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Halloween party ideas: food, drinks and games

Entertain your ghosts and ghouls with lifestyle expert Maureen Petrosky's tips for Halloween party food, scary sips and fun and games.
/ Source: TODAY

Looking to impress your guests on the most frightening night of the year? Lifestyle expert Maureen Petrosky has you covered with terrific ideas to entertain your ghosts and ghouls with Halloween party food, scary sips and fun and games.

1. Pull together a Halloween costume with food

You could go with one of these store-bought food costumes or make your own. Turn your little one into "Little Miss Smarty Pants" by using double sided tape to attach wrapped Smarties candies to clothing. The finishing touches: add some thick black rimmed glasses and a pencil behind the ear.

RELATED: Munch on these! 13 best Halloween costumes for food lovers

2. Turn store-bought cakes into creepy statement centerpieces

So easy and so smart, these are a great way to set a spooky tone.

Spider cake

Here's how: Remove a piece from a vanilla layer cake and add a nest of black plastic spiders

Bloody red velvet cake

Here's how: Turn red velvet cake into a gore-geous focal point by adding a grenadine syrup to the top and placing a large chef knife in the center.

3. Create drama with a third easy DIY centerpiece

Use what you have! Fill a vase with candy-layered black and orange candy (shoestring licorice or something else) Fill with branches from the back yard or park to create height, and add spider webs with plastic spiders for the finishing touches.

4. Serve plenty of spooky chips & dips

Transform traditional party dips into Halloween party-worthy food with a few smart flourishes.

Witchy guacamole dip

Jack o'lantern taco dip

5. Don't forget the scary sips

Fill ice buckets with dry ice chips (follow our safety directions) to turn any drink into a spooky sip.

Make this orange Halloween party pitcher cocktail for a crowd.

Halloween Smash Cocktail

6. Give your guests options with healthy treats

Not everything about Halloween has to be unhealthy. Try these healthy Halloween treats.

Tiny jack-o-lanterns (Clementines topped with a piece of celery)

Candy corn cups filled with pineapple, oranges and whipped cream

Monster bites (Apple wedges with strawberries, sunflower seed teeth and chocolate chip eyes)

7. Play a few fun games

Game #1: Ghost Nose

Here's how: String mini powdered doughnuts on a broomstick and then have guests try to eat them with their hands behind their back. Kids will think it's hilarious, especially when adults join in. Always place a shower curtain under the playing area for easy clean up.

Game #2: Cauldron Toss

Here's how: Draw eye pupils on ping pong balls and toss back and forth into cauldrons found at a party store.