The whole run-up to a Halloween party on one sheet: a 12-box countdown that starts two weeks out, a 5-row snack table planner, a decor box, a costume note line, and 4 opinions from parties we have run. Print it, tape it where you will actually see it, work top to bottom. Want games for the party itself? The free printable Halloween party games page has 3 complete ones. The full 19-page bundle is linked at the bottom.
How to use this page: print at 100% scale and start at the top band. The two-weeks-out boxes are the decisions everything else hangs on: date, headcount, candy budget. Every phase ends with a write-in line for whatever your party needs that ours did not. Nothing on this sheet assumes a particular house, neighborhood or budget; write in your own quantities and skip what does not apply.
The 12-box prep countdown: 2 weeks out, 1 week before, day of
Twelve boxes, four per phase, each with a write-in line underneath for your own additions. The phases match the timing that kept our last three parties calm:
Halloween party checklist
12 boxes · work top to bottom · one write-in line per phase
2 weeks out
Pick the date, time and guest list
Send invites
Plan the menu and candy budget
Order costume pieces
1 week before
Plan games and print the pack
Buy decor and supplies
Plan the playlist
Confirm who brings what
Day of
Final decor touch-up
Prep snack table
Set out slips and pencils
Launch the playlist
Snack table planner
Five lines. Write the item, then the quantity you actually want to serve, and shop against this table instead of guessing in the aisle.
Item
Qty
Decor plan
Costume note
4 opinions from parties like this one (take or leave)
Buy the candy early. Two weeks out, the shelf still has the bags you actually want; the week of, you are choosing from what other households left behind. The candy budget box exists so you can shop for it the same day you send invites.
Five snack rows, bigger batches. A short table you cook in doubles beats a long one where everything runs out mid-party. The qty column is there to push you toward multiples of the winners.
Print the game sheets with the grocery run. Paper and ink are the cheapest line on this list, and doing it a week out means a dry run if the printer argues. Day-of printing is how game time becomes setup time.
Give the door a job. Whoever greets guests hands each one a game sheet and a pencil. People who get something to do in the first minute settle in faster than people told to make themselves at home.
Common questions
When should I start this checklist?
Two weeks out, which is where the sheet starts. The date, guest list and candy budget decisions come first because invites, shopping and the snack table all inherit from them. If you are reading this with one week to go, start at the middle band; the day-of band still works no matter when you start.
Can I print just the checklist?
The print button outputs the one-page sheet and the 4 opinions, and drops everything else on this page: intro, FAQ and store links. The sheet itself is built to fit a single page of paper.
Is this the same as the checklist in the bundle?
Close, not identical. The bundle's page 17 runs the same timeline in five bands (2-3 weeks before through day of) with 20 boxes, and pairs it with a 12-row guest and potluck table. This sheet is the 3-band version with the snack table planner added.
What the full 19-page Halloween bundle adds
The sheet above is page 17 of the Halloween Party Games + Autumn Planner bundle. The other 18 pages:
10 party games: word scramble, word search, bingo with a 48-item caller list, trivia on Halloween history and traditions, draw-it pictionary, charades, a scavenger hunt, this-or-that, a fill-the-blanks story, and a candy count jar sign with guess slips.
8 planner pages: undated October and November weekly spreads, a fall bucket list, a weekly meal plan with grocery list, a fall budget sheet, this party checklist, a 12-row guest and potluck table, and a notes page.
Answer keys included for the trivia and word games, printed small at the bottom of each page so you can fold them away until the round ends.
Black and white throughout: light gray headers, thin lines, easy on ink. The game pages double as coloring sheets for kids.
A4 and US Letter PDFs, same content in both. Print at 100% scale; margins fit standard hole punches. Personal use: print as many copies as you like for your own party, classroom or household.