With the scariest season almost upon us, you might be looking to introduce your little one to the excitement of Halloween whilst still being sensitive to their development and active imagination. Whether your child loves ghouls and goblins or is still getting to grips with the idea of playing pretend, we’ve put together a spooktacular list of activities you can do with your little monster to enjoy the spooky season together.
Read some not-so-scary stories together
With Halloween taking place just as the afternoons are getting darker, now is the perfect time to settle down, get cosy and enjoy a story or two – and this doesn’t just have to be before bedtime! To make reading with your little one extra special, set up a reading nook with their favourite warm drink and explore some playful books together. A couple of our favourites include Peppa Pig: Peppa’s Happy Halloween, available here, or The Little Bat Who Loved Halloween available here.
You could also explore interactive books such as Baby Touch and Feel Halloween and Boo: Lift the flap board book. You can find these both on Amazon too – here and here. And don’t forget, all this Halloween excitement can tire you out as a parent so flick through our previous blog posts to find a book that you too can snuggle down to this season.
It’s time to get messy!
Young children are still developing their sense of realism so they might find it trickier to distinguish what is real and what isn’t. Baking ghoulishly fun bakes is a great way to incorporate the novelty of Halloween whilst clearly distinguishing make-believe and reality, feeding their growing appetite at the same time!
From spider-shaped cookies to mozzarella ghosts on homemade pizzas, Halloween is the perfect time to make a freakishly untidy mess in the kitchen! Try googling ‘easy Halloween recipes’ or head to social media platforms such as YouTube and Pinterest to find a whole host of ideas. Not an avid cook? No problem – try decorating shop-bought Halloween biscuits together instead!
A super(natural) evening to remember
Seasonal festivities are always a great excuse to get together, so why not invite some fellow parents to join in with the fun? Ask a friend and their little one around for a gentle evening of spooky activities that are fun for both you and your children. Start by setting the scene with a glow-in-the-dark living room – or should we say, ‘tomb’ – space, gathering as much glow-in-the-dark décor as possible. Day-glow stars, balloons and dedicated Halloween decorations can all set the scene for a not-so-scary evening of fun – just remember to stay away from glow sticks as these can be very harmful if burst. Try adding a light projector into the
mix to create a whole host of patterns and colours in the room. For an extra bit of Halloween fun, why not make some costumes for your little monster? With Halloween creating 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year in the UK alone, now’s the perfect time to get creative whilst still being environmentally friendly! From popular figures that are instantly recognisable such as Peppa Pig and Paddington Bear, to taking the Frankenstein approach and patching a spooky costume together from clothes already in the house. It’s easier than you might think to create a ghoulish look this Halloween.
For more top tips, or to find out more about our specialist baby development sessions, contact us at
enquiries@bloombabyclasses.com or call us on 0800 4647960