Let’s get ready for some fun Halloween activities for our under-5s — as well as for older children. Children of all ages are naturally drawn to the unique imagery, fun activities, and spookiness of Halloween.
Halloween arrives on the 31st of October each year. Although its original roots were tied to ancient festivals including the celebration of All Hallows’ Eve, it’s generally celebrated simply as a fun night for children nowadays. With that in mind, today’s post is designed to give children’s parents or carers some great ideas for Halloween activities for little ones. These are great opportunities not only for fun but also for getting creative and socialising — great activities to stimulate young minds and grow skills.
Spooky Fun
Take a look at some of the activity ideas below, which should make Halloween extra fun for children. At the time of writing, there’s still plenty of time to prepare and make this year’s Halloween spooktacular!
Picking Pumpkins
A simple but fun activity for children in the run-up to Halloween is to pick pumpkins. Whether it’s simply a case of visiting a local garden centre or store to choose a pumpkin from a themed display, or visiting a local farm where children can search for a favourite pumpkin in fields laden with them, it’s great fun for little ones. Children are sure to enjoy choosing from the usually huge array of different sizes and shapes.
If you’re in the Padiham area during October, there are usually several nearby places where children can get outdoors to search often extensive fields full to the brim with beautiful pumpkins and gourds. Try Googling ‘Pumpkin patches in (your area)’ or keeping your eyes open for local pumpkin patches being advertised. Lancashire families can also discover some Lancashire pumpkin patches here, including several close by in places like Simonstone and Clayton-le-Dale. Note, however, that you may need to book in advance for some venues.
Pumpkin Carving & Lantern-Making
Once your child has a pumpkin or other gourd, it’s almost imperative that it’s carved (by a supervising adult) and made into what Americans call a Jack-O’-Lantern. Many families will be totally familiar with these, typically being a hollowed-out pumpkin with eyes, a nose, and a mouth — or indeed other kinds of design as indicated in the accompanying image. Children can be involved in the design, painting with paint if going that route, and perhaps spooning out the inside flesh (keep for later; see the food and drink section below). 
However, any cutting will be too dangerous for little ones, so should be done only by an adult. It’s the same with the next step, which is lighting a candle or tea light to put inside once it’s dark. The pumpkin lanterns can then be placed outdoors for neighbours and friends to see and the children themselves will find these fascinating once night falls. They make for a great atmosphere and a bit of spookiness!
Decorating the House With a Halloween Theme
Children will also love spreading the Halloween theme around the house. This activity is made easy by purchasing inexpensive Halloween decorations that are available commercially in places like supermarkets each October. Whether it’s cotton spider webs, complete with pretend black spiders, that can be strung from picture frames, furniture or across ornaments, little LED strung lanterns that have a Halloween theme, or glow-in-the-dark plastic skulls, ghosts, or pumpkins, there are a myriad of fun decorations that children can use to theme bedrooms and living rooms. It all makes for a very spooky and fun atmosphere come Halloween.
It’s also possible for children and families to create their own Halloween-themed decorations, with a bit of imagination. Stretched-out cotton wool can mimic spiders’ webs, for example. Children can get creative and make cut-out (with adult help for the youngest) spiders, bats, and suchlike to put on and around such webs. Children can paint oranges with faces to represent mini pumpkin Jack-O’-Lanterns, or even string these together into themed garlands. They can get involved in making Halloween-themed decorated biscuits or cookies too, which we’ll come to next.
Making Halloween Food & Drink
Parents/carers can help children make, or simply decorate, Halloween-themed biscuits. See the photo to get an idea of how they can be baked and painted to represent wonderful ghosts, spider webs, bats and more. These are attractive as well as being great fun for little ones to get involved with, under supervision. What’s more, they can be eaten and are often delicious!
Earlier in this article we mentioned pumpkin carving. Well, all that pumpkin flesh can serve another purpose too, so there’s no need for it to go to waste. Children can help parents make it into pumpkin soup, having first discarded any seeds, or else kept them to perhaps plant outdoors if your family has an allotment. Pumpkin soup is delicious, particularly if you follow a good recipe, and highly nutritious.
