5 Non-scary Ways to Celebrate Halloween

Halloween is one of those tricky holidays that can be absolutely terrifying for littlies, particular for some of our sensitive kids under 5. Garish costumes, animatronic skeletons at Bunnings that seem to be stuck on the “extreme volume” setting, can startle even the most confident of toddlers. As many panicked parent can contest, avoiding “spooky” during October is a losing game. So how do we make the week as inclusive and less “scary” as possible? We'll thankfully there are a few ways to get your little one into the spirit of things and transform a frightful night into actually quite a fun day.

Here are five sweet ways to celebrate Halloween with your toddler.

Raid the dress-up box

Encourage your child to get creative with dramatic role play. Spark their imagination with some simple dress ups. Avoid face paint, this can be a sensory nightmare. Instead opt for some old clothes you already have to make the part. A pirate costume can be easily created with a bandana, an old shirt (sleeves torn) and a vest. A simple pirate's hat can be constructed out of news paper. The best part: you don't need to buy anything. 

On-theme activities, like potion-making (with flowers and leaves in a water bottle, from the backyard) can be added to the mix, providing your little one with an interesting afternoon activity that will get them outside, exploring nature.

Serve an inventive meal

Halloween is often associated with bucketloads of sugar, but there are plenty of savoury alternatives for tiny tummies. A freakishly good feast could include:

Pumpkin pancakes
Cheese and pretzel broomsticks
Frankenstein sandwich wraps (without the toothpicks)
Spider web pizza (using a ready-made base, tortilla or English muffins), all washed down with a Spooky smoothie.

Your child learns key skills when they cook with a care-giver, and there’s also the option of getting crafty with the table décor.
Spider or pumpkin shapes stamped onto A4 paper make arty placemats (with drawn on, not stuck on, eyes), and a ghost garland is a cute twist on the classic paper chain decoration.

Make a small world

When we think of carved pumpkins, we think of Jack O’ Lanterns, but another creative idea is a pumpkin house for fairies, gnomes or animal figurines.

Hollowing out the pumpkin is an adult job, but once that’s done, you and your child can kit out the tiny home with a handmade swing set, ramp, garden and other dreamy DIY additions.

This pumpkin house is perfect for small world play, which brings lots of developmental benefits [link to small world play article pls] for your under five.

Play a fun game

Halloween-themed games give your child’s body and brain a work-out.  Want to play?
Halloween Freeze (aka Musical Statues) is always a winner. Dancers stop dead when the music does!

Ghost Toss - draw a ghost face on a white balloon and see how long your child can keep it in the air. Play alone with with the whole family! 

A Mummy Sack Race Players’ legs are loosely wrapped in white crepe streamers, and they have to shuffle to the finish line without tearing their ‘bandages’.

Spider Races exercise players’ lungs as they blow through straws to move their plastic spider towards the finish line.

Halloween Bingo Get your preschooler jumping for joy when they fill every Halloween related picture on their board! 

Read a Halloween story

As day fades into night, there are lots of not-too-scary picture books to share.

Our faves include: Room on the Broom and Meg and Mog are two witch-tastic classics. Four Silly Skeletons and Frankenstein Doesn’t Wear Earmuffs! will get a giggle.Ten Little Monsters is a toddler-friendly tale with counting, rhyming and eye-catching illustrations and The Itsy Bitsy Pumpkin is a fresh take on The Itsy Bitsy Spider nursery rhyme. Spooky Wheels on the Bus puts a Halloween spin on the song we know and love while

Llama Llama Trick or Treat and Pig the Monster bring familiar characters to the page. And don't forget, you can always make up a story of your own! Ghosts are optional, but make sure your tale includes a fun plot and plenty of cuddles for sweet dreams this Halloween!