How to Throw a Paranormal Party

Paranormal Theme Party

A paranormal party is a very creative theme for a party as there's so much you can do with this. From ghosts to fortune telling, zombies, aliens, and more, you've got a theme that will definitely capture your guests' imagination with a creepy atmosphere and supernatural activities.  Ready to get started?

Invitations

When sending invitations, it's best to send them out 2 weeks in advance to give guests a chance to save the date and to prepare for your party.

It would be great to have your guests come in costumes, and should you choose to do this, put that on your invitations.

Make sure to ask everyone to RSVP so you can get a proper head count, and also ask guests to let you know if they have any food restrictions.

Supernatural Decorations

Think dark for your decor, as this best fits the theme. You might also want to keep the lighting dim for atmosphere, but put up some candles or dimly lit lanterns.

You can scatter some small, fake bones on your table as well as miniature coffins. A crystal ball would make for a cool centerpiece. Balloons work great, and I would suggest black and red colors.

To give an extra creepy feel, I suggest a fog machine. (Think late night in a graveyard.)

Paranormal Costumes

Costumes can really add to the fun of a party, and guests can go as simple or creative as they wish. Check out these suggestions.

• Gypsy fortune teller

• Zoltar

• Aliens

• Men in Black

• Zombie

• Werewolf

• Ghost

• Ghost hunter

• Bigfoot

• Vampire

• Goblin

• Witch

• Wizard

• Skeleton

Party Food

 If you want to stick to your theme for food, there are some simple items you can make, like the mummy sausages you see above. They are made by wrapping strips of crescent dough around the sausages, leaving an opening for the face. Once baked, add two candy eyes for the face. You can also do this with hot dogs.

Olives can create spiders to put on food, as you see in the photo above. Use them to decorate the top of crackers with cheese spread. You can also use them on pizzas and potato skins as well as deviled eggs.

If you just want to keep things simple, I suggest setting up a buffet with finger foods for your guests. Suggested items include:

• Finger sandwiches

• Fruit kabobs

• Jalapeno poppers

• Stuffed mushrooms

• Mini meatballs

• Spring rolls

• Mini quesadillas

• Bruschetta

• Stuffed celery

• Chicken nuggets

• Cheese cubes

If the party is for kids, you might just want to stick to some easy kids' party food like pizza, hot dogs, and mac and cheese.

Paranormal Music

Music can really help set the mood for a party, and there are plenty of paranormal songs out there for your guests to enjoy. Consider the theme songs from some of the most popular TV shows, including The X-Files, Doctor Who, and The Twilight Zone. Some individual songs that would fit the bill include:

• "Ghostbusters" (Ray Parker Jr.)

• "Season of the Witch" (Donovan)

• "Invader" (Judas Priest)

• "Men in Black" (Will Smith)

• "Thriller" (Michael Jackson)

• "Werewolves in London" (Warren Zevon)

• "Black Magic Woman" (Santana)

• "I Put a Spell on You" (Screamin' Jay Hawkins)

• "Zero Zero UFO" (The Ramones)

• "Grim, Grinning Ghosts" (Disney Haunted Mansion Ride)

• "Superstition" (Stevie Wonder)

Paranormal Activities

Party activities are both fun and help guests engage in social interactions. To start with, place a Ouija board on a table with a planchette and put some chairs around the table. Guests can ask questions of the board and wait for someone from the "spirit world" to respond. This is done by lightly placing fingers on the planchette and, once a question is asked, allowing the marker to move itself across the board.

Designate a person to be a party fortune teller. Set the person up at a table with a crystal ball, and one by one, your guests can have their fortunes told. To make it more authentic, secretly give your fortune teller a cheat sheet with some info on your guests, so your guests will be amazed when the fortune teller really knows something about them.

Have any ghosts in your residence? Have everyone download a ghost-hunting app, then walk around your place and see if any ghosts are detected. To make it more fun, have them download a prank app that will simulate ghosts; just don't tell your guests it's a prank app!

Want a little physical fun? Grab a broomstick (think witches) and play some limbo.

If you want a bit of a crafty idea, get a potions kit, and guests can make their own potions in a bottle they can take home afterwards.

Looking for a kids' game? Play pass the coffin. This works like the hot potato game. Get everyone to form a circle and start by giving one person a toy coffin. Put on some music, and when the music starts, everyone takes turns passing the coffin to the person next to them. When the music stops, whoever is holding the coffin is out of the game. Keep playing until there is only one person left.

If you really want to liven things up, put on a video of "The Time Warp" and let guests dance along.

Ghost Trivia

How much do your guests know about ghosts? Find out by playing a ghost trivia game. I have some sample questions below. Whoever gets the most correct answers wins a prize!

• What is the name of the ghost that haunts the girls' bathroom in "Harry Potter"? (Moaning Myrtle)

• What is the most haunted house in the United States? (The Whaley House)

• Who is the "friendly" ghost? (Casper)

• What is the "goo" called that ghosts leave behind? (Ectoplasm)

• What is the fear of ghosts called? (Phasmophobia)

• How many ghosts are in Disneyland's Haunted Mansion? (999)

• How many ghosts visit Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas Eve? (3)

• What movie has the classic line, "I see dead people." (The Sixth Sense)

• What is the name of the car in Ghostbusters? (Ecto-1)

• What year did Ghost Adventures debut? (2008)

• What is the name of the ghost ship cursed to sail the seas forever? (The Flying Dutchman)

• What famous ghost haunts the White House? (Abraham Lincoln)

Paranormal Party

You now have some basic ideas to throw a great paranormal party. Use the above suggestions, but also use your own imagination to add even more ideas for your special gathering. You've picked a great theme, and now you'll throw a party that your guests will long remember.