Halloween for the Littles

Halloween isn't about haunted houses, scary masks, and trickery for your little babies. It's about big orange pumpkins, dressing in something adorable, and maybe going around door-to-door on Halloween night. If this is your baby's first Halloween, there are so many fun activities you can do that are interactive and fun for them. No candy or choking hazards involved! Engage their senses by getting a little messy and a little imaginative.

Bust out the finger paints (washable, of course). Make some art. Your little one may not know what they're making, but the feeling of paint on their hands and feet will be fun and excite them. Make some ghosts, candy corn, and little Frankensteins. This would be a fun gift to give Grandma and Grandpa, especially if they live far away.

Instructions can be found at Lift With My Littles.

You could even put their footprints on a canvas to hang on the wall to decorate! From Momstown.ca

Pumpkins are fun for every age, and it's the one object that tells us we're nearing Halloween. First, head to the nearest pumpkin patch (or grocery store...I'm not judging) and pick out your favorite pumpkins. That's a fun Halloween activity on it's own that everyone can participate in. If you're lucky, the farm you go to will give you a hay ride around their farm.


Once you bring your pumpkins home, it's time to get creative! Carving pumpkins can be a little dangerous for a baby to dive into, so why not use the same paint as you used for their little footprints to paint pumpkins. You'll have to help steady their hand, and it may be a project that only lasts two minutes, but the point is for them to have a little messy fun! If you have older children, you can include sequins, buttons, stickers, or other crafting materials to put in the paint. If you want to take it even further, you could cut out shapes (like a black cat or witch's hat) to put on their pumpkin!  After everyone is done, you'll have a few "masterpieces" for your mantle or stoop.

More instructions and inspiration at The Imagination Tree.

Another fun, pumpkin inspired project, that's fun for all ages is using a felt pumpkin to decorate as a jack-o-lantern. You can make all sorts of silly faces with this one. The options are endless. Young babies will like the texture of playing with felt and giggling at the faces either you or an older sibling make out of them. The older children will have fun by making lots of jack-o-lantern faces! You could even have a pumpkin "carving" contest this way without the mess or risk of losing a finger!

You can be creative with all of the face pieces with this one! From Two Big Two Little

Another activity that's really easy to do, and still involves the whole family, is to carve pumpkins with your older children (or your significant other). Then, put all the pumpkin goop into a big Ziploc bag for your baby to play with. Little babies love feeling different textures. It's how they learn! So why not let them feel that ooey gooey center of a pumpkin...mess free! (If you can't tell, I'm all about less mess right now since having a one year old involves cleaning up all the time!) Tape it to a window, like Jenae, from I Can't Teach My Child did for her little girl. After your little one is done playing with the pumpkin bag, you could even separate the seeds and toast them.

I Can't Teach My Child

There's so much to do with our little babies. Enjoy watching them experience everything for the first time this Halloween!

Costume Round-Up for Your Little Princess

This year will be Hallen's first Halloween. We don't do many decorations, because it's not really our thing. However, I do LOVE to see little people coming to my door dressed in something that their imagination created. It makes my heart happy! So, I'm just guessing that everyone else's heart also does the happy dance when miniature heroes and princesses ring your doorbell and ask for candy (in the trick-or-treat fashion, of course).

I've been looking at so many things that she could be for Halloween. I want it to be something creative, because I know one day that she'll get to choose, and I probably won't like it as much as something I would choose. But for now, her fashion choice is my fashion choice (she told me she likes my style, so no worries)! While she's young and has no opinion on what to wear, I don't have to dress her in the most popular princess costume or the latest and greatest cartoon character. I can dress her in an adorable, one of a kind (maybe matching her father and I) costume. In the midst of looking for creative ideas, all I know is that I want her (I need her) to wear a big tutu as part of her outfit! And the bigger the better. I am originally from the south, so I need the dramatic effect. She'll only be able to get away wearing a gigantic tutu for so long!

If this is your first Halloween with your scrumptious little peanut, I know you want all the adoring looks for her! So, all of you moms out there who are wondering what to dress your cute mini me in that is creative and adds a little drama (good drama), here are my top picks.

Black Cat

A black kitten is always a great classic, but a tutu on your little kitty is such a sweet new take!

Giraffe

 Little ones around one year old love animals and learning new animal noises, so why not dress them as their favorite animal...and add a tutu! I can imagine that Hallen would love dressing as a giant Sophie or a cute puppy!

A superhero

It's so adorable seeing mini Spiderman and mini Batman arriving at my door with their padded costumes making these teeny little boys look like they had a couple protein shakes before they came. What would be cuter than a tutu-wearing accomplice?  It'd be a sight for sore eyes! Pick whatever superhero you loved as a child...and add a tutu!

Candy corn

Candy corn should be the national symbol for Halloween, in my humble opinion. That's the first thing that always pops into my mind! It's everywhere. If it's one of your Halloween addictions, this is definitely the costume for your little princess. It'll be the sweetest thing your neighbors will see all night (no pun intended)!

Cabbage Patch Doll hair from Yumbaby

You're right...there isn't a tutu on either of these sweet dolls pictured above, but what a great costume! A Cabbage Patch Doll is brilliant when you have a little girl. You don't have to spend too much money to make them look like too different since your princess already comes with her own soft cheeks and big eyes! 

Unicorn (Romper from Belle Threads)

And last but not least, a unicorn. Such a magical little costume. Imagination is key here. Some bright colors, some tulle, and something reminiscent of a horn on her head.