With Halloween right around the corner, there are multiple milestones to look forward to with your children, from dress-up days at school to decorating the house with fake spiderwebs. Parents with older children have become accustomed to these family traditions but for newer parents who are eagerly entering the toddler stage, this could very well be their child's first experience with Halloween and trick-or-treating.
While the quintessential October holiday is beloved by many parents, it’s important to remember that certain aspects of the holiday, like the decorations we might find silly can be spooky and intimidating for our toddlers, especially the toddlers who are participating in traditions for the first time. Halloween is the perfect opportunity for parents to begin talking their toddlers through family traditions and helping to show them that what might seem spooky at first, is an opportunity for fun.
To ensure kids have a fun first experience, and to help them love the holiday as much as us parents do, I have compiled four tips that have proven successful from my experience as a mother and as an early educational childcare expert at Lightbridge Academy.
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Get Sensory
Organize arts and crafts activities related to Halloween that get kids’ hands dirty, such as mashing potatoes or creating pumpkin seed mosaics. These activities will help to promote sensory development and create excitement and anticipation for the holiday festivities. Encourage kids to dive into the craft, describe what they feel and see, and how it makes them feel.
Role Play
In the weeks leading up to Halloween, take a drive or walk around the area where trick-or-treating will take place to familiarize them with the route and show them the decorations during the day to minimize scares while trick-or-treating. Additionally, practice saying “trick or treat” and “thank you” with your toddler so they can role-play the trick-or-treating experience before the big night.
Trick-or-Treating
Prepare for trick-or-treating by allowing your toddler to choose their own costume. This can include a visit to your family's favorite Halloween store or making a costume together at home that is fashioned after their favorite cartoon/book character. If children, especially toddlers, choose a costume that includes a mask, it's important for parents to help them practice walking with it prior to Halloween. Masks can obscure vision and throw off balance, so a practice run at home will help to avoid any unwanted stumbles and tumbles while trick-or-treating.
Pro tip: For added visibility on the big night, glow sticks can be the perfect accessory to help parents easily identify their little ones.
Toddler-Friendly Parties
Consider attending or hosting a toddler-friendly Halloween party with other parents and toddlers. This way, the little ones can enjoy the festivities in a familiar environment and continue their social and emotional development through added playtime with friends.
Halloween can be an exciting time for children that they’ll look forward to for years to come, so this added play and preparation now will not only guarantee a fun first for your toddler but will make sure they enjoy your family's traditions in the years ahead.
