Halloween is my favorite holiday. It’s my Dad’s birthday, so growing up we’d always have birthday pumpkin pie on top of the loot I collected. But above and beyond that scrumptious pie, Halloween contains all sorts of fun elements that can translate into family traditions. And it is a holiday that easily stretches out to be enjoyed for more than just one day. It encompasses excursions to corn mazes, pumpkin patches and haunted houses. It includes deliberating on candy purchases, decorating the house, Halloween parties and, of course, pumpkin carving.

Now that my daughter is 7 years old and less likely to use the pumpkin carving knife to sever her finger, I’m planning an official pumpkin carving party. Perhaps you are, too. Here are my party planning tips.

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