A Halloween Pool Party Bash? You may never have given it much thought, especially if you live in an area of the country that could be deep into cold autumn weather by October, but even if you have closed your pool for the season, you can still host a haunting Halloween pool party bash — even if no one is going to go swimming.
If you live in an area of the country that is warm year round or that is at least warm enough that you haven’t closed your pool by October, even though it’s chilly you can invite friends, offer heated towels (fresh from the dryer or from a heated towel rack) and welcome your guests to what will probably be the last pool party of the season!
Host A Haunting Halloween Pool Party Bash
Just as you’re beginning to think that spending time around the swimming pool is in the rearview mirror, throwing a Halloween party will be the party of the year that your friends will remember throughout the rest of the winter. Remember back to last Halloween when your neighbors were trying to outdo one another with the elaborate Halloween decorations? Did any of them host a haunted swimming pool party? Probably not.
Here are some ways in which you can host a Halloween pool party that will be the talk of the neighborhood.
Gather your Halloween pool party supplies
- Your swimming pool!
- Decorations of your choice — skeletons, coffins, webs and spiders, headstones, inflatable decorations
- Pumpkins — both carved and ready to be carved as part of your Halloween pool party activities
- Orange bulbs for your outdoor lighting to set the mood
- A fog machine
- Halloween music
- Halloween snacks and treats
- Floating candles for the swimming pool
- Flashlights or glo sticks
Halloween party fun
It’s not enough to invite friends and family, you need to make the pool party fun and keep the guests involved and having fun. Decide whether you want to have an adult party or a party for all ages.
Set up a Halloween pumpking carving station. Have child-friendly pumpkin carving utentsils or make certain you have enough adults available to do the carving for the little ones. Stencils are a great way to get uniquely carved pumpkins that your guests can take home with them once the party is over. Grab some battery-operated candles that can be put into the pumpkins and lit for the Halloween pumpkin design contest.
Make sure your guests know there will be a costume contest with prizes. You can have categories like:
- Scariest
- Funniest
- Coolest
- Most unique
- Best use of a theme
- Etc.
Have a grab bag available to hold any prizes you may want to give the winners of the contest.
Swimming pool treasure hunt. If the pool is still open and the water is warm enough, have a Halloween pool party treasure hunt. Drop items into the pool and whomever finds the most items will win a prize. Make sure you have your in-pool lighting on and give your party goers a glow stick to swim with to help them find the sunken treasures.
Halloween pool party safety
If you’re having your party at night, you need to make certain the pool is lit, that the pool area is well lit and that there is a responsible adult or two to keep track of anyone who is using the swimming pool. Don’t let the youngsters grab a pumpkin carving utensil — have an adult on hand to assure the pumpkin carving station is safe.
Use battery operated lights for the pumpkins. Candles are beautiful but are a fire hazard to children and adults who may be in long Halloween costumes or those with capes. A lit candle inside a pumpkin is a fire hazard to long hair and if it gets knocked over could start a fire at the house. Battery operated lights are best.
If you have inflatables and pool floats used in the pool for your Halloween party, make sure they are in good condition and have no air leaks. Make sure you have life vests on hand for anyone who needs one. Don’t forget to have additional towels on hand for those guests who didn’t bring theirs with them.
Make your Halloween pool bash one to remember
Any time spent in and around the swimming pool makes for lasting memories for all who are invited. When you add in the fun, spooky time of the year of Halloween you amp that party fun and the memories you will build up a notch!
Before your guests even make their way to the backyard and Halloween Party Central, welcome them by a fully decorated front yard! Fill pumpkin and bat leaf bags, hang up ghosts, witches and bats. Play scary party music on your front porch that your guests can listen to while they wait for you to greet them. Don’t forget to have a stuffed scarecrow (not so scary) or a mummy or zombie (more scary!) on your front porch or even positioned in one of the chairs around the swimming pool area to scare your guests!
Don’t forget trick or treating
If there will be young ones at the house and if your party is on Halloween (October 31) you may want to plan a time when the youngsters can go door-to-door with the adults to do trick or treating before going back to the pool party. It might make sense for you to host your pool party on a weekend before Halloween as that might make it easier for the parents of children who will want to go trick or treating to attend the party.