Boo Basket Ideas for Kids: 30+ Fun & Cozy Halloween Ideas

Being a parent in this day and age probably means you’ve felt at some point that every occasion is becoming another Christmas with big extravagant Easter baskets, Boo Baskets, and even December 1st boxes trending on social media. It’s easy to feel like your child might feel left out if you don’t go all out, but I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be expensive or extravagant to be special!

The reason I love and lean into these traditions is because it’s a great way to make the whole season feel a little more festive and memorable and really helps to get my family immersed in the occasion, but I promise I’m not spending big money on Boo Baskets every year. In this article I will share some of my favourite ideas for making it special without getting expensive!

Something Cozy

Halloween Pajamas

Halloween Pajamas is a great one as they can wear them all throughout the fall if you give your Boo Basket to them early in the season!

Cozy Slippers

Even if they aren’t Halloween themed a new pair of slippers can be a great thing to include going into fall especially if they are in need of a new pair of slippers anyways.

Fuzzy Socks

Socks are an inexpensive way to add themed wearables to a Boo Basket! It’s also super fun if the whole family gets a pair and you can all wear them for a cozy movie night.

Warm Blanket

One thing I do that makes doing a Boo Basket easier on the wallet every year is I save some items to add to the basket again year after year. It’s less of a gift and more of a “Halloween Spirit Kit”. One of the big items I will put in the basket each year is the same cozy blanket as long as its still in good condition.

Halloween Plush

A really cute way to add something cozy to the basket! But beware, if you do this year after year and for multiple holidays like we do, the plushies will take over so keep them small!

Something to Read

Our family loves to read so this is something we do for several seasons. We put away all our Halloween books at the end of the season and bring them out again each fall. It keeps the same books exciting and saves us buying new books every season. We do usually add a new book or two each as their interests change and as they age, but after a couple of years of this you will build quite the collection! Some of our favourite Halloween books include:

1. Little Blue Truck’s Halloween: We LOVE the Little Blue Truck books in my house and are getting quite the collection with the seasonal variations!
2. How to Catch a Monster: These books are so fun we have quite the collection at this point from this series for multiple occasions!
3. The Good, the Bad, and the Spooky: The Bad Seed is one of my son’s favourite books to read year round, along with the others from the series, The Good Egg and The Smart Cookie, so this Halloween version was a no brainer to add to our seasonal books!
4. Where do Diggers Trick or Treat?: This is another series my son loves and any kiddo that loves machines and construction equipment will love it too!
5. Spooky Pookie: Sandra Boynton books make a big part of our books for littles!
6. Ghost Afraid of the Dark: This one is a really sweet story about bravery and friendship with some fun glow-in-the-dark surprises!
7. The Halloween Tree: A fun story about a cranky old tree getting another chance to fit in.

Something Creative

Halloween craft kits or colouring books are a fun and inexpensive thing to add to a Boo basket! You can usually find them at Dollar Tree or even create your own kits with supplies you may already have. I like to include at least 3 or 4 activities for each child to do throughout the month of September to keep them busy and in the seasonal spirit!

Some of my favourite ideas:

• A wooden craft
• Halloween paint by numbers
• Sticker book
• Window cling crafts
• Paint your own pumpkin kit
• Halloween bracelet/bead kit
• Play-doh in seasonal colours
• Halloween activity book
• Crayons or markers
• Make your own mask kit
• Felt craft kit

Something Fun

Of course every Boo Basket needs something that’s just plain fun! Little toys, fidgets, games, or glow-in-the-dark trinkets are great to include here! These don’t have to be big or expensive, a few silly or spooky surprises are perfect for adding a little Halloween magic! Here are a few ideas:

• Halloween fidgets/Pop-its
• Slap bracelets
• Puzzles
• Bath toys
• Halloween squishes
• Mini monster trucks
• A small toy they wanted anyways

Something Yummy

For this category I try to stay FAR away from the candy and chocolate since they are about to receive so much of that anyways! But some other fun and yummy treats to include in their Boo Basket include:

• Hot chocolate packets
• Halloween Marshmallows
• Halloween Oreos/cookies
• Candy corn
• Halloween Fruit Snacks
• DIY Halloween trail mix
• Halloween Rice Krispies treats
• Pumpkin spice treats for older kids
• Caramel popcorn
• Hot chocolate Bombs

Something Useful

I love to use seasonal gift baskets not only to give my kids fun things to keep them in the Halloween season, but also as a fun way to give them things they need anyways. And when it comes to consumable things they need and use often you can gift them Halloween themed versions to make it even more fun! Here are a few ideas:

• New water bottle
• Lip balm
• Hair clips/scunchies
• Bubble bath
• Kids bath bombs
• A new lunch box
• Fall hat
• New mittens
• Fall/winter clothes
• Winter boots

Something for Halloween Night

Why not sneak in a few things they can use on Halloween night? Adding something they can save for the big night gives them one more reason to be excited about trick-or-treating and makes their Boo Basket feel like part of the experience rather than a collection of treats and toys.

• A fun trick-or-treating bucket
• Glow sticks
• Face paint
• Temporary tattoos to match their costume
• Hand warmers
• Halloween themed water bottle
• Costume friendly base layers
• Mini flashlight

Things you can Reuse Year After Year

You don’t have to buy everything for a Boo Basket new every single year. I like to look at it more as a “Halloween Spirit Kit” than a big gift. It’s a lot easier on the wallet (and the environment!) to make some of the larger items in the Boo Basket something that you can put away at the end of each season and, as long as it’s still in good condition, add again to the Boo Basket the following year. Some items you can reuse year after year are:

• Themed mugs or tumblers
• Cozy Blankets or decorative pillows for their room
• Puzzles
• Themed board games
• Trick-or-treating baskets
• Halloween accessories or jewelry
• Fun seasonal clothing items

A Boo Basket doesn’t need to be huge, hard on your wallet, or filled to the brim to make the Halloween season a little more memorable. A cozy pair of fun socks or slippers, a new Halloween book, a simple craft and a favourite treat can be more than enough to turn an ordinary October evening into something your kids will look forward to year after year.

Mix and match a few ideas from each category, stick to the things your child will actually enjoy and use, and don’t be afraid to grab plenty of it from the dollar store. The fun is really in the tradition and not how much you spend on filling the basket.

Whether you surprise your kids on October 1st, save their Boo Baskets for the week of Halloween, or make them a part of a cozy family Halloween night, I hope these ideas help you add a little more magic this spooky season.