Ready for lots of Halloween ideas for babies, toddlers and kids? Cute costumes, decoration ideas, pumpkin lantern designs, food treats and fun crafts. Plus free Halloween printables just for you!
Where does Halloween come from?
Halloween is celebrated every year on the night of October 31st.
The origins of Halloween are traced back two thousand years to a Celtic festival called Samhain. They celebrated the end of summer and end of that season’s harvest. Celts believed that on the last night of October the spirits of the dead were present in towns and could damage their crops. As they wanted to keep the spirits away, Celts dressed up in scary costumes.
In year 800 AD, the Christian holiday All Saints’ Day (All Hallows) changed to November 1st. The previous night (when Samhain was celebrated) was then known as All Hallows’ Eve. Over time this evolved to Halloween.
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Halloween ideas for babies and toddlers
Here are some ideas to have a spooky time safely with your little ones.
Get the costumes ready!
Pumpkins, vampires, zombies, witches, ghosts, little monsters… Or less scary like superheroes!
Babies and toddlers look really cute in these animal onesies (UK link / US link). Sizes are available from 0 to 24 months.
If this is the very first Halloween for your baby might be looking for a special ‘My First Halloween’ costume (UK link / US link).
Pumpkin lanterns
All you need to do is scoop out a pumpkin and carve a cute or creepy face, add a light inside and voila! You’ll end up with lovely Halloween pumpkin lanterns (known as ‘Jack-o-lantern’ in North America).
If you are a Disney lover, these Disney Pumpkin Carving Templates from Mommy Musings are for you.
Alternatively, if you would like no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas for toddlers, How Wee Learn has the compilation you’re looking for. Painting them, adding stickers or tape, decorate with food or yarn… All you need is there.
Decorate your house
You can cover the corners with fake spider webs, add big illuminated pumpkins, bats, scarecrows or skeletons. Tim Burton’s movie characters are very spooky too! Particularly Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sparky from Frankenweenie or the Corpse Bride.
A good way to decorate with babies and toddlers is with Halloween gel stickers for windows (UK link / US link). They are easy to stick on, with bright colours and happy faces (plus the cat is super cute!).
Halloween food treats
There are some foods associated to Halloween that you might want to try.
Candy apples or toffee apples are very famous in the UK and Ireland. Favorite Family Recipes shares the recipe of this yummy autumn treat.
Barmbrack is a delicious fruitcake eaten in Ireland around Halloween. Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking explains all about the traditional Barmbrack recipe.
Halloween crafts for babies and toddlers
You can create paper plate spiders. Colour a paper plate, add some eye stickers. Stick 8 legs made with pipe cleaners. Make a little hole to hang them from the doors… Sorted! On the other hand, if you’re more of a ghosts fan, print a ghost shape and add cotton balls to make it fluffy!
Some full kits for crafts (UK link / US link) have pipe cleaners, wiggle eyes, pompoms, felt fabric sheets and everything you need.
But if you and your little one would like to get messy having fun with paint, Pinkie for Pink has some lovely ideas for you! We loved the ghost footprints and the adorable Frankenstein.
Free Halloween printables for toddlers
I created this free Halloween printable especially for you. You can cut the mouths and eyes on the last page and your baby or toddler can stick them to the ghosts, spiders and pumpkins! Or simply let them colour the shapes! Even add some colouring, tape, cotton balls… I would love to see your creations! Feel free to tag me on Instagram (@martaalmansabooks).
You can download the free pdf Halloween printable for babies and toddlers here.
