Green and Spooky: 5 Eco Halloween Ideas for Toddlers
Disclaimer: When participating in arts and crafts activities with your toddler, always prioritise safety by maintaining constant supervision. Ensure all materials are age-appropriate and free from small parts that could pose a choking hazard. Keep sharp objects out of reach.
Halloween is a time for tasty treats, fancy dress, and creepy crafts, enjoyed by both adults and children. However, the spooky season can create a lot of waste, making its environmental impact scary. In this blog, we share our top 5 favourite eco-friendly and fun Halloween ideas for toddlers that the whole family can enjoy!
1. DIY Halloween Costumes
Dressing up is one of Halloweens most fun (and adorable) traditions, but it can get expensive updating your child’s costume each year - not to mention the fast fashion of it all. As an alternative to buying new costumes every year, why not consider creating costumes using recycled materials. This approach is both eco-friendly and sparks creativity. There are countless ways to get inventive with items like cardboard, pieces of scrap fabric, or clothes you already have at home.
For example, you can make a spooky skeleton costume with an all-black outfit and white duct tape to create the “bones.” Another idea is to use a cardboard box and some paint to create a variety of costumes. With a bit of imagination, you can transform boxes into cars, dinosaurs, traffic lights, robots and more. These DIY costumes are not only unique but also a great way to repurpose materials that might have otherwise gone to waste.
2. Reusable Trick-or-Treat Bags
If you’re planning on trick-or-treating with your toddler, you can opt for a greener approach by using reusable treat bags instead of plastic bags or buckets. Reusable bags such as totes are more environmentally friendly, helping to reduce plastic.
Totes come in a variety of designs that can add to the Halloween excitement. Additionally, these bags are more durable and can be used year after year, making them a practical and sustainable choice for future eco-friendly Halloweens.
3. Homemade Halloween Treats
Chocolates and sweet treats are a staple of Halloween, but unfortunately, much of the packaging is non-recyclable. Instead, you can try some Halloween baking by making Jack-o’-lantern or ghost cookies using simple ingredients and cute cookie cutters. Not only is this a fun activity to do with the family, but it also helps reduce waste. Check out these easy Halloween treats for children for more inspiration!
4. Jack-O’-Lantern Decorations
You can’t think about Halloween without thinking about Jack-o’-lanterns, right? But, rather than purchasing new (usually plastic) decorations this year, perhaps you can make your own using items you’ve already got at home? All you need for this sustainable Halloween activity are some cardboard boxes, (maybe you have some delivery boxes that would otherwise have been discarded) paint, and any additional decorations such as ribbon or pompoms, as well as glue.
For the first part of this activity, your toddler will need your help! To begin, cut out the shapes of your jack-o’-lantern’s eyes, nose and mouth on one side of your cardboard box. Next, paint your cardboard box orange. Once dry, decorate as you wish using any crafting supplies you’ve got on hand. You can even paint a toilet roll tube green to stick to the top of your jack-o’-lantern.
5. Pumpkin Patch Sensory Bin
Sensory bins are fantastic for babies and toddlers. They can support in enhancing cognitive development, increasing attention span, stimulating the senses, and improving motor skills. So, this Halloween, why not create a themed sensory bin using leftover pumpkins you bought for decoration or didn’t use for cooking?
To make this sensory bin, you’ll need some shredded paper, pumpkin seeds, scoops, and mini pumpkins. Your child can then dive into the sensory bin, exploring different textures and sounds, scooping and sorting, and creating imaginative stories, all while enjoying the Halloween spirit.
If you enjoyed this article and found it to be useful, you can check out more of our early childcare resources in our Family Resource Zone!
And, if you’re not yet a Bright Horizons parent, but are interested in what our nurseries can offer your child, book a personal tour at your local nursery today and find out more about our Future Earth Agenda!