Getting Creative With Halloween Costumes & Fancy Dress
One of children’s favourite Halloween activities is dressing up. Children, including those under five, love to put on themed costumes to become a ghost, witch, wizard, spider, skeleton or character from a film like Harry Potter. Even better is when their friends, neighbours or siblings join in and they can each compare outfits and get into character. “Boo!” they may shout, or perhaps they’ll cast pretend spells and ‘fly’ on makeshift broomsticks. It’s all great fun!
Outfits can be purchased, often inexpensively, online or through supermarkets when Halloween is approaching. Alternatively, children can get creative and make their own. A white sheet with suitable holes cut for eyes is perfect for a ghost outfit. Black material or capes are a great start for a witch or wizard outfit and pointy hats can be made, perhaps with a bit of help from adults, from cardboard and then painted black or covered with black tissue paper. Any number of different outfits can be made, in fact, and all that’s needed is imagination, the right materials, and a bit of time. Children’s creativity will be stimulated and they’ll get a great feeling of accomplishment once the fancy dress outfits are complete.
Host a Halloween-themed Party
All of the above activities can be combined when children throw a Halloween party for friends and/or neighbours. It’s all the more fun when other children come along in their own themed outfits. Together, children can play games, get into character, listen to spooky music, eat homemade Halloween-themed food and drinks, and have a wonderful time. Not only are parties fun but they also deepen bonds and help little children strengthen social skills. It’s all hugely creative too.
If you’re the organiser, don’t forget the option of party bags for children to take home once the party is over. These could be filled with suitably-themed stickers, plastic spiders and bats, perhaps some Halloween cookies and so on. A note of caution, though: watch out for allergens for anyone affected by them and be mindful of potential choking hazards.
Trick or Treat?
Part of the party could involve, perhaps, a ‘trick or treat’ session around the neighbourhood — under close supervision of one or more adults, of course. Children get great glee from this tradition, which often results in the bonus of lots of goodies to take home and sweets to eat (… and it’s only once a year) or perhaps a light-hearted, though often hilarious ‘scare’, should a neighbour decide to go with the ‘trick’ option.
If organising a trick-or-treat session, do pre-warn neighbours so those who would rather opt out have the option to.
Little Acorns Nursery – for High-Quality Childcare Services in Padiham, Lancashire
We hope these ideas today help to make your children’s Halloween night fun and memorable — and to get their imaginations and creative juices truly flowing. Have fun this Halloween and, while there’s time, our advice is to plan ahead to make the most of it.
Today’s activity ideas were brought to you by Little Acorns Nursery in Padiham, Lancashire. We provide a high-quality ‘early years’ childcare service for babies and children under five near Hapton, Rose Grove, Burnley, Altham, Huncoat, Read, Simonstone, Sabden, Higham and Wood End.
Contact Little Acorns Nursery, Padiham, to register your child for a nursery place, ask any questions, or request a free guided visit with your child:
Parental involvement in a child’s education can take several forms. Note, however, that the benefits are most positive when parents engage right from the early years, beginning in children’s nursery and preschool years. The examples below show the kinds of parental involvement that will enhance children’s lives:
Applying that information in the form of help and support while the child is at home. Referring to the right textbooks, helping with homework, and helping the child understand any tricky topics are typical examples of areas where parents can help children at home.
When children do well, praising them will encourage them to keep up the good work. It’ll give them a greater sense of achievement, and some moral support, and help instil a love for learning in them.
Let’s now look at some of the benefits that children can expect to enjoy when parents are closely involved in their education.
The benefits of parental involvement in education to children are numerous, though, also including the lowering of stress levels and improved knowledge, skills, outlook and outcomes. The deep and reliable source of support, together with all the other benefits, also combine to make children feel happier, have a higher quality of life, be less likely to skip lessons, be well-behaved, and have closer bonds with both parents and childcare/education staff.
Parents and caregivers have a simple yet incredibly powerful tool at their disposal to significantly boost the education of children under five: reading with them. In study after study, this simple activity has been shown to transform a child’s early years of education, giving children short-, medium-, and long-term benefits that even extend into adulthood. With that in mind, we take a look today at the many benefits and incredible power of reading with children, especially those under five.
When you read to them, the cognitive benefits to children are profound and this is backed-up by findings from multiple studies. The benefits include improved memory, problem-solving, logical thinking, and memory skills. Even children’s attention spans are seen to improve when parents regularly read with them.
