Virtual Halloween Party Ideas for Real (Spooky) Fun
Boo! Halloween is here and that means it’s time for planning a wickedly good celebration. We realize it’s not always easy to gather with your loved ones in real life — but that’s where a virtual Halloween party comes in.
While it’s great to greet friends and family with a warm hug (or fist bump), the great thing about a virtual party is that you can gather folks both near and far — no planes, trains, or automobiles needed! With that in mind, we’re sharing our top tips on planning an unmissable virtual Halloween party, including fun Halloween activities and our favorite digital Halloween invitations.
How to Plan a Virtual Halloween Party
Design: Becky Nimoy Stationery
Whether you’re planning a virtual Halloween party because you simply love the idea of a virtual event or want to maintain social distancing, it’s an excellent way to mark the season. Here’s how to plan a spooky holiday party that guests rave about.
Choose a Date and Time
October 31 is the obvious choice for a Halloween bash, but if someone you know is already hosting on that date or the holiday falls on a weekday, you might want to reconsider.
Choose a day close to Halloween that you know most of your party guests can make, and a time that works for their schedules. An evening virtual Halloween party will always feel more Halloween-ish, but you could also opt for a daytime event if you have young kids in the mix.
Think About Your Theme
You can have so much fun with your virtual Halloween party theme and styling. While you can’t gather everyone in an impressive event space, you can help make your virtual environment more exciting with the help of a theme.
Decide whether you want a scary Halloween event or something lighter and fun. Take inspiration from your favorite scary movies, eerie ghost stories, and most-loved characters to create something unique for your guests. Use your theme to inspire everything from your Zoom background to your games and party activities.
Invite Your Virtual Halloween Party Guests
Design: Bethany McDonald Design(photo courtesy of Julia Kinnunen Photography)
Once you’ve settled on a theme and date, it’s time to prepare your guest list and party invitations. To get your guests excited about your celebration, choose themed online invitations to set the tone.
At Greenvelope, we have so many great Halloween party invites, and there’s something for every event — whether you’re hosting a spine-chilling movie marathon or a family-friendly Halloween celebration. Take a look through our Halloween party invitations, find a design you love, and customize it with your own colors and wording before you hit send.
Prep Your Tech
A major difference between in-person events and virtual events is that you must have certain technology to make things happen. The day before the event, make sure to test your computer’s audio and video as well as any apps you’ll be using for the party.
Simple video conferencing tools like Zoom, Skype, or Google Meet work great — especially if you’re hosting something like a quiz on Halloween trivia or a virtual murder mystery. It’s an easy and reliable way to bring people together, and most people already know how to join a video call with these tools.
Just be sure to inform your guests about which platforms you’ll be using for your virtual Halloween party. You can easily include it on your online invitations.
8 Ghoulishly Good Virtual Halloween Party Ideas
It’s always great to catch up with friends and family, but for your party to really impress, you’ll want to add more excitement to the mix. Bring some fun and festivities to your get-together with these virtual Halloween activities. (For more chills and thrills, check out this list of 15 Halloween party games.)
1. Create a Fun Halloween Playlist
Design: Lori Danielle
Any awesome virtual Halloween party needs a playlist to match. If you’re stuck for ideas, start with classics like “Monster Mash” and “I Put a Spell On You,” then take a look at this list of Halloween party songs to help you build an unbeatable playlist. Have this on in the background while you chat, play party games, and enjoy drinks — or use this to help put together a music trivia round.
2. Send Party Packages in the Mail
You can’t get together in person, but you can still send gifts, decor, and candy across the miles. Put together fun party packages for your guests to unbox at home either before or on the day of your event. Think of it as virtual trick-or-treating — minus the tricks!
This is a great way to get creative with seasonal DIY crafts such as pumpkin stencils or other decorations. Send trick-or-treat boxes filled with Halloween treats like candy corn, popcorn, and other snacks. Include some themed decor items and any accessories or ingredients your guests might need for your games or Halloween activities.
3. Host a Virtual Halloween Costume Contest
Design: Robinson Creative House
One of the best things about any Halloween party is the costumes. Celebrate everyone’s creativity and style with a virtual costume contest.
