Boo Basket Ideas For Toddlers & Kids [What It Is & How To Make One] (2024)

Boo Baskets have been all the rage on TikTok and social media for good reason: they make for a great way to spread kindness while giving your family member whatever they may need for Spooky Season, the seasonal change, or just some things to stay busy as you start holiday prep! If you've been wondering “what is a boo basket?!” or how to make one with cute tags, you're in the right place! Discover the best boo basket ideas for toddlers and kids, plus ideas for adding some cute personal touches (even if you aren't a crafter!)

What is a boo basket?

A boo basket is a fall or Halloween themed basket of goodies! These are a great way to spread kindness, share joy, and prepare for the transition from Summer to Fall. Plus they are so much fun!

How Boo Baskets Work:

There are a few ways Boo Baskets work:

• Create a boo basket and secretly drop it off to someone, with the request they pay it forward to someone else
• Create a boo basket for kids to celebrate the season
• Create a boo basket to swap out the candy on Halloween; you can even make it from the “Switch Witch”

The first option of doing it in secret and asking others to pay it forward by making their own Halloween basket for someone with a tag saying “You've Been BOO'ed” that explains the instructions. It's really fun way to get friends or the whole neighborhood involved in the Halloween season. This can also be great to involve kids in the idea of giving back and spreading kindness going into November (the month of the gratitude challenge afterall!).

The second option of just giving one is sort of my least favorite as it just focuses on consumerism and doing it for the ‘gram. People typically give this one October 1st to kids in plastic buckets (Dollar Tree has some good ones) which double as their treat pail later in the month. Now with that said, it does make for a fun new tradition and you could even put your kids Halloween costumes, favorite books of the season, or Halloween crafts in their Boo Bucket as a fun surprise.

The last option of swapping it out for Halloween candy is another favorite of mine; especially if it's a boo basket for toddlers or little kids. This can be a great way for them to participate in Trick-Or-Treating and enjoying the night with friends, and not making it about collecting bags of candy.

We do this with our kids, but give them the choice to keep their treat bag of candy or swap it out for a Halloween Basket or gift in advance. Our kids have always chosen the Boo Basket or a gift instead of candy thankfully.

Fun Halloween Boo Basket Ideas:

What do you put in a toddler boo basket?

For a toddler boo basket you'll want to include some of the following ideas:

• Pajamas
• Cozy socks
• Fall or Halloween books for toddlers
• Fall or spooky themed snacks
• A puzzle or gam
• Halloween coloring pages
• Spider rings
• Cookies or other homemade Halloween treats
• Halloween Toys
• Halloween stickers
• Cute flags