It’s that time of year, and usually I would be hosting a big Halloween party for my littles (a much more “tame” version of the Halloween parties I threw before kids..) but this year we didn’t have the time to. So instead I am hosting a small Halloween playdate with my toddlers and two of their cousins. I threw together some of my favourite toddler friendly Halloween play date ideas that I know you’ll love! They’re simple, budget friendly and take minimal time to throw together.
Table
Because of my love for food, cute table settings are a must. Plus, my kids just get so excited when I put a holiday themed plate and napkin on the table and it’s so cute to see! You don’t have to break the bank, I will share links to some you can buy right off Amazon, but if time allows check out your local homesense/home goods too, there are always hidden gems there from some of my favourite party suppliers! Here are some ideas for your party decor.
Food
Depending on the size of the playdate/party, I usually serve some kind of fruit, cracker, cheese platter as well, but this year is very small with just my sister and her two girls so it’ll be fun coffee and a treat for us and small snacks for the kids. Halloween themed food is so much fun to make, these have been my top throughout the year (loved by toddlers and easy to make).
Homemade fruit snacks (recipe here)
Monster muffins (recipe here)
Mummy rice krispies (no recipe, I use the one off the rice krispie box and them decorate with melted white chocolate and candy eyes, takes 15 minutes and they’re so cute).
Decor
I am a sucker for a balloon arch, they’re basically essential in my party playbook. I have found the tips and tricks to make them in less than 10 minutes, and I always find the perfect color themes off amazon (link here). Here are my quick and easy tips: use a balloon pump, tie two balloons together similar size and then wrap them with a second set of two, then attach them all to one string (google a video on how to do this it is SO EASY and an “I wish I knew this sooner” moment when I started making balloon archs for the boys birthdays!), and only make a small one (much easier to hang and you can save your extra balloons for other occasions/next year).
The spooky bats came with the balloon kit, and the wall hanging was a $5 find from IKEA. Trust me when I say it doesn’t have to be extravagant, you can even find great stuff at the dollarstore. Maybe in the years to come ill put more effort into decor, but for now while the boys are young, this makes them perfectly excited.
Treat bags
This year I did treat buckets, reusing some (yes Mcdonalds…) buckets that my mother in law has been giving us over the years, and I love that they double as trick or treating buckets so they get used again. I picked “fun kits” from the dollarstore, paw patrol for the boys and princess for the girls that included a coloring book, stickers, crayons and a toy), as well as some crafts I found like a make your own pumpkin face and stamps, plus a little treat (haribo candy).
That’s a wrap for this year, see you next Halloween!
xo,
Kelsey
