Hi i have hosted to HUGE parties that were fun one was on my own the other at church.

this was VERY successful, i set the rooms up like they were "stations" we had a 3 bedroom apt and had opened the party up to 3 classoroms of children AND the apt. omplex -- over 40 kids came--phew! the church one was EVEN bigger, but more space and more hands ...

one room had a golf relay race, one a currently popular innocent video played, one was a photo room (i think that was one of the bathrooms!!) one was the candy room -- in the live room we had most of the party ... we did the apple & water thing ... i would not do that again ... more on that later ...

MOMS loved the idea and started birnging me decor items early w/o my even asking ... all sorts. I made the invites say that they were to bring a bag of candy, and NO SCARY/evil costumes (a biggy with me) i also said that i prefered them to not do both trick or treat and the party that this was a party for NON trick or treaters. and i did not hand it out at the door either, we invited others in but didn't hand it out :) Because of room i suggensted they leave the "angels with me leaving them to tend to thier own doors ... and asked a few friends to help me.

I gave Each a TASK one did punch one did snacks one did photos one did a game one did whatever ....

I also did a time table -- on posters and handouts --- so kids knew what was in each room ... then they could be in the live room when it was time for say the apple dunking thing or the snack time ....

I went to the local fast food place that had trick or treat bags witht he fri cupon on the bottom you know alot of them do that ... i told him i was having a big party ... would he be able to give me some of his bags for it? he gave me 100!! I strung those bags on a cloths line and filled them and gave them to the kids as they left -- since each family had brought a bag they pretty mcuh were able to take a bag home, a friend or 2 did that during the party. Another time i had some of the kids decorate bags for it.

give guidlines on your invitation if you have any.

It was funny we had a BIG picture window on front and many parents stayed and watched like it was a show ... no room inside for all the children ...
I don't know if i would recomend guest list be "Open" again but it was surely memorible! WE lived in an underprivildged neighborhood at the time and this was a SAFE place which was NEEDED.

oh instead of dunking for apples --- in the back yard on the jungle gym or swing set string dounuts at verying lengths according to kids hight and tell the kids to try to eat without hands ... do 5 or 6 kids at a time and say "go" one doughnut per kid so you you get it? i'll explain further if needed :)

oh with the photos this was a nice way for me to visit with parnets i called after devleloping and set up a time to get the pic to them ... and for the church this was then an outreach avenue ... i got doubles too. When you have the pic taken you need to keep a list of who is in the photo and get he address or phone number so they can get the pic later. See with it open i did not KNOW ALL the kids just that they were in James/selah or stew's class.

have fun and do it GRAND!!

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