Ask your guests to dress up as their favorite Halloween ghost, ghoul, or character. Award a prize for the spookiest costume, one for the funniest, and one for the most creative. This is a super-easy way to bring your Halloween theme to life and engage everyone from afar.
4. Play Spooky Video Games
There’s no shortage of terrifying video games out there, so if your group has avid gamers, this is the ideal time to give one a try together.
Find a multiplayer video game that you think your guests will enjoy and ask everyone to download it in advance. (You can mention this on your digital invitations and peruse our list of virtual game night ideas.)
There’s something for everyone — whether you enjoy a virtual haunted house mystery game, a spooky scavenger hunt, or a game based on ghost stories. Not sure which games to try? Here’s a list of the best horror games out right now.
5. Host a Spooky Cocktail Making Class
Not every party has to be about costumes and video game ghouls — keep it relaxed and classy with a virtual cocktail-making class instead. Give it a Halloween twist to fit your seasonal celebration.
Bring in the help of an outside company to help you run a virtual cocktail-making class, or go DIY and send ingredients and instructions out to your guests in the mail. Take inspiration from this list of Halloween cocktails to really get into the “spirit” of the holiday.
6. Try a Murder Mystery Experience
Design: Jen Montgomery
There’s nothing quite like solving your very own whodunnit, and a spooky-themed version makes perfect sense for Halloween. Stage an unforgettable night for your party guests with a murder mystery or virtual escape room experience.
These types of group games work great as virtual events as you don’t need to be right next to each other to play along. Find a company that’ll run the event for you, or put together your own storyline if you’re feeling creative. Let your guests know which character they’re playing in advance, or how to access the escape room if you’re taking part in one of those instead.
7. Host a Halloween Movie Watch Party
If you’re feeling like you’re up for a fright, host a good old-fashioned movie marathon or watch party. Ask your party guests to join you as you watch a hot new horror movie together, or binge through a couple of classic thrillers.
Choose your scary movie in advance and theme your whole party around it, or ask your guests for their ideas when you send out your invitations. This is a fun way to get them involved in the experience.
When choosing your film, look for something that’s easy to find on a streaming service like Netflix — and consider sending a gift card and some popcorn to your guests so there’s no expense for them.
8. Take Part in a Pumpkin Carving Contest
Halloween doesn’t feel the same without pumpkins or jack-o-lanterns, so make them a central feature of your party with a pumpkin carving contest. We love this as a family-friendly activity that includes everyone.
Ask your guests to pick up a pumpkin on their next trip to the store, or arrange to have one sent to their home along with a pumpkin carving kit. Challenge your guests to see who can make the funniest creation, or whose you definitely would be scared of in the dark.
Our Favorite Spooky Virtual Halloween Party Invites
Here’s a collection of our best Halloween party invitations. You can customize each design, including the wording, so it’s easy to change them from an in-person party invite to a virtual one.
Wicked Good Time Invitation
Design: Jessica Williams
We love the simplicity of this stunning wicked good time invitation. It features those classic Halloween colors, plus some spider webs for good measure. It’s the perfect invite if you don’t want to give too much away.
Crime Scene Invitation
Design: Claudia Owen
Throwing a super terrifying Halloween bash? This crime scene invitation will fit right in. This black and red design sets the tone for a truly scary evening and works for any monster-inspired or vampire-themed movie marathon.
Hocus Pocus Invitation
Design: Make and Tell
We love that this hocus pocus invitation is a little more unusual than other Halloween party invites. There’s no bright orange or bats in sight — just some unknown potion bottles and a sense of mystery. This is the kind of invite that’s ideal for a witch-themed bash or a mysterious virtual Halloween party.
Throw the Best Virtual Halloween Party Ever
If you’re swapping your annual in-person Halloween celebrations for the virtual kind this year, things will feel a little different. While it might not be the same as visiting a real haunted house party together, you can still create plenty of fun and surprise your guests with fun video backgrounds, pumpkin carving, costume contests, and more.
Take these ideas and use them as a template to help you plan the perfect virtual celebration. And when you’re ready to gather in person, be sure to use these 36 Halloween party ideas for any budget.
