It’s that spoooooky time of year when ghouls, ghosts, princesses and super heroes take to the streets, your yard, and perhaps your house for a Halloween poolside party. You don’t have to open the pool to have a last bash party this Halloween season. If you do live in an area of the country that is still warm and the pool is still open, then by all means, invite friends and family for an in-pool party!
If the pool has been closed up, there is still no reason you can’t plan a pool party that is fun for all ages! We have tips for how to decorate for your Halloween poolside party that will make your event the party to remember! 
How To Decorate For Your Halloween Poolside Party
- Pumpkins. Pumkpins. Pumpkins! Carve and decorate pumpkins before your guests arrive, but you can also plan to have pumpkins on hand for your guests to carve, paint, and decorate. For those who carve pumpkins during the party, don’t let the seeds go to waste! Pick out the seeds, remove the pumpkin “guts” from them, soak them in water for a few minutes, dry off, sprinkle with salt, parmesan cheese or your favorite flavoring and pop into the oven. If you want to keep the entire party outdoors, put the seeds in a cast iron skillet and toast on the grill. When they get a lovely toasty color to them, remove them from the skillet, cool and enjoy.
- Set up a pumpkin carving and decorating table. Help the younger children carve their pumpkins, but have stencils on hand to help with the creative part of the carving. Set up paints and paint brushes, eyelashes, googly eyes, fake fur, cotton balls and whatever strikes your fancy and let your guests decorate a pumpkin and take them home with them. Offer LED candles to light up the carved pumpkins in a safe way.
- Photobooths are always great fun! You can rent a photo booth or if you’re crafty you can create your own out of a large cardboard box — refrigerator boxes or sturdy cardboard you can set up as a sturdy way for your guests to duck inside, don costumes and act silly! If you want instant gratification, use a polaroid camera and put the photos on a photo wall in the center of the party so everyone can enjoy them.
- Set up a haunted house!
- Offer up trick-or-treat “stations” for the children who are attending the party. Scatter guests throughout your yard and let the kiddies go from guest to guest or table to table, “knock” and get a treat!
- Serve up pumpkin-inspired treats. From pumpkin soup to pumpkin cookies, cakes and pumpkin-spiced drinks to your favorite grilled foods. Get “crafty” in the kitchen and bake up dirt cupcakes. Chocolate cupcakes with crumbled cookies, frosting, gummy worms and Halloween-inspired decorations like candy headstones or spider rings.
- Host a costume contest and give prizes for anyone who comes dressed up. Hint, everyone who dresses up should get a prize!
- If the pool is still open let your guests jump in and enjoy themselves! Have fresh from the dryer warmed towels on hand and if the night has a bit of a chill make sure there is a roaring fire in the fire pit or that you have space heaters or even heated blankets.
- Tell scary stories around the campfire while you roast marshmallows.
- Think back to your favorite Halloween memory and recreate it for your guests!
- Hang orange and black twinkle lights. Set up inflatable Halloween decorations, hang ghosts and skeletons from the trees, set up strawbales and other themed decorations.
If you are going to have your guests using the pool or hot tub, call your pool contractor and request a cleaning prior to, and after the party.