Halloween is an exciting time for kids, but all the activities, decorations, and costumes can be overwhelming. And the expectations of the big spooky day can magnify kids’ feelings in BIG ways!
Here are three activities to help your little one express themselves and embrace the big feelings that come with Halloween!
- Share pictures of a few costumes with your child to choose from, and then let them pick: Going costume shopping in person can be overwhelming, especially if your little one has their heart set on a firefighter costume, but all the store has for sale are skeletons. (Also, some stores can have some super creepy decorations on display!) A few weeks before Halloween, try finding pictures online of a handful of costumes you think your child might enjoy so they have a manageable list of options, and then let them pick their favorite.
- Let your kids help decorate—their way! Front porch pumpkin patch or ghoulish lawn graveyard? Let your kids get in on the fun in a way that means the most to them! Sure, you may not have expected a zombie alien painted on the pumpkin outside your front door. But what’s Halloween without a few spooky surprises?
- Encourage your child to draw Halloween creatures for each of their feelings: Is your child super pumped to go trick-or- treating? Are they not sure they want to wear a costume to school? Do they think of Halloween as scary, silly, or both? Encourage them to express these feelings by drawing them Halloween style! Show them an example of one of your emotions drawn as a Halloween creature (for example, shy ghost trick-or-treating to show that it’s okay to be a little nervous Halloween night). Then ask them what their Halloween emotions would look like if they were a real creature.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
