It is time to start planning your Halloween party and thinking about what games you can organize to keep the kids entertained and to ensure they,and you,have a memorable night !

1)The number one traditional game is,of course,apple bobbing; After filling a suitable bowl or tub with warm water,ensuring that it is not so deep that the kids can't push the apples to the bottom with their teeth,place enough apples onto the water so as to leave enough room between them so that they can freely move on the water....you don't want to make it too easy for them ! Allow each child 30 seconds to grab an apple with their teeth....no hands allowed ! The winner is the one who grabs an apple the fastest....plenty of dry towels would be a good idea ! A variation is to tie a piece of string around the apple stem and hang them from a doorframe or tree if outside....doughnuts can be a sugary alternative !

2)Broom stick racing in the garden is always popular and a good way to work up their appetites before serving food....a three legged variation also works well !

3)Make a mummy is also a simple and fun game;teams of two kids are given a loo roll each and one is elected to be the "mummy".Each pair are given two minutes to "mummify"the elected victim from each team !

4)A large bowl of jelly,preferably green,with "worm" sweets added...let them get stuck in to catch a worm !

5)The same bowl of green jelly can also be used for another messy game-split the children into pairs and blindfold them.Give them a spoon each and have them feed each other jelly whilst blindfolded....aprons could be a good plan for this one !!

6)Guess the body part;prepare a number of items and place them onto a table,either hidden in a box with a hand sized hole cut into the side or place under a cloth.With the lights turned down low,get the kids to guess what the "body parts" are.....use two hard boiled and shelled eggs for "eyeballs",a thin rubber glove filled with flour and sealed at the end with an elastic band,an old wig(it will feel very scarey in the dark!),a plate of cold cooked spaghetti and a piece of pumpkin cut into the shape of an ear ! Choose the most easily scared child to go first and the screams will set the atmosphere for the game !!

7)Scarey skittles is great fun for the kids and perfect if you have a large room,hallway or garden.Get a multi pack of paper kitchen towels to use as skittles and get the children to draw a creepy face onto each of the rolls.stand the rolls up as skittles and use a small pumpkin as the bowling ball !

8)Another easy to make game idea is to make half a dozen witches hats from black card and buy a set of coloured plastic rings that fit over the hats....get the kids to take it in turns to throw the hoops and try to get them over the hats...a fun game and cheaper than the fairground !

9)Get a pack of balloons and place a sweet inside each one and then inflate and tie the end...pin or sellotape each one to a wall or door and get each child to pop a balloon and get the sweet from inside !

10)If you have a garden,why not lay a sheet and scatter large rubber spiders on top of the sheet....lay a plank of strong wood with a brick under each end and get the kids to "walk the plank"....they won't want to overbalance and fall into the spiders !!!

These are just a few ideas to get your imagination working and to ensure the children have a great Halloween night !