People of all ages love Halloween; I am one of them. I start planning my costume each year months in advance. However, sometimes adults forget that Halloween is for kids too! And as adults revel in ghoulish pranks and gruesome decorations, little kids need some non-spooky fun to keep things age-appropriate.
A walk around my neighborhood is the perfect example. There are Halloween decorations of all sorts. My lawn sports friendly smiley ghosts, colorful and cute projections on its outside walls, colorful flashing eyes on my door, and a fun neon sign that reads “Witchy.” However, next door, you have bodies and skeletons, grotesque arms reaching out of the ground, and other ghoulish decorations.
I enjoy decorating my house, dressing up, and interacting with all the little and big kids who come knocking at my house on Halloween, so I like to keep the decorations and my costume fun and friendly. I also enjoy the month-long festivities and engaging in crafts and fun with my kids. So, to keep things light and fun, here are some of my favorite non-spooky ideas to try with your little ones for Halloween!
Halloween Music Dance Party
Since Halloween is a holiday centered around dressing up, break out the costumes and make-up and have a Halloween Dance Party! There are pre-made Halloween music lists on Amazon Music and Spotify, or you can create your own for a non-spooky boogie time! Songs like Monster Mash and Ghostbusters always get the toes tapping, and they are songs the whole family can enjoy.
Decoration Kits
My 9-year-old loves crafting. So, I always try to have at least one fun arts and crafts project per holiday. This year, I picked out this foam sticker wreath-making kit on Amazon for Halloween. So far, we’ve made five to decorate or pass out to the family! Stickers are a great way to develop fine motor control, and anytime you engage in art, it boosts creative thinking and imagination! If wreaths don’t interest you, buckets of Halloween-themed foam stickers can be used to decorate just about anything. There are also pumpkin decorating stickers, DIY lantern kits, and more! If you’re not interested in pre-fab kits, try pumpkin painting!
Halloween Baking
Baking and decorating cookies isn’t just for Christmas. Any chance you can give your kids to bake and decorate cookies is a win-win situation! They gain the experience of baking in the kitchen, learning mathematics, important kitchen safety tips, and how to use different gadgets. Plus, they express themselves creatively as they decorate and design cookies! If you want to try something other than cookies, decorate Rice Krispy Treats or brownies.
Trunk-Or-Treat
I love taking my kids to at least one Trunk-or-Treat a year. They are a safe and fun way to celebrate Halloween within your community and to show support for the organization hosting the event. If you have the time and energy (because I usually don’t!), volunteer and enter your car into the event! Your kids will benefit from receiving treats from the event and helping you decorate and pass out goodies!
Halloween Themed Sensory Bins
I adore sensory bins as a learning tool for kids of all ages. My twelve-year-old still loves playing with orbeeze, water balloons, and other squishy materials occasionally. This non-spooky sensory bin idea from Toys R Us is perfect for children engaging in hands-on learning. Easy and inexpensive to put together, you have an afternoon of guaranteed Halloween fun!
Jack-O-Lantern Ball Toss
Use a plastic pumpkin and ball-pit balls for a Jack-o-lantern toss if your little one needs active, non-spooky fun! Have them stand a few feet away and try to toss plastic pit–balls, whiffle balls, or soft foam balls into the bucket. If they need a broader target, use a large plastic basket or laundry hamper and black construction paper to make a jack-0-lantern face!
There are so many non-spooky ways to have fun at Halloween, perfect for little kids or big kids who aren’t into ghouls and monsters. And if you want something simply fall-themed, visit an apple orchard, pumpkin patch, or corn maze for outdoor fall fun!
October 4, 2023, by L. Elizabeth Forry
