Is August too soon to talk about Halloween? Not in this house! We love Halloween and we are already preparing for entertaining the toddlers during this fun holiday! Do you have a toddler and are wondering what to do with them for Halloween? Well, you've come to the right place! Not only do I want to talk about what activities the toddlers can do, but I also want to talk about celebrating the big day with them and what you can expect. So, if that interests you, keep reading! And make sure to save this post for the upcoming event.
If this is your first time here, welcome and hi! My name is Karli and my typical content is sharing with you my opinions on all things baby and toddler. I am currently living in the toddler phase times two. I have three beautiful, fun girls, ages 1, 2, and 11. No, that wasn't a typo. I have a 1 year old and a 2 year old and in a few months... I'll have two 2 year olds for a short period of time.
I live, sleep, and breathe toddler. I don't always know what I'm doing, but I try to get through these moments with love and grace. Along the way, I'll share the products that work for us and the ones that don't. Also, my tips on how you can have fun and enjoy your toddler as much as possible!
Before the Day
Every child is going to be different with the level of comfort they have for Halloween. My two year old is a little adrenaline junkie and she loves all the scary stuff (as long as it isn't too much). My one year old is afraid of almost everything. She hates loud noises, she doesn't like men in general (except Daddy), and she'll tell us "cary" all the time indicating that she is scared.
Luckily, for toddlers, the activities before Halloween are pretty scare-free. Here are 6 fun things to do with your toddlers before the 31st!
1. Read Halloween Books
There are a ton of little kid board books you can get to start the fun of Halloween. Likely, last year your toddler was too little to remember what Halloween really was. Books are a great way to introduce a topic and explore the different meanings. Here are some of our favorite books from our favorite authors that you can find on Amazon.
You certainly don't need to buy new books for such a short season. You can simply go to a library and read whatever books you can find. We love using books to start any holiday!
2. Craft Time!
Now, I am not a big craft person yet. My toddlers are still pretty young and don't have the attention span for a well thought out craft session. But I do love any chance I get to make hand-print or foot-print crafts that we can compare throughout the year to see how much they've grown.
This year we'll be trying hand print spiders and foot print ghosts with cute captions for each! Head over to Pinterest to find cute toddler craft ideas!
3. Pumpkin Patch
I'm sure you have seen pumpkin patches popping up somewhere in your neighborhood. Once it's cooled down a little where you live, it would be a great time to go!
Pumpkin patches usually have fun activities that you can enjoy with your littles for a couple hours. There can be fun bikes to ride, "jumping pillows" (which are those giant air trampoline things), slides, and of course... pumpkins!
Letting your toddler pick out a pumpkin is a lot of fun. If they speak well, you can have them tell you why they are picking that pumpkin and sometimes receive some funny answers! I usually have my girls pick out the little baby pumpkins because we like to decorate the house with them! Plus, they are easier for the girls to carry.
Definitely, don't skip the pumpkin patch this year. There's something fun for every age to do!
4. Paint a Pumpkin
Now that you have your pumpkins, you can let your toddlers paint them! This is obviously going to be messy. I recommend doing the painting while the older members of the family carve pumpkins. That way, everyone is involved somehow.
Likely, your toddler won't have the patience to wait until the pumpkins are carved, but they can do their quick painting and be done with the project whenever they are ready. They'll be excited to see their pumpkins outside with everyone's carved pumpkins!
5. Go to Your Local Halloween Store
Now, this one might be a bit too much for some toddlers depending on their comfort level with scary elements. I personally love taking my kids into the store to pick out their own costume. I think getting them involved with picking out their costume will get them excited for the big event.
We have a Spirit Halloween where we live and they do have a display that will have some of their scary figures set up. Again, my adrenaline junkie loves it. My one year old hasn't seen it yet this year so I'm hoping it goes well.
This store has sections for toddlers with all the popular costumes like Bluey, Mickey Mouse, PJ masks, and more! We take our girls straight to this section and see what they gravitate to. Last year, my 2yo picked out Pluto but it will be interesting to see what they both pick out this year!
6. Play Dress Up
Any event that isn't part of the normal daily routine can be overwhelming for a toddler. If you wait until the day of Halloween to put their costume on them, they might fight you on it because they don't understand.
On a normal day of playing, try to encourage your kids to play dress up with their costumes to get them familiar with how it feels and looks. Likely, they will have fun and want to do it a few times before the actual day which is totally okay! Disclaimer: they'll probably want to wear the costume a lot after Halloween as well. We just roll with the punches over here, as long as there are no actual punches being thrown around!
Day of Halloween
The day is here and everyone is excited for trick or treating! I don't talk about my 11 year old much in my toddler posts but Halloween is one of her favorite holidays. She is big into scary makeup and loves all things creepy.
Juggling this day with toddlers and an older child is a bit tricky itself. The older children will be excited about going door to door and seeing how much candy they can get. The toddlers might be a little nervous, might not want strangers to talk to them, might only have 30 minutes in them before a full on meltdown.
