Not-So-Scary Halloween Ideas for Toddlers

Halloween with toddlers can be an exciting time of the year! The neighborhood is decked out with cool decorations, fun Halloween snacks, and meal ideas abound, and the holiday spirit is filling the air. However, on the actual day, it can be a tricky thing to navigate. Finding ways to make sure your toddler doesn’t get too scared, feels safe, yet also has a fun and enjoyable day, can be tough. Luckily, we’ve got some easy-peasy ideas to give your toddler those fun core memories without the scares. Keep reading to learn our not-so-scary Halloween ideas for toddlers, including ways to keep their anxious energy at bay!

All Treats and No Tricks This Year!

Want to take your toddler trick-or-treating this year? Our best advice for toddler parents worried about the Scared Factor is to head out early!

It’s an unspoken rule that trick-or-treating begins when the sun goes down. Head out at sunset so that your child still has a little bit of that dusk glow before the neighborhood feels too spooky. Most houses are more than happy to accommodate passing out candy early to the little ones!

Don’t want knocks on your door or the doorbell ringing past bedtime? We get it!

Avoid having middle-of-the-night wakeups or an overtired toddler on November 1st by trying these ideas:

• Keep a bowl outside of your porch so that nobody rings your doorbell, knocks on your door, or is too loud outside of your home
• Grab your baby monitor, some chairs, and sit out front to pass out candy to see all the fun without all the ringing and knocking
• Not in the mood to pass out candy this year with a toddler at home? Just turn off your porch light and put a note on your door saying “No Knocking - Sleeping Baby” for a surefire way to keep trick-or-treaters moving along

Lean into Your Community

Halloween is a great time to lean into your community and take advantage of all the fun stuff it has to offer.

Other than trick-or-treating on the actual night, here are some ways you can enjoy the holiday:

• Head to the pumpkin patch and take family photos in your costumes
• Go to the library and check out some Halloween books, and see if they have any Halloween-themed events happening
• Check for local parades or decked-out neighborhoods to check out and drive through
• Instead of trick-or-treating at night, go for a night drive to see all the decorations and trick-or-treaters. Your toddler will feel safe in the car, away from the stimulation, but still feel part of the action
• Create your own event by hosting a Halloween movie night, craft party, or baking exchange at home with your fellow toddler mom friends
• Carve, paint, and decorate pumpkins on Halloween night instead of heading out for trick-or-treating if you feel it might be too overwhelming for your kiddo

Bubble Play

Perfect for indoor parties, spooky playdates, and mess-free fun after trick-or-treating, bubbles are the best way to celebrate Halloween, birthdays, and everything in between!

Here’s why:

If it is too cold to go outside this Halloween, bring your bubbles indoors! Our bubble solution is indoor-friendly because it is made without harsh soaps or detergents, leaving no mess behind.

Keep your little one entertained in their stroller or wagon while big brother or big sister trick-or-treats! Your toddler will love blowing bubbles around the neighborhood to the delight of other trick-or-treaters. It will keep their hands and mouths busy with bubbles instead of candy.

Trust us —if your toddler loves bubbles but you hate the mess and the constant dipping a wand into a messy jug —this bubble blower is simple, easy, and mess-free! Simply pour bubble solution into the tray, dip and twirl the blower, and start blowing bubbles!

Here are some other ideas:

• For a super fun activity, put a few drops of paint in the bubble tray for awesome bubble art
• Incorporate bubble play at home after a stimulating night of Halloween adventures. The deep breathing calms children down!
• Give our bubble wand as a gift to your child on Halloween so that they can have something new and fun to play with as a great distraction

Sensory Fidget Toys

If you have older children who want to trick-or-treat, attend potentially scary events, or you otherwise need to bring your toddler out on Halloween, a great way to keep them calm and entertained is by bringing along some sensory fidget toys.

Sensory fidget toys are a great way to keep your child’s Halloween anxiety at bay, so you all can enjoy your holiday!

Bring them in your diaper bag, keep them in the stroller, and stick some in the car so that they are never too far from a meltdown. A fun idea for Halloween is to string some Spike Grippers to a rope and wear them as a necklace!

Your children can squeeze and squish away while trick-or-treating or even studying. These fidget toys are quiet and do not disrupt others around you.

SPIKE can also easily fit in the palm of your hand as a discreet fidget tool. Everyone, young and old, can enjoy SPIKE, especially those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, anxiety, focusing issues, ADD, ADHD, sensory processing disorders, and other attention issues.

For more fun ideas for toddlers and other great family products, head to Innobaby.com!