Halloween with toddlers: gentle spooky fun for little ones

Halloween falls on Saturday 31 October this year. For big kids it's all about scares; for little ones it can simply be cosy. Lanterns, pumpkins, dressing up and a bedtime story make an evening your toddler will talk about for weeks.

Gentle spooky fun: keeping it small

• Your child is in charge of the mask. On is fine, off is fine too. If it gets too much, take it off together and show who's underneath.
• Choose friendly characters. A ghost with round eyes, a smiling pumpkin, a little witch with a cat.
• Keep it early and short. A lantern walk at six o'clock is plenty of adventure for a toddler.
• Always end with light. Finish with a small lamp on and a calm story.

Seven Halloween ideas for little ones

1. Make a Halloween lantern

A homemade lantern is the best part of Halloween for little ones. Use an LED light so your child can carry it.

Hylkia drew one especially for Halloween: four windows with four drawings to colour in. With the light on, the colours shine through the tissue paper and the mice appear as silhouettes. Download the lantern craft kit for free, in English, German or Dutch. What you need and how to make it together: Halloween lantern craft.

2. Read a little ghost story

A story where the ghost is the one who's scared makes the whole thing small and funny. Read Ghost Mouse Is Scared together: in the dark Mouse Castle, Ghost Mouse hears another ghost, until Lantern Mouse comes to look with her lantern. About three minutes, with a little light at the end.

3. A torchlight star hunt

Stick a few glow-in-the-dark stars on the wall or ceiling and switch off the light. Who can find the most? Shine a torch on a star and watch it glow brighter. Hartendief's Glow in the Dark Starry Sky Stickers are soft pastel yellow by day and glow soft green in the dark.

4. A nursery with a Halloween feel

The Mice and Ghosts wall decals bring Ghost Mouse, Witch Mouse, Lantern Mouse, Pumpkin Mouse and two little bats to the wall, door or cupboard. They're repositionable, so after Halloween they can simply move somewhere else.

5. A pumpkin with a friendly face

Your child draws the face with a marker, you do the carving. Or skip the carving and let them paint or decorate the pumpkin. Pop an LED light inside and it smiles in the dark.

6. Dressing up at their own pace

An old sheet with two holes is the easiest ghost costume in the world. Pyjamas count too.

7. A little lantern walk

After dinner, take a short walk down the street with lanterns. Count the pumpkins, look for the moon.

What if the dark feels scary afterwards?

• Talk about it during the day, when it's light.
• Let the ghosts on the wall say goodnight in the evening, so they become friends.
• A soft light at bedtime can become a lovely ritual. Hartendief lamps hide a picture that only appears when the light comes on, like the Sleepy Moon wall lamp, where Bear and Fox gaze at the stars together. As a night light, use a low-wattage bulb such as 15 watts.

If the fear lasts a long time or grows, talk to your health visitor or GP.

Frequently asked questions

What age can you start celebrating Halloween with a child?

There's no fixed age. Many children from around two already love lanterns, pumpkins and dressing up. Keep it short, early in the evening, and let your child decide how spooky it gets.

How do I stop my toddler getting scared at Halloween?

Choose friendly characters, show masks before anyone puts them on, and stay close. End the evening calmly, with light and a story.

How can I decorate the nursery for Halloween without making it scary?

A few friendly touches are enough: wall decals with ghosts and mice, glowing stars and a soft lamp. Leave out scary faces and big shadows above the bed.