Boo! Halloween Safety & Fun for Toddlers

How to Make this Halloween Safe & Fun for Your Toddler

Spooky season is here! Halloween is full of such fun and memorable traditions for the whole family. From reminiscing about past costumes to spending time with neighborhood pals, Halloween is one of our favorite times of the year.

With little ones, a few simple reminders can keep Halloween spooky and not scary. Keep reading for Moms on Call founder’s Laura Hunter’s tips and tricks to keep toddlers safe and make trick or treating fun!

Remember: Halloween excitement can also be overwhelming for little ones who are new to these traditions. Face masks, scary costumes, new neighborhoods and too much candy can lead to overstimulation for some kids. So keep it simple and close to home for these first Halloween festivities!

Halloween Safety for Toddlers

Start Early

Toddlers have early bedtimes so it’s best to start the fun before dusk. If you can sneak out of work early or schedule a work from home afternoon so you don’t have to stress about traffic, even better. We recommend getting your Halloween fun started right away after an early dinner. Pizza with veggies and hummus is a great base to get some food in your little ones before the sugar rush!

Stick Close to Home

Little legs can only go so far. If your little one is under two, aim for no more than 10 houses and let your toddler determine how many houses they visit. If you have older siblings, be sure to bring your stroller along for when the little one gets tired and the older kids are still raring to go. (Plus, you can stash candy underneath the stroller when those bags start getting heavy!)

Be Bright (Even Glowing)

Avoid dark costumes that make toddlers hard to see after dusk. Stick to bright colors and add glow sticks or flashlights so they are easy to spot. You can add glow sticks to their costume or tuck one into their candy bucket too.

Give Candy a Check

Always look over your toddler’s candy haul to make sure nothing is opened or contains anything they may be allergic to. Halloween may not be the best night to try new foods that your toddler hasn’t had before. Never eat an open package or a homemade treat from someone you don’t know well.

Street Safety

We love to see the swarms of kids running around the neighborhood on Halloween night. But keeping toddlers safe can be tough when there is so much excitement. Stick to your side of the street and stay on sidewalks when possible. Be sure you hold your toddler’s hand when crossing the street and give plenty of room to cars passing through.

Creative Costumes

If you love Halloween, break out your glue gun and go for it! But you don’t have to own a sewing machine to create a costume that your toddler will love. We try to avoid masks (since most toddlers don’t like having something on their face) and look in your dress up basket for inspiration. Toddlers often love wearing capes and tutus outside - it’s a chance to wear their favorite dress up costumes for everyone to see. And we guarantee they won’t remember that it’s not brand new!

Here’s another favorite and comfortable costume: grab a red sweatshirt and sweatpants and a blue wig or hair dye for an amazing Thing 1 and Thing 2 costume.

Forgot about Halloween till the night before? Wear cozy pajamas with a favorite stuffed animal and you’re set!

Halloween Fun for Toddlers

Halloween fun can happen all month! Pumpkins offer endless ideas for creative crafts and spooky treats can make snack time fun for your toddler.

Pumpkin Patch (Without the Drive)

We all love a good pumpkin patch photo session. But fall weekends get busy and sometimes you just don’t have time to spend an afternoon at the pumpkin patch. Don’t worry - your toddler will have just as much fun playing with the pumpkins outside your local grocery store or at your local church’s fundraiser. Same silly fun without the crowds of people!

Find a Trunk or Treat

Ask neighbors if they know of any local ‘trunk-or-treat’ events. This is a fun way for toddlers to get to wear their Halloween costumes more than once and take some of the pressure off the big day in case you get a rainy Halloween or a sick kiddo. Many preschools offer these trunk-or-treat nights during the week of Halloween and love to see new smiling faces!

Pumpkin Fun

Save the jack-o-lanterns for the bigger kids who can be trusted with carving tools. For toddlers, we recommend painting pumpkins or decorating them with stickers. You can use your regular washable paints on pumpkins and try using brushes, sponges and other creative tools. These Halloween stickers let your toddler create silly faces on their own!

Face Painting

Don’t forget about face painting when keeping your toddler safe on Halloween. Be sure to stick to non-toxic face paints. We recommend testing a small area on their hand first to make sure they don’t react to anything before painting on a full face. No one wants to spend Halloween night in the ER!

Halloween Snacks for Toddlers

Here’s a few of our favorite Halloween themed snacks that toddlers love.

Banana ghost: Add mini chocolate chips to a peeled banana and you’ve got an instant ghost.

Cookie decorating: No need to wait for Christmas. Halloween cookie decorating is a great way to let toddlers enjoy the season. Grab some sugar cookie dough and roll it into Halloween shapes (or keep it simple with circles to decorate as pumpkins). Let your toddler decorate with icing, chocolate chips and sprinkles.

Granola and Pumpkin: Mix together granola, pumpkin puree and honey and bake to make a sweet fall treat. Great with yogurt for a filling snack!

Enjoy your Halloween!

We hope you enjoy celebrating Halloween with your family. With these simple tips, you can make sure it is both safe and fun for your toddler. More than any costume or treat, they will remember this special time with YOU!