Galloween Party Ideas: Activities, Drinks, and Boo Baskets for Teens
A Galloween party is the perfect hang for teens who don’t want to trick-or-treat anymore! Image credit: Daisies in Clover
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You might have heard the term “Galloween” floating around the internet, maybe in a reel or in a social media post, and it’s the best teen Halloween hangout option for kids who feel like they’ve aged out of trick-or-treating. It’s basically the Halloween version of Galentine’s Day; a chance for friends to spend time together and celebrate their friendships and have some spooky fun. The idea isn’t limited only to girls though. A Palloween party is a great option for boys or for a group of friends who aren’t all the same gender. The things that make this teen hangout successful are some fun activities, some delicious Halloween snacks, and a fun exchange of gifts at the end. Here’s everything you need to know to help your teen plan their first Galloween party!
Halloween Costumes Are Optional
Full costumes are always welcome if that is what the group wants, but they really aren’t required. Your teen may have their own idea in mind, such as matching T-shirts (see the activity section below for how to make this happen) or simply wearing Halloween colors.
If your teen is torn about doing costumes or not, consider a “face-only” costume option instead. Kids can come in Halloween wigs, hats, and makeup; all the things they would need for a costume from the shoulders up. You can even have everyone bring their makeup and wigs to the party and make creating the looks one of the activities for the night. This works GREAT if you also have a photo booth set up. Teens can do before and after pictures or even record their own GRWM (get ready with me) videos to share with their friends (and parents).
Galloween Activities Teens are Sure to Love
Add a hands-on activity to keep everyone entertained, like a Halloween cupcake decorating station. Image credit: Daisies in Clover
Horror movie marathons are overdone, and they don’t give kids a chance to hang out and talk. A hands-on activity that skews toward older kids is the perfect way to keep everyone entertained. Of course, you can always have a movie playing in the background to set the scene for the evening.
Halloween-Themed T-Shirt Decorating
One option is to do a T-shirt decorating project. Everyone creates their own Halloween-themed design, and they get a fun souvenir to take home with them. If you plan this activity at the beginning of the party, everyone can wear their finished shirts for pictures together. You’ll need to get shirt sizes ahead of time for this project (or you can ask everyone to bring a plain shirt to the party to decorate).
Halloween Cookie or Cupcake Decorating
If decorating T-shirts isn’t your teen’s idea of fun, try cookie or cupcake decorating instead. Half of the fun of this activity is eating the frosting and candies as you decorate. Purchase or bake plain sugar cookies or cupcakes, along with frosting, sprinkles, bite-sized Halloween candies, and any other sweet treats you think would be fun. Put everything out before the kids arrive so your teen can direct the activity without your help. Setting up the decorating stations means you won’t have to provide as many snacks for the party because the kids will be making (hopefully) some pretty ornate desserts that are full of Halloween goodness.
Galloween Photo Booth
What’s a teen party without a photo booth? This is super simple to set up and doesn’t require a lot in the way of materials (and let’s face it, the kids are all going to have their own cameras with them too). A large Halloween-themed poster, full-length, if possible, creates the backdrop. You can also opt for a set of colorful fringe party curtains or even a Halloween-themed shower curtain instead. Add some balloons, a few witch cauldrons, and other small props the teens can use when taking their Galloween pictures. If you have a ring light or a selfie stick, these make great finishing touches for the photo booth. Most of the props can be purchased at the dollar store, so you don’t have to invest a lot of money to make this activity happen.
Halloween Snacks and Drinks
These spooky beverages are great for Galloween and only take a few minutes to make! Image credit: Daisies in Clover
Fun Halloween themed snacks and drinks are what make the party even more special. There are lots of different ways to approach the snacks, from a candy buffet that replaces trick or treating to ordering a stack of Pumpkin-shaped pizzas. The beverages are where things can get even spookier! Here are just a couple of quick ideas you can use (or just use them as inspiration to create your own):
Graveyard Soda: mix orange or lime sherbet with a splash of Sprite and top it with whipped cream and some sprinkles in Halloween colors.
The Red Witch: combine fruit punch with sparkling water and drop in ice cubes frozen in Halloween shapes, like skulls, bats, or pumpkins. Silicone molds for candy work great here for this sweet drink.
Galloween Punch: mix grape juice and Sprite, along with just a splash of grenadine to create this twist on the Shirley Temple. Add a couple of maraschino cherries and gummy worms for the perfect finishing touch.
To get the full visual effect, serve the beverages in clear plastic party cups. You can frost the rims and add sprinkles before pouring the drinks to add even more festive fun to each cup!
The Boo Basket Exchange for Galloween
A Boo Basket gift exchange is like Secret Santa for Halloween! Image credit: Daisies in Clover
End the party with a boo basket exchange, which is essentially the Galloween version of Secret Santa. This is a small gift exchange, so cap the dollar amount to $10 or $15 max.
They’ll all likely know what a boo basket is already, but your teen can text out a list of ideas (let’s face it, this is going to be an informal party, so you won’t be managing any evites for it). Some options that work well in boo baskets are spa-style Halloween sheet masks, candies, cozy socks, and maybe a $5 Starby’s gift card. These are all affordable options kids can mix and match to create baskets for a friend. The finishing touch is always a cute container, whether it’s a Halloween gift bag, a pumpkin-shaped basket, or even a classic trick-or-treat bucket.
If your teen wants to be surprised by who gets their name, consider setting up a name pull in an app like DrawNames, GiftList, or Elfster.
Why the Galloween Party is Stress-free for Parents
A Galloween or Palloween party doesn’t require a ton of planning on your part. A simple activity, some yummy treats, and plenty of opportunities for taking pictures are all easy to set up, and none of them require you to hover while the teens hang out and spend some quality time together. For even more Halloween inspiration, check out our collection of Easy No-Bake Halloween Treats Kids Love!
