If you are lucky enough to live in a climate warm enough to enjoy your pool in late October or have a heated pool, you should consider hosting a spooktacular Halloween pool party! It is a great way to gather friends and family for a good time while enjoying your backyard for possibly the last time before winter sets in.

 

Here are a few ways to throw a fun, safe, and spooktacular Halloween pool party!

 

The Decorations

 

First and foremost, decorate for your party in a way that really sets the spooktacular mood! Some creative ideas for your pool party decor include:

  • Pumpkins in the pool. Whether you’re using plastic pumpkins to float on the surface or real pumpkins to line the deck, pumpkins are a staple for Halloween decor. This is for good reason -- they are festive enough to set the mood while being age-appropriate and not too scary if you have small children around.
  • Colored LED lights. Colored lighting can completely change the mood. Get some orange and yellow lights and place them around the yard. If they are waterproof, place some in the pool to give the effect of colored water without risking damage to your pool.
  • Invite some spooky guests. Creatively placing skeletons in pool floats and ghosts on the deck add a playful decoration that works with your pool party theme.

 

The Games

 

Halloween games are fun, and pool games are great, but they are usually pretty different. Create some fun and unique Halloween/pool hybrid games to entertain guests in a way they probably haven’t seen before. Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Diving for pumpkins. Similar to bobbing for apples, place pumpkins at the bottom of your pool and have guests retrieve them. Although it might not be safe to tie your hands behind your back, in this case, you can come up with other creative rules like not being allowed to touch the bottom of the pool, or having to retrieve the pumpkin with your feet.
  • Costume contest. While this is a Halloween party staple, you can give it a pool party twist. All costumes must have a connection to swimming or the water. Guests can come dressed as Olympic swimmers, Nemo, mermaids, surfers, lifeguards, or anything else creative they can come up with!
  • Halloween candy hunt. If you are going to have a lot of children at your party, they will love a trick-or-treating type game. Put candy or other treats in orange and black plastic eggs, and hide them around the yard. If they are watertight, you can even hide some in the pool! Just be sure to keep these and other toys away from the filter basket to keep it functioning properly.

 

The Food

 

As much as some people would love to have a Halloween diet consisting only of candy, you should still have plenty of other food options. Get creative with themed food to keep the theme going while keeping everyone full.

 

For sweet treats, you can’t go wrong with pumpkin! But if you want other types of sweets, you can easily transform cookies and cupcakes into spooky treats with a few simple decorations. Gelatin-based desserts are also easy to transform into spooky treats since they can be molded to any shape and can be made in a variety of colors. There is plenty of inspiration online, but feel free to get creative. And when in doubt, decorate your own cupcake stations are always a hit.

 

For main courses, keep things simple and manageable. If you have a barbecue, utilize it to make hamburgers and hot dogs that guests can customize how they want. Invite guests to bring a side dish of their choice, and you’re sure to have enough food to go around.

 

Keeping Everyone Safe and Happy

 

While Halloween parties are meant to be fun and laid back, safety should always be the first priority. Whenever guests are using your pool, especially when there are children, make sure there is appropriate supervision. One way to add peace of mind is to hire a lifeguard for the party, so guests can still enjoy themselves while knowing everyone in the pool is safe.

 

Also, consider installing a pool fence if there are small children in attendance. Fences can prevent young children or pets from wandering too close to the pool.

 

Halloween is a great time to get family and friends together for a backyard party. Turning it into a pool party can be even more fun, especially if you incorporate some of these spooktacular tips!