Spooktacular School Halloween Bash (on the cheap)!

I wanted to share with you the fun Halloween Bash we threw at my son's school this past Monday.  The kids and teachers had a terrific time and the best part was that it was done with most items purchased at the Dollar Tree & Aldi!  Looking for some great ideas for next year?  Pin a few of these!

First, we Spookified the lunchroom with tablecloths, murals, bats, rats, cats, ghosts & webs!  We also had our iPod rocking out some Halloween tunes to set the mood!

We used large black trash bags to make Witch Curtains, and hung them on windows, doorways & just about anywhere we could think of!

We had lots of activities planned for the kids, including "Pin the Bow Tie on the Skeleton," "Skull Toss in to the Cauldron," and a Super Costume Contest where we came up with a Witty Costume Description and Certificate for each child.  But, the one they enjoyed the most was "The Mad Scientist's Laboratory!"

The kids entered through here and were blindfolded.  They were then instructed to put their hand in a bowl of "something" and asked to guess what they thought it could be.  We had 10 bowls of "icky" things such as...

 Craisins for Boogers...

 Dried Apricots for Ears...

...and Cherry Pie Filling for Eyeballs! (Gross)

We put the bowls in progressively sticky order so that the experience got more and more gooey! Even the most skeptical child was grossed out by the end! Here's the complete list of "body parts" in order:

1. Dried Apricots = Ears

2. Frito Corn Chips = Toenails

3. Mini Marshmallows = Tonsils

4. Craisins = Boogers

5. Northern White Beans = Teeth

6. Banana Peels = Tongues

7. Bologna = Skin

8. Cold Spaghetti = Intestines

9. Jello = Brains

10.  Cherry Pie Filling = Eyeballs

Younger children were escorted by older children through the Lab which made it fun for all ages!

Last but not least, there was the spooky food!  I made Mummy Hot Dogs, Macaroni & Cheese/Creamed Spinach Swamp Monsters & Frankenstein Pudding for everyone.

 Isn't that fun?

The kids LOVED it!  Here's my son in his Robbie Rotten costume chowing down!

The Fake-It Yourself Breakdown:

Decorations ($30), Food ($40), Activities ($20)

Total Fake-It Cost:  $90.00 for 22 Children, 6 Teachers & 5 Parents*

*That's only $2.72 Per Person!

Linking Up at Tip Junkie, Today's Creative Blog, The Frugal Girls, and these other Great Parties!