Halloween With Your Baby
Monday 5th of November 2012 | Category: Baby Products | Written by: Rosanne MouldingKnowing how, and if, to celebrate Halloween with a baby in the house can be tricky. They're too young for trick or treating, and if they’re between the ages of 1 and 5 Halloween can sometimes seem terrifying. All those fireworks can give babies a fright, not to mention the frightening costumes and carved pumpkins.
Dressing Up
One way of celebrating Halloween with your little one is to dress him or her up. This will show them that the costumes are just that, costumes, and that they’re nothing to be scared of. If you have older children in the house with you, ask that they do not choose the scariest masks available, as babies can find it difficult to understand that the mask isn’t real and may become distressed at the sight of their sibling dressed up. Toddlers love treats, so you can indulge in some Halloween cheer by giving your baby a few carefully chosen sweets.
If it is your little one’s first Halloween then they are likely not to understand (or care) about what is happening! However, you could still celebrate the occasion. You might want to sit by the window and watch the trick and treaters go past in their costumes. Depending on how many months your baby is, they might like to see all this unusual action taking place outside their house. If your baby isn’t the shy type, they may like passing the sweets to other small children, so taking them with you when you answer the door to trick or treaters is a nice way to get them involved. You can always incorporate Halloween themed activities into your playing day with your baby, such as making a pumpkin jigsaw puzzle, or dancing with your baby to some scary sounds. Although your baby won’t know it’s Halloween, you could take some nice photos of their first Halloween as keepsakes.
A Toddler's Halloween
When it comes to your baby’s second or third Halloween, there are lots more ways of making it a fun day for them. While they are still a bit young for trick or treating, you could throw a party and invite a handful of your friends’ babies, or your baby’s playmates from nursery round to the house. Buy, or cook, Halloween related treats like sweets or chocolate pumpkins. You can also make simple ‘ghoulish’ dishes like a witch’s brew (a green curry) a naughty pumpkin (wotsits placed in the shape of a pumpkin) and cupcakes decorated like spiders. To encourage the babies to have fun and interact with each other you could put down a large sheet and paint together. If you choose to paint Halloween-related objects then great, but if not then the babies aren’t going to notice. You could also read some (non-scary) Halloween stories to the toddlers, or have a spooky dancing game with them.
Whether you choose to ignore Halloween completely, close the windows and doors and snuggle up to your baby, or you wish to go all out and celebrate with a huge party, Halloween can be a fun time for you and your baby. Just remember not to let them get too scared!
