First Time Trick-Or-Treat Jitters

Will your young toddler experience their first Halloween this year? They might love dressing up and getting candy, but they might also feel a little scared or anxious seeing all the ghouls and goblins on your block!

If you need some advice to help a child who’s scared of trick-or-treating, our team at Warmies has got you covered. We’re sharing five tried and true trick-or-treat tips for toddlers and preschoolers below.

1. Bring Your Warmies

Number one on our list of trick-or-treat tips for 2022 is to heat your child’s Warmies stuffed animal in the microwave before you leave. Having something cozy and familiar to carry will help them feel safe and reduce their trick-or-treating anxiety.

Don’t have a Warmies stuffed animal yet? Here are some of our personal favorites for managing fear while trick or treating:

• Red Panda: This heatable stuffed animal provides a sense of comfort and safety
• Owl: At the end of the day, this weighted owl helps to calm a fussy, anxious, or stressed child
• Fox: The Fox’s French Lavender scent soothes anxiety and stress

If your child isn’t interested in any of these animals, no problem! We have a wide range of stuffed animals for them to choose from, including dogs, frogs, and everything in between.

2. Create a Map of the Neighborhood

Another of our favorite Halloween safety tips is to map your trick-or-treat route in advance. Decide early how many blocks you want to cover and which houses are most likely to pass out candy.

Mapping out the neighborhood helps you set realistic expectations and gives your child a chance to see where they’ll be walking on Halloween night.

Let your child participate in the map creation process, too.

Admittedly, they might lose interest before you’ve finished, but they’ll still feel included. Letting them help also gives you a chance to get them excited about trick-or-treating!

3. Do a Practice Run

Our list of favorite trick-or-treat tips for preschoolers also includes doing a practice run. This might seem like a tedious step at first, but it will make Halloween for toddlers more exciting and less nerve-wracking.

Grab the map you’ve just created and go for a walk around the neighborhood. During your stroll, show your child where you’ll be going and which houses you’ll visit.

Perhaps you can even reach out to your neighbors ahead of time and let them know you’ll be practicing. Slip them some treats to hand out, then have your child can walk up to the door and ring the bell. They’ll see that trick-or-treating is not so scary after all. 

A trial trick-or-treat night helps to prepare your child for what’s to come. It also enables you to adjust your expectations. For example, if your toddler gets tired after two blocks, you can scale back your plans and avoid overdoing it on their first Halloween. 

4. Make It a Group Effort

Think about when you went trick-or-treating as a child. Wasn’t it more fun to go with your friends?

To make Halloween for kids more fun and more memorable, invite their friends from school or around the neighborhood to join you.

Be sure to ask their parents to come along, too. That way, you don’t end up in charge of a big group of costumed toddlers (and you have someone your own age to talk to and share the big night with).

Going out in a group creates more entertainment and enjoyment for everyone. It also adds an extra sense of security (for you and your child). There’s a reason it always shows up at the top of lists of trick-or-treat safety tips.

5. Bring Flashlights

Finally, don’t forget to bring flashlights, lanterns, headlamps, or anything else that lights up. If your child has a light they can control, they’ll feel more confident approaching spooky houses.

Flashlights also provide a fun distraction in case your child does feel scared at any point during the evening!

Get Ready for a Fun First Trick-or-Treat!

The first trick-or-treat for toddlers is fun, but it can also be intimidating. Keep the Halloween anxiety tips listed above in mind so you can place an exciting and safe holiday for your child.

Of all these trick-or-treat tips for parents, bringing along your child’s favorite Warmies stuffed animal is easily one of the best. Warmies are easy to heat up in the microwave before you leave, and they give your little one something comforting to hug if they get scared.

You’ve still got time to get your Warmies before the big night! Check out our collection of stuffed animals today to pick the perfect one.