.

Cleopatra and Marc Anthony were certainly a standout couple that everyone will recognize. Back in that day, clothing was simpler, but Cleopatra certainly used makeup and jewelry to her advantage.

Most important to a great execution of these Halloween costumes for couples is authenticity and attention to detail. This is easily accomplished, with the abundance of images available. With a little effort and a lot of fun, you can be whomever you wish, if but for a night.

Almost everyone enjoys some aspect of Halloween. Some adults don’t get into costume parties and the general revelry. However, such individuals may still be kids at heart and prefer providing a truly scary environment for trick or treaters. Almost every neighborhood has someone whose Halloween pleasure comes in the form of creating a Halloween haunted house that scares the wits out of the successful trick or treater.

When my daughter was little, one neighborhood couple went all out every year to do just that. Their house even creeped me out. My brave little girl made it as far as the door. When the door opened, there was a Frankenstein like old man, very tall, dressed in tatters, covered in spiderwebs and holding a big basket of treats. He slowly and stiffly made his way towards her, proffering his basket. That was it for her. The candy wasn’t worth it, but she did get her entertainment’s worth! This was a genuine Halloween haunted house. I always wondered if his basket was still full at the end of the evening.

If this Halloween tradition appeals to you, here are a few tips on transforming your home into a Halloween haunted house.

Spiderwebs are essential and can be purchased in bulk amounts at party stores and craft shops. There’s something creepy about spiderwebs, especially when they’re placed on shrubs or posts in a narrow walkway leading to the front door. This way, children may end up with spiderwebs clutching at your clothing as the hapless kids pass by.

Several Jack O’Lanterns provide just enough light for kids to safely navigate the path and help to set the mood. Strings of red or blue Christmas lights provide more dim, creepy lighting. You can set the lights to alternate on and off, with longer periods of off than on.

The best Halloween haunted houses feature plenty of Jack O’Lanterns, carved in a variety of scary faces. You can line them up on the porch, just for fright’s sake. It’s also a good idea to turn all of the house lights off and place a pumpkin in the windows facing the street. Is anyone home? Of course, you tempt the trick or treaters with a couple of blue floodlights over the front door.

Spiderwebs should be plastered all over the entry way. Some are sure to find their way onto the kids, producing shrieks from the bravest. A scary sound tape is another must, filled with ghost-like sounds, the hoot of an owl and gusts of wind coming out of nowhere.

Sound and movement activated props will give all the kids the creeps. What do you think the kids will do, when they’re whispering and giggling and the empty rocking chair starts rocking? How about a cardboard skeleton dropping down as they step on the porch?

At this point, you open the door and sweetly offer your goodies. These kids have earned them!

Halloween is supposed to be scary, but as a parent, there are a few steps you must take to ensure your child’s safety on the trick or treat circuit. Here are seven essential Halloween safety tips to keep your kids safe and marvelously scared, in good Halloween tradition.

Young children should always be accompanied by a responsible adult. You can guide them from house to house, crossing streets and then stand a distance away as they ring the doorbells, to avoid embarrassing kids who are older than seven or eight. With younger kids, this isn’t usually an issue.

It’s an unfortunate fact that there are people who lace candies with harmful substances. Let your kids know that tradition requires that there’s no candy eating until you get home. You don’t need to say it’s your tradition. Go through the basket at home and discard any candies that have been opened or look like they might have been tampered with. Tell young kids those candies might have spider spit on them and you’ll have no further objections at your interference. This Halloween safety tip is ignored more often than you might suppose.

Be sure that the fabrics used in your child’s costume are made of flame retardant materials. Disregard for this Halloween safety tip results in injuries every year.

Using reflecting tape, or plenty of glow-in-the-dark stickers and glitter adds both glitz and safety to your child’s costume, satisfying everyone’s objectives.

Do a final fitting check before leaving home. Check hems to be sure they aren’t too long and that your child can move around easily.

Before purchasing a mask, make sure that eye and mouth holes match up with the child’s face! Especially with younger kids, a homemade painted and decorated mask of cardboard is a safer bet. Glue the mask to a stick which the child can hold in front of his face as he collects his treats.

When your child’s costume is that of the fairy princess, you don’t want to ruin the fun by making them bundle up in an overcoat should the evening be cold. Plan ahead for this situation. A thick pair of tights and long underwear shirt can be slipped on beneath the costume to keep her both warm and happily able to show off that pretty costume. Keep in mind that 90% of body heat is lost through the head. Use a fancy wig appropriate to the costume to serve as a fashion accessory and virtual hat!

Follow these seven Halloween safety tips for happy trick or treaters and a safe adventure.