I’m officially at the point in the year where I want everything to feel like fall, even if Florida has absolutely no interest in cooperating. The fall decorations are coming out, I’m thinking about Halloween plans, and one of my favorite little traditions is putting together Boo Baskets for the kids.
If you’ve never made one before, a Boo Basket is basically a Halloween version of an Easter basket. It’s filled with a few treats, cozy fall things, Halloween surprises and little activities to make the beginning of spooky season feel special. And before we go any further, I am very firmly on team Boo Baskets do not need to be huge or expensive.
I think social media can sometimes turn the smallest traditions into these giant productions where suddenly you feel like you need $150 worth of perfectly coordinated Halloween gifts for each child. You absolutely do not. The fun part is pulling together a few things your kids will genuinely use or be excited about and turning an ordinary night at home into something they remember.
With three kids in different stages now, I also like making each basket feel a little different. I don’t necessarily buy the exact same things for everyone. I’d rather choose a few items based on what each kid is into right now, while keeping the overall idea the same.
What I Put in Our Boo Baskets
I usually start with something practical because if I’m going to buy it anyway, I might as well make it part of the fun. Halloween pajamas are perfect for this. The kids can start wearing them right away, we get plenty of use out of them before Halloween, and they instantly make the basket feel festive.
From there, I like adding a mix of something to eat, something to do and one or two little surprises. That could mean a Halloween book, coloring or activity book, stickers, a small toy, Play-Doh, a craft kit, glow sticks, Halloween socks or even something related to whatever they’re currently obsessed with.
Of course, I add a favorite candy or snack too. You don’t have to fill an entire basket with candy, especially considering how much is coming later in October anyway. A couple of treats they love is plenty.
For a younger child, I love the idea of keeping things even simpler. A Halloween board book, cute pajamas, a little stuffed animal or Halloween-themed toy and an age-appropriate snack make such a sweet basket. They might not understand the whole Boo Basket concept yet, but it’s still fun to include them in the tradition — and let’s be real, I’m taking the pictures anyway.
You can also skip the traditional basket completely. A Halloween bucket that they can later use for trick-or-treating works perfectly, or you can use a cute reusable bin that goes back into your Halloween decorations when the season is over. I love anything that doesn’t become another random basket I have to find somewhere to store for the other 11 months of the year.
Easy Boo Basket Ideas for Kids
If you’re staring at an empty basket and have no idea where to start, think about things your kids already enjoy rather than trying to find specifically branded “Boo Basket” items.
Some of my favorite ideas are Halloween pajamas, a Halloween or fall book, fuzzy socks, slippers, hair accessories, temporary tattoos, stickers, coloring supplies, activity books, small LEGO sets, Hot Wheels, card games, sensory toys, bath bombs, a new cup or water bottle, glow sticks, flashlights, popcorn, hot chocolate, favorite candy and little Halloween snacks.
You could even add something that leads into a family activity. Put in a bag of popcorn and a Halloween movie for a movie night. Add cookie cutters or sprinkles and bake Halloween cookies together. Include a pumpkin-carving kit and make that your activity for the evening.
Those are the things I love most because the basket becomes less about getting stuff and more about kicking off a season together.
You Don’t Have to Go Overboard
This is probably the biggest thing I want another mom to take away from this post. Your kids don’t need an Instagram-perfect Boo Basket.
You can grab a $5 bucket, pajamas you were already planning to buy, a book, their favorite candy and one little surprise and call it done. You can shop the dollar section. You can use things you’ve already picked up and forgotten about in a closet. You can make one family Boo Basket instead of individual baskets.
The tradition is whatever you decide to make it.
I love making holidays feel special for my kids, but I don’t want every holiday tradition to become another source of pressure for moms. There are already enough things to remember in October between costumes, school activities, fall festivals, pumpkin patches and figuring out which child changed their mind about their Halloween costume for the fourth time.
A Boo Basket should be fun.
Turn It Into a Family Night
One of my favorite ways to give the baskets is to make a whole little night out of it. Nothing elaborate — just a cozy evening at home.
Order pizza or make an easy dinner, give everyone their Boo Baskets, change into the new Halloween pajamas and pick a family Halloween movie. Add popcorn and Halloween candy and suddenly a regular Friday night feels like an event.
Those are usually the nights the kids remember anyway.
It’s something I’ve realized more and more as they get older. I love taking them places and doing all the big seasonal activities, but some of my favorite memories happen right at home. The traditions they start expecting every year. The same movies. The decorations they remember. The little things that signal that a favorite season is starting again.
I love creating those little pockets of childhood magic while they’re still young enough to think finding Halloween pajamas and candy waiting for them is the greatest thing that’s ever happened.
Our Boo Basket Tradition
Every year is going to look a little different as the kids get older, and I’m sure eventually the contents of these baskets will change completely. That’s part of what makes traditions like this so fun. They grow with your family.
For now, I’m leaning all the way into the Halloween books, little surprises, cozy pajamas and excitement over treats.
Because childhood moves ridiculously fast, and if putting a few Halloween goodies into a basket gives us another reason to slow down and make an ordinary night feel special, I’m doing it.
I’ll be sharing this year’s Boo Baskets over on Instagram too, with a closer look at what I put inside each one. Once that post is live, I’ll add it here so you can see everything together and steal a few ideas for your own.
Until then, consider this your reminder that your Boo Basket can be as simple or as extra as you want it to be.
The magic isn’t in how much you put inside it. It’s in who you’re making it for.