Here are my tips on how to keep your big kid happy and your toddler happy at the same time.
1. Find a Trunk or Treat
Trunk or treat events usually happen before the 31st and are usually held in a large parking lot at a school or store. Check your local Facebook page to see where they are and what times.
These events make trick or treating easy and safe for those that don't have a trusty neighborhood or maybe don't live in a neighborhood that does trick or treating at all.
Typically, in a large parking lot, there will be several cars and trucks with their trunks open and you go to each car and "trunk or treat." Now that I'm actually writing about it, it sounds sketchy as hell! 😅 But, obviously you are with you kids the whole time and it is a fun event to get your trick or treating done and over with within just 30 minutes or so.
Usually this type of event is held in the day time as well so it would be perfect for little ones with early bedtimes.
2. Shopping Malls
Check your local listings for shopping malls that do trick or treating as well. Whether they are indoor or outdoor, they usually will have an event for trick or treating where the kids can go store to store and get some candy while showing off their costumes.
The great thing about an indoor mall is that if it is dark or cold outside, the mall is a nice warm place to trick or treat with your little ones.
Here in Montana, it is almost always freezing by Halloween. This makes things difficult for trick or treating with babies and toddlers. The mall is a great option for us and hopefully your local mall does it too!
3. Take a Stroller
Big kids will want to walk the whole time. And toddlers will think it's fun too for a short amount of time. Then, likely, they will want to be carried.
Whether you stay indoors at the mall, or you go out for a journey into the neighborhoods, I definitely recommend bringing your trusty stroller. If you are in the market for a stroller that can hold up to three children, check out my full review on the Mockingbird Stroller. This stroller is a single to double stroller for babies and toddlers and even a third kid up to 5 years old with their Riding Board.
Regardless of what stroller you have, it is nice to be able to have your tired toddler hang out in the stroller while an older sibling finishes up their trick or treating.
4. Plan for the Weather
You know your area best. Like I said, Montana is freezing in October with only a couple exceptions in my lifetime. So, for our kids, we have them dress in long johns or footie pajamas and then wear their costumes over that. Sometimes they even need a winter hat under their costume or gloves.
The Mockingbird stroller that we have, and a few other strollers that I've seen, have what's called a "foot muff." Its a cover that attaches to the stroller seat through the buckles and is lined and insulated for warmth. It is completely enclosed at the bottom and can zip up basically to their neck if wanted. The foot muff along with a small blanket is the perfect warmth for our girls to ride around our chilly town.
You might live in a town where the weather is still in the 70s to 80s or higher in October. My husband is from southern Arizona so we understand the heat as well. Your kiddos might be perfectly content with just their costumes on.
Whatever your weather is, make sure your toddlers are comfortable. The more comfortable they are, the more enjoyment you'll get out of trick or treating especially if you have older kids.
5. Early Dinner and Snacks
I think we can all agree that Halloween candy does not make a good dinner or even snack for a toddler.
To avoid a cranky toddler while on your Halloween adventure, make sure they have a full belly and have healthy snacks readily available. Even if this means having dinner a little early that day.
6. Keep it Short
This one is tricky with an older child. If you just have a toddler or two, staying out late probably isn't in your plans anyways. If you think you are going to make it to the Halloween party at 10pm, likely not without a babysitter.
If you do have an older child, you can keep it short and go home. If you have a trusted adult you can leave the toddler with after, you can give the other kiddo extra time trick or treating. Or, you can have older kiddo go with an aunt or uncle with cousins if they are going out later.
Of course, one parent can always stay home while the other takes the older kid out. What ever works for you and your kids! Just a tip for you for the day, try to stay flexible. It is only one day and you want the kids to get the most out of it. For toddlers, it is a day out of normal routine and may cause big emotions. Try to roll with the punches and do what you can.
7. Plan a Movie Night
If you have to keep the night short for the toddler or baby and your big kid can't go with anyone else, plan a fun movie night with them!
Make some spooky popcorn balls, some Halloween treats, or just dive into that candy they worked so hard for!
If you are able, try to put the smaller kids in bed so you can spend one on one time with your older kid.
Pick a fun Halloween movie to watch, snuggle in, and enjoy the night. Something my 11yo enjoys, and I liked doing as well as a child, was candy sorting. Dump the bag of candy and see how many of each kind of piece they got.
Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you were able to find some helpful tips on what to do with your toddler for Halloween this year!
Whatever you decide to do, Halloween is a fun holiday to enjoy with kids of all ages! Toddler holidays may look a little different, but the memories and pictures you'll have will last a lifetime. So, don't count yourself out just because you have a little one at home. Only a couple adjustments need to be made!
Let me know what you do with your kids for Halloween if it is out of the norm! I can't wait to hear from all of you. As always, stay safe and have fun!
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