One of the biggest winners when reading with children is the boost to their language skills. Indeed, a 4-decade study (
If children are to get the most from reading, it’s important to read with them. That’s all about making it interactive, engaging and fun to ensure children are involved. There are a number of ways to accomplish this and doing so will be the key to them gaining the most benefit from the activity.
Calling all little citizen scientists — we need your help — and parents too! During part of July and early August the Big Butterfly Count takes place across the UK and the more children and families that take part, the better. All it needs to take is 15 minutes and taking part will help butterflies, daytime-flying moths and the conservation of nature and biodiversity in general. What’s more, it’s a free, enjoyable, educational, and hugely worthwhile activity for children and families to take part in. In today’s post, we’ll tell you everything you need to know in order to take part in 2024’s Big Butterfly Count. Little citizen scientists: get ready!
You’ll need a tiny bit of preparation, but it’s quick, free, and easy…
Once you’ve chosen a suitable location that has flowers blooming and is ideally sunny and sheltered, you are ready to count butterflies and submit them to the Big Butterfly Count survey.
In addition to taking part in the Big Butterfly Count, children and families can help butterflies in other simple ways too. What’s more, they’re also fun, educational, and make the world a better place. Additional ways to help butterflies – and other pollinators – include:
Lancashire’s Walk & Talk Initiative is a scheme that’s wholeheartedly supported by the childcare practitioners at Little Acorns Nursery in Padiham. We encourage all Lancashire parents to take part too. It’s an initiative that is incredibly simple but has far-reaching benefits for children in their early years. Let’s take a look today at what Walk & Talk is all about, what its aims are, the benefits to children, and how families can get involved.
a reduction in the ‘word gap’ — helping children learn new words and widen vocabulary;
The scheme also aims to encourage children to use a variety of senses. These include, for example, sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing and, of course, active listening. When out on walks there are so many different things for children’s senses to be stimulated by and each lends itself to a conversation. Whether it’s the sound of birdsong, the feeling of the wind on their faces, the smell of freshly-cut grass on the breeze, the noise of traffic, the dazzlingly beautiful colours of blossom, or the mouth-watering smell of food cooking around the neighbourhood or town, walking is indeed a feast for the senses.
Pyjamarama is a one-day fundraising event that’s organised through the children’s reading charity BookTrust. It takes place each year across a variety of UK settings including homes, schools, preschools, nurseries and more. As well as being great fun for those organising and taking part, the initiative is beneficial to millions of disadvantaged children. The ultimate aim is to raise money to fund the purchase of books and resources, so that every child in the UK gets the chance for bedtime stories and each family has proper reading opportunities. The initiative is hugely popular, great fun, and transforms lives. Today, we take a look at what to expect, how to get involved, and the many benefits of Pyjamarama.
Pyjamarama is always a fun day for both adults and children. The added aspect of pyjamas makes it special, quirky and relaxed. And, at the end of the day, it’s incredibly worthwhile. Not only does it raise money to give disadvantaged children and their families opportunities for reading and bedtime stories, but it also encourages those children taking part in Pyjamarama to read more, for pleasure as much as anything. Additionally, it gives children a different perspective and encourages altruism and empathy for others less fortunate than themselves.
One of the many reasons we love nature and nature-based children’s activities here at Little Acorns Nursery is that nature is incredibly beneficial to children. What’s more, the benefits start right from their earliest years and are profoundly powerful to little ones. There have been many studies about this over the years and they all seem to conclude that nature is incredibly good for us all, especially so during the early years. Today’s post looks at 20 of the key benefits that spending time in and around nature holds for children and, with Spring now upon us, it’s the perfect time to begin getting little ones outside more, weather permitting.
Spending time in and around nature means children are more likely to be active, for example, walking, running, skipping, climbing, playing, making, or simply building a den. Such activities will not only help them hone fine and gross motor skills, but will also improve coordination, balance, and fitness. Those skills will help them day-to-day while expending energy in this way will help them maintain a healthy weight and body-mass index.
One of the more obvious benefits of nature is that it gives children a huge sense of freedom that they might not otherwise experience. Being in The Great Outdoors allows children, under appropriate supervision, to run, explore, and play in ways that are far more free than in any other situation. This will also give them a huge sense of natural joy.
