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Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

Peek-A-Boo! Spooky Activities for You and Baby

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I’ll never forget Ryder’s second Halloween.

(What happened to his first Halloween? Meh – he was a mere 5-months old, and barely sitting upright. It was very anticlimactic. Pretty sure we dressed him up like a cow. Moooo.)

Ryder’s second Halloween was the one we were waiting for. At 17-months old, he was the perfect age to be introduced to spooky scenes, creepy costumes and eerie eats… in small doses, of course. We did our best to ease him into the Halloween spirit, beginning with Jack-o-Lanterns, followed by ghosts, and finally, witches and goblins. And he took it all in stride, like good little toddlers do.

We were ready. Dressed in an oh-so-cute lion costume, he crouched and gave us his best ROAR!
RoarOf course, we wanted to take him around, show him off! An unseasonably warm October night provided just the right conditions.

Except… the doorbell rang. And the first set of trick-or-treaters happened to be older kids, all dressed as zombies. That’s right – a pack of rowdy pre-teen zombies, complete with blood, guts and mangled brains, rang my freaking doorbell and scared the living bejesus out of my kid.

After that, he refused to leave the house. Ah well, so much for our second Halloween. 

While there’s plenty to be scared of on All Hallows’ Eve, getting your baby involved should be no cause for fear. Here are five great ideas from Disney Baby for toning down the fright night festivities, so your little pumpkins can join in the action too!

1) Be an early bird: If your baby is old enough and you want to go out and trick-or-treat or take in the ghoulish sights, don’t be afraid to head out early. Try talking to your neighbours and organizing a special event for wee ones before the real action begins. Or find out who is home during the day, and make your rounds then!

2) Nix the neighbourhood: If you aren’t comfortable taking your little ones trick-or-treating, there are often local baby-friendly events you can bring them to instead. If you’re not sure where to start, try a zoo! Many organize Halloween activities specifically for young children.

3) Revel with your relatives: For a more low-key option, have a little party at home or take your baby to visit the family. Have everyone get dressed up in fun, friendly costumes, make a few treats like these frozen ‘boo’-nana pops, or set up a creepy craft station.

4) Stick with stories: If the idea of Halloween is still a bit overwhelming, and you want to introduce it to your little one slowly, start with a few Halloween-themed tales, like Pooh says Boo! or Halloween Surprise. Books like these are a simple and easy way to bring the festivities home, ensuring that baby enjoys a Halloween treat, and you enjoy a quiet night in.

5) Choose a comfy costume: Whatever activity you choose, if you decide to include a costume, make sure baby is not only cute but also comfy. This cozy Mickey Mouse ensemble features soft fabrics, as well as snap button closures to make mom’s life easier!

(Psst! Don’t forget: The Magical Moments Photo Contest ends on Sunday, October 19. If you haven’t already, visit the contest page and upload a picture of your little one doing something magical with Disney, and you could win a $500 Target Gift Card!)

What did you dress baby as for his/her first Halloween?

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Comments

  1. my girls had the sweetest cat costume. it had a hat with a cats face then the body slipped over their clothes and snapped at shoulders with a black tail. kind of like a pumpkin costume but black., each of them wore if for years fit perfectly over a coat.

    • Aw, that sounds so adorable! And I love that it fit over a coat – so important to keep the kiddos warm at night!

  2. Great tips! Our little guy is used to the scary part of Halloween as I love the gore & creepiness that come with the holiday. I would be the one with blood, guts & brains

  3. awww your little boy is so cute , i love Halloween and when my kids were little i enjoyed taking them around trick or treating , my youngest was always scared and my older boy loved it all . great tips thanks for sharing :)

  4. lol ah the story made me giggle <3 …

    These are some great tips. I never thought about checking our local community for activities for babies! Thanks chickie as I have Little Miss that night.

  5. My youngest daughter’s first Halloween was when she was about 18 months old. We dressed her up as a princess and off we went with the rest of our kids. Well, Christine thought that every time someone opened their door it meant she was invited in for a visit lol Every house we went to she walked right on in. It was hilarious and nobody was offended by our pint sized princess

  7. Love that photo !! Good roar Ryder !! Too bad about the zombie twerps ruining it for him…
    Can’t remember my daughter’s first halloween costume, but I do remember when she was about 5 or 6 we made a costume for her – she dressed up as a Christmas tree (star on her head, green garbage bag decorated with ornaments and tinsel with hoops underneath) – won her a prize in a contest too ;)

  8. All great tips! And I love that picture of Ryder – so cute! Too bad he got scared and didn’t make it out the door.

  11. Thanks for the great tips. It is too bad Ryder didn’t get to show his super cuteness that Hallowe’en :).

  12. Both my little ones were Caterpillars on their first Halloween and both learned to walk that night.

  13. My first child was only 3 1/2 months old her first Halloween so she was a Smurf! It was the late 80’s and easy to get a warm premade one piece PJ with hat set.

  14. For my baby’s first Halloween, I actually made her a bumblebee costume from material and felt, still have it! It would still be in style today! Who doesn’t love a little baby bumblebee!? :)

  17. My Husband and I are expecting our first little bundle of joy this coming November so we’ll have to wait until next year. My Husband is huge into Halloween and usually likes to go all out by dressing up (scary) and decorating the house. He enjoys all the tricker treaters! I enjoyed your tips on introducing our little ones to Halloween and will be sure to follow :)

  18. This will be my son’s first Halloween and he will be a lion and if I’m not mistaken we may have the exact same costume as your son’s on the way. My son August was born 4 months premature but is thriving now at 10 1/2 months (6 1/2 months adjusted) and the modified saying “though he be but little, he is fierce” is the theme for his first year of life on the outside.

  19. OMG he looks soooo cute! We dressed him up as a little devil ;) He was so adorable and tiny (premie).

  22. I love Halloween and i am already selecting my food menu for the party,after all its a fun time of year.

  23. Your boy looks so adorable and your tips and advice are really great and really helpful especially for people that don’t want to go out for Halloween.