Halloween Activities for Toddlers
Prepare for a spooktacularly good time with your little trick-or-treaters this Halloween! Entertaining toddlers during this enchanting season can lead to unforgettable moments. read on for a treasure trove of wickedly fun Halloween ideas to keep them engaged and bubbling with excitement.
My partner choosing the biggest pumpkin he could find!
It’s an oldie but a goodie - why not try pumpkin decorating? Unleash your tiny artists' creativity by having them decorate or paint pumpkins. Enjoy the treats without any tricks, using non-toxic paint and stickers! If your little one is small enough (and your pumpkin is big enough), you could even hollow it out and add leg holes to get a lovely autumnal photo opportunity of your baby sitting inside the pumpkin. This year, our pumpkin is so big it could probably fit me inside it!
Why not host a costume parade rivaling the grandest Halloween spectacles? Watch your little goblins strut their stuff and add extra fun with a mini "awards ceremony" celebrating cuteness and creativity.
You could set up a bewitching craft station with age-appropriate Halloween-themed crafts, from handprint ghosts to spooky paper plate masks, brewing a cauldron of fun. A nice idea that I have seen recently is going on a family walk to find some ghostly leaves and then painting PVA glue over them. Once the glue has dried, draw faces on them with a black felt pen and then carefully peel the glue off the leaf, leaving you with a ghostly decoration for your home. We are definitely going to give it a go this year.
Once the crafts have been completed and the house has been decorated, gather 'round for spellbinding Halloween-themed stories, choosing tales that ignite young imaginations with just the right amount of eerie. Amazon has a great selection of halloween themed books for little ones like The Very Hungry Caterpiller’s Creepy Crawly Halloween.
My little pumpkin!
I thoroughly recommend a pumpkin patch visit. Take a trip to a local pumpkin patch and watch your little monsters pick their very own pumpkins. Most patches offer extra treats like hayrides and corn mazes. We visited the Picking Patch in Porthcawl, South Wales and enjoyed a toasted marshmallow before delving into the pumpkin decision making!
Trick-or-Treating is also very popular but if you live in a neighbourhood where it isn’t the done thing, you can set up your own Trick-or-Treating station. Transform your home or back garden into a trick-or-treat wonderland, where your little ghouls and their buddies can collect treats and toys at different stations in their adorable costumes. You could even create a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt, where the little ones can search for hidden treats or toys in a treasure hunt filled with surprises.
A party is always a fun idea, so why not host a Monster Mash Dance Party? Turn down the lights and brighten up the dance floor with glow-in-the-dark sticks, necklaces, and bracelets, bringing a slightly spooky yet super fun atmosphere to games and activities. Crank up the tunes and let your pint-sized party animals show off their dance moves in spooktacular outfits. You can feed your little guests with Halloween-themed snacks. Get creative in the kitchen making everything from ghost-shaped cheese slices to pumpkin sandwiches or cupcakes with creepy-crawly spider designs. When I was little, my mum would give us ‘eyeballs’ (Lychees in syrup) and ‘frogspawn’ (semolina) at halloween.
Once you are all partied out, you could let your little witches and wizards choose spooky face-painting designs. Watch as their faces transform into pumpkins, cats, and witches.
If you are craving a bit more of a calm Halloween, you could always create a cozy corner for a Halloween movie marathon featuring age-appropriate, not-too-scary films. Don't forget the popcorn and the inevitable giggles and squeals!
Remember to prioritise safety and age-appropriateness, ensuring that the Halloween experience is a cauldron of joy and not too spooky for your little pumpkin's delight.
Happy Halloween, everyone!
Here’s a glimpse of our pumpkin this year after Grandad got started on it!