Share
I'm goi
ng to take my 15-month-old daughter trick-or-treating this year, since I'm taking my 6-year-old son as well, and I'm even contemplating bringing her own bag even though she can't eat the candy. I can.
But for some babies, especially infants, door-to-door trick-or-treating isn't the best idea. However, dressing up babies when they're too young to complain is simply irresistible, so I put together a list of baby-friendly Halloween activities.
- Take them to indoor Halloween parties aimed at the small, diapered crowd. Many indoor play places have Halloween activities during the day, so anyone who wants to do scare-free, fun stuff with their small person has a safe place to do so.
- Check out your nearby zoo. Zoos often do really fun Halloween day events. Some have people handing out candy and others have specialized event. Plus, how cute would it be to photograph your little monkey next to it's real poo-flinging inspiration?
- Have your baby hand out candy, or help anyway. You can have fun at home, dressing up your cutie pie and have them assist you in doling out the candy. Just be careful not to let any bigger kids scare them!
- Go to a hospital or nursing home and hand out candy to the elderly. Call ahead to make sure this is okay first, of course, and make sure to ask what kind of treats are okay to bring, but people love getting visitors, especially when they'd got big squishy cheeks and are wearing an adorable little costume. Also, check out children's hospitals and see if you can do something fun for children there at Halloween, too.
- Take your baby to a pumpkin patch. Get adorable pictures of your munchkin amongst pumpkins, and extra fun can be had if it's on a farm with animals or hay rides.
- Have your own baby-party. Host a safe and fun Halloween event for locals with babies, or even just your close family and friends. If you're feeling super generous, you could even offer to watch some small fries while families take the older siblings out for trick-or-treating.
- Teach your baby about Samhain (pronounced sow-wyn), especially if your family is Pagan, Wiccan, Unitarian, or just interested in the nice history of the holiday. It can be a great get together with relatives, to fondly remember and look at pictures of your loved ones who passed on. Make a family tree and maybe even serve some traditional family meals.
- Do non-door-to-door trick or treating. If your aversion to trick-or-treating with a baby is just not wanting to go door-to-door, check out malls and elementary schools which often host little mini-parties or trick-or-treat lanes.
What do you plan on doing (or have done) with your baby on Halloween?
