Ask any child what their favorite holiday is, and there’s a good chance they’ll say Halloween. Sure, Christmas comes with presents, but Halloween lets you dress up and get candy. Few things are better than that. If, however, you’re the mother of an infant, you may feel excluded from the fun for a few years. Don’t worry; just because your child is too young for trick-or-treating doesn’t mean Halloween is out of your grasp. Here’s how to make baby’s first Halloween amazing:
Host a party
Everyone loves a good Halloween party! Just because you have an infant doesn’t mean you’re limited to hosting a gathering for parents of young children. You can throw a shindig for people of all ages. If most of your friends have children of trick-or-treating age, start your party early so the kids can get their candy afterward. This has the added bonus of letting you get to bed early as well, assuming you don’t have many trick-or-treaters coming to your house. If most of your friend gang has infants, have them dress up their kids and host a mini costume contest. Since the kids are so young, there’s no need to worry about hurting the feelings of anyone who didn’t win.
Otherwise, if most of your friends haven’t had children of their own yet, start your party later in the evening for a nice adult gathering. Show off your little one in her adorable outfit for a moment, then put her to bed and return to your friends. Just keep your baby monitor on hand in case someone wakes up crying.
Parenting an infant doesn’t prevent you from enjoying Halloween parties!Create a clever DIY costume
Sure, you could snag something for infants at Party City, but isn’t it better to create something yourself? DIY costumes are more creative – and often cuter – than something mass produced. Here are a few ideas if you’re struggling to come up with something:
Flower pot
Line a basket with baby’s favorite blanket, then place her inside. Lay brown fabric on top of the blanket to look like soil. Then, glue some fake flowers to a bonnet or headband. For a cute finishing touch, glue fake leaves to a pair of green wrist bands.
Candy corn
This outfit is incredibly easy – all you need is some orange and yellow fabric and hemming tape. Dress your baby in a white onesie. Cut a piece of cardboard into the shape of trapezoid, eyeballing to make sure it’s big enough to cover your baby’s body. Use this to cut the yellow fabric into shape. Do the same with the orange fabric, but cut some off the top so the yellow will show through. Lay the orange fabric over the yellow and adhere with fabric glue or iron-on adhesive. Seal the sides and top, leaving room for your infant’s arms and head, then dress your little one.
Take photos to your heart’s content
Of course you’ll want to memorialize your baby’s first Halloween forever, so why not hold a “haunted” photo shoot? Grab a black tri-fold presentation board and decorate with themed stickers or stencils. Throw in fake webbing or mini pumpkins for good measure. Avoid small plastic spiders or other critters, as these are a definite choking hazard. If you want to step things up a notch, grab a table cloth with spiders or a haunted house and tape over the poster board. Place your baby in front in an adorable costume, then, get out your camera phone, point-and-shoot or DSLR and snap away.
Take tons of photos during your infant’s first Halloween!Create some healthy Halloween treats
Your infant isn’t ready for candy and cookies – the sugar content alone is a bit too much for them. Plus, most Halloween-sized goodies are choking hazards, and soft treats like caramel and honey aren’t good for your little one’s teeth.
Thankfully, you can make your own sweet snacks that are light on sugar yet still tasty.
Pumpkin smoothies
This soft treat uses real pumpkin and your choice of sweetener. If you want to make this from scratch, slice a pie pumpkin in halves or quarters. Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for at least an hour or until the flesh is completely soft and cooked through. Remove the skin, and puree the pumpkin in a blender.
If you don’t have time for all of this, canned pumpkin is just fine.
Mix your puree with your choice of milk (organic, almond, coconut or what have you) and your preferred sweetener (maple syrup, brown sugar, honey or agave nectar). Add premixed pumpkin pie seasoning, or combine nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and clove to taste. Throw in a bit of vanilla extract, then mix all ingredients in a blender. Add ice and blend until smooth.
Pumpkin ice pops
Use the recipe above to make a smoothie, but leave out the ice. Instead, put your puree mix into a popsicle tray. You can also use spooky ice molds like spiders or witches hats for a bite-sized treat. Just be mindful of any choking hazards. Leave them as is, or throw in a popsicle stick once the pops are half frozen.
If you’re OK with adding some more sugar, fill the molds half way with the puree mix. Place in the freezer until semi-firm, then fill the rest of the mold with whipped cream. Pop your treats back in the freezer for a while, then enjoy.
