Halloween ideas for babies and toddlers

Halloween can be a fun and exciting time for babies and toddlers, even if they are too young to go trick-or-treating. You may be wondering what can I do for Halloween with 1 year old, or how to make Halloween special for baby. Here are some Halloween games and activities that are safe and age-appropriate for the little ones.

Halloween games

Pumpkin Sensory Play:

• Let your baby or toddler explore the texture of a small pumpkin. They can touch, feel, and even taste it (under supervision).
• You can also fill a pumpkin with cooked spaghetti for a slimy sensory experience.

Spooky Songs and Rhymes:

• Sing Halloween-themed songs and rhymes like "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Five Little Pumpkins," or "If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands" with a spooky twist.

Playdough Fun:

• Make or buy orange and black playdough and let your child create Halloween-themed shapes and creatures with it.

Halloween Storytime:

• Read age-appropriate Halloween books to your little one. Choose books with colorful and not-so-spooky characters.

Pumpkin Bowling:

• Set up a simple bowling game using empty plastic bottles painted like ghosts or ghouls and a small soft ball. Your toddler can take turns rolling the ball to knock down the "ghosts."

Pumpkin Patch Visit:

• Take a trip to a local pumpkin patch, where your baby or toddler can enjoy the sights and sounds of the season. Be sure to take some adorable photos!

Sensory Bags:

• Create Halloween-themed sensory bags by filling sealable plastic bags with items like cooked spaghetti (worms), jelly (slime), or orange paint. Babies can explore the textures by squishing the bags. Trying sticking them down to a highchair tray first

Trick-or-Treat at Home:

• Have a small trick-or-treat session at home, where your toddler can visit different rooms or stations and receive small treats or toys.

Spooky lights:

• Turn off the lights, and using halloween fairy lights, glowsticks or a torch, let them explore the shadows and twinkly lights

Halloween craft ideas

Creating Halloween crafts with toddlers is a fantastic way to engage their creativity and get them excited. Here are some easy and fun Halloween craft ideas suitable for toddlers:

Paper Plate Masks:

• Use paper plates to create simple masks. Toddlers can paint them with Halloween-themed designs or use markers and stickers to decorate them. Add string to wear the masks.

Handprint and Footprint Art:

• Make spooky creatures using your toddler's handprints and footprints. Create handprint bats, footprint ghosts, and handprint spiders. Have a pack of wipes to hand for the clean up Onewipe - the extra large wipe - is perfect for this.

Pumpkin Decorating:

• Instead of carving, let your toddler decorate a pumpkin using stickers, washable markers, or non-toxic paints.

Cotton Ball Ghosts:

• Glue cotton balls onto black construction paper and add googly eyes to make adorable ghost shapes.

Paper Plate Monsters:

• Provide paper plates, googly eyes, and craft materials like colored paper, feathers, and pipe cleaners. Toddlers can create their own friendly monsters.

Halloween Collage:

• Collect Halloween-themed magazines or print out pictures of pumpkins, ghosts, and bats. Let your toddler cut them out and glue them onto paper to create a collage.

Paper Plate Spiderwebs:

• Cut a paper plate to create a web shape. Then, use white yarn or string to weave a spiderweb pattern. Add a construction paper spider in the center.

Sticker Pumpkins:

• Draw a pumpkin shape on paper and let your toddler decorate it with Halloween-themed stickers. This is a mess-free and easy craft.

Pasta Skeletons:

• Use different pasta shapes like penne or macaroni to create skeleton shapes on black construction paper. Add a skull and bones.

Sock Ghosts:

• Fill a white sock with rice or stuffing, tie the top with a rubber band, and use a marker to make a friendly ghost face. Add a piece of string to hang it up.

Halloween Wreath:

• Create a simple wreath using a paper plate with the center cut out. Let your toddler paint the plate in Halloween colors and decorate it with plastic spiders or ghosts.

Witch Hat Craft:

• Cut out a large triangle from black construction paper for the witch's hat. Let your toddler decorate it with stickers or glitter, and then glue it onto a craft stick for a fun witch hat prop.

We hope you have fun enjoying these Halloween ideas for babies and toddlers!

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