There are so many fun ways to make October special and orchestrate the perfect Halloween for your toddler. We are going to take a look at a few elements that are sure to get your little one excited and keep them entertained all month long–let’s start planning your first OctoddlerFest!
Five Little Pumpkins – This classic book and children’s song tells the tale of five little pumpkins wandering around in the midst of the Halloween season. We have the song on our Raffi CD that is always in the car, so when I saw the book I couldn’t pass it up! I love being able to relate stories over more than one platform, I really feel like it reinforces learning and helps relate that learning to real life experiences.
Five Black Cats – Closely related to the more well-known Five Little Pumpkins, Five Black Cats outlines these cats’ journey on a dark night where they wind up at a Halloween party! My son loves cats and asks to read this one year round even more than any others.
A Halloween Scare in Pennsylvania – Available in other states! I think this book is a great way to introduce geography concepts and teach children about where they live! This particular version covers different cities and towns throughout the state of Pennsylvania, even incorporating sports teams, all wrapped up in a cute Halloween story featuring all of the popular monsters!
It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown – Everyone knows this classic — Linus waits for the Great Pumpkin while the rest of the Peanuts gang enjoys trick or treating and a party at Lucy’s! Also a nice way to introduce the Great Pumpkin if you plan to go that route.
Curious George Goes to a Costume Party – My toddler just loves Curious George! It seems we are making our way toward collecting all of his adventures, so I was thrilled when I found this book for him showcasing another fun aspect of Halloween: Costume parties and contests! We haven’t yet been to a costume party, but we do have a few costume contests we go to (one hosted by our fire department and another by our church), so this is another book he will be able to relate to his life easily.
Corduroy’s Trick-or-Treat – Another beloved character at our house. Corduroy covers everything fun about Halloween in a short story: parties, costumes, crafts, and candy! I think my son really appreciates learning more facets of a character that he learned to love through one specific story.
Brooms are for Flying – This is a new one for us, and was an instant hit! We are reading this every night at bedtime, and during the day the whole family is involved. This is a book best read by acting — you stomp your feet, flap your wings, shake your bones, and some other fun Halloween themed gestures. It is definitely a favorite, and I love that it is so interactive and keeps my son engaged!
Pete the Cat Trick or Pete – Our first Pete the Cat book! This lift-the-flap book is all about Pete’s experience trick or treating. It can help you keep things light this Halloween for your toddler because it opens the door for you to clear up any fears your little one may have about going out and seeing everyone in costume. “That’s not too spooky,” is the phrase Pete keeps repeating when he thinks that he is going to see something scary.
Or simply a nice fall, or spooky Halloween, scenery!
The holidays provide amazing craft opportunities, and Halloween is no exception! I compiled a short list of ideas for crafts and activities for my email list at the beginning of this week, and it was such a hit that I decided to expand on it and share it again!
You will find some amazing inspiration from these — I know I did! You can find all of these and more on my Halloween Festivities Pinterest board if you’d like to save them for later.
It’s in the little things. There are so many small things that can add up to the perfect Halloween for your toddler! One thing I like to do on special occasions are themed meals. It is usually a breakfast or dinner, last year for Halloween I just happened to do both. I made a ghost shaped pancake because I thought I could pull it off pretty easily, and for dinner I went with a cute idea for stuffed peppers I had been seeing a lot online. You don’t have to be an artist (seriously, check out how mine turned out!); I bet your little one will be super excited either way! (P.S. Sorry for the crappy Snapchat quality photos).
I’d love to hear all about the things you are excited to do on Halloween for your toddler! Drop a comment below and tell me about the costumes you chose and all of the festivities you participated in — I hope that you have a fun and safe Halloween!
I love this. I have a new born, but next year he will be a toddler, I’m super excited for him to share halloween with us! Thanks for the ideas!
I love the felt idea for pumpkins! Such as an awesome way to get them involved in decorating for holiday!
I love hanging my little one’s art throughout the house, especially when it doubles as holiday decorations! The felt pumpkin is just for our felt board in the playroom, though, as a fun little activity!
These are great ideas. I love the felt board stories!
Thank you, they can be expensive!! It is so easy and cheap to make your own!
I love the felt idea and will definitely grab some felt next time I’m out running errands. It can be so hard finding new and exciting activities to keep my toddler engaged, and kids tend to start getting into things that they shouldn’t be getting into when they’re bored or not engaged. So I think this felt creation will do the trick if I can just carve out a few minutes to do it!
I agree — I think it will be even more exciting if you involve them in deciding what to create and maybe even let them help if they can! I’d love to hear how it goes when you guys are done!