The stimulation of the senses is never more important than during children’s early years and spending time in nature is the perfect vehicle through which to do so. With so many colours, sounds, smells, textures and even (under adult supervision) tastes available in the natural world, it is indeed a feast for children’s senses. Through the senses, children will learn more about the world and generate millions of new connections in their developing brains. It’s almost magical!
Being around nature regularly can also help children lean naturally towards environmental issues, learn about the problems and become part of the solution. An appreciation of nature is indeed the first step towards becoming environmentally conscious and proactive. That’s a great thing for the planet, particularly as today’s children will become tomorrow’s custodians of the Earth.
Children generally team up with friends when they’re playing and exploring outdoors. Spending time playing together in natural environments fosters many different kinds of interaction. This can boost confidence, language, communication and social skills. Stronger bonds and a deeper understanding of peers are likely to form from this.
Our Padiham nursery had its annual inspection by the local Environmental Health Officer recently. The purpose was to ensure, as required in all settings serving food, that Little Acorns Nursery has high standards of hygiene and follows the food preparation guidelines specified by the UK’s Food Standards Agency. Once again, Little Acorns Nursery passed with flying colours, achieving a full 5-star rating. That’s the best rating possible and reflects the highest levels of quality for food preparation, the food itself, cleanliness, and competence of staff. So, our thanks and utmost respect go to Kim, our in-house chef/cook, whose high standards, skill and expertise do the children and the nursery proud.
Because the recipe heavily involved potatoes, this also tied in nicely with the book Supertato, which our preschoolers have been looking at in tandem with discussions about food and the importance of a healthy diet. The photo shows one of the children peeling potatoes. Others peeled vegetables and even made their own dumplings. The fun activity helped to nurture children’s learning and the development of new skills and knowledge. The final result was both tasty and a huge hit with the little ones!
Shrove Tuesday, a.k.a. Pancake Day, arrived on the 13th of February and it gave us a great opportunity to organise pancake-themed activities for the nursery/preschool children … for the entire week! After all, who doesn’t love pancakes? So, as you’ve no doubt guessed by now, our Recipe of the Month for February was home-made pancakes and it’s a recipe the children really enjoyed getting involved in. They loved mixing ingredients in a bowl to make their own pancake mix. We even set up a ‘Pancake Bar’ (see the main photo at the top), which included lots of yummy toppings that children could use to decorate their pancakes. The toppings included strawberries, bananas, chocolate spread, jam, lemon, sprinkles, honey and cream.
Valentine’s Day, which arrived on the 14th of February, also involved lots of food. After all, as the saying goes, it is often thought of as the language of love! At the nursery, we organised a lovely Grab ‘n’ Go Breakfast for our parents. This was followed by a special 3-course Valentine’s Day meal for our children in our lovely new dining room, which was set up like a little restaurant (see the photos). Children had sausage rolls to start, cheesy chicken and red pepper pasta for the main course and strawberry mousse – with sprinkles – for pudding. Accompanying this was some delicious blackcurrant juice. It all went down a treat with our nursery children, as did several other activities that were themed towards Valentine’s Day.
Kim, our talented in-house chef, prepares tasty home-made meals and healthy snacks for children at the nursery. Meals are prepared freshly, on site, using high-quality ingredients, which are locally sourced whenever possible. They are delicious as well as being nutritionally balanced to include a healthy mix of fish, meat, pulses and vegetables. 
To make way for the new children’s dining room, an existing room at the setting was repurposed and totally revamped. Starting in Summer 2023, the contents of the existing room were sorted and relocated where needed, leaving a wonderful new space to use as the new ‘Great Oaks’ dining room. Walls, ceilings and skirting boards were prepared and freshened up with new paint. Attractive William Morris-style wallpaper was also hung on a ‘feature’ wall. Large canvas wall images were displayed to form interesting focal points and storage was added in the form of a large cabinet and a small cupboard. Large and small dining room tables and chairs were added for the different age groups along with high chairs, which will be close at hand whenever needed. All this sits on a durable floor with an attractive wood finish. All in all, the outcome is a pleasant home-from-home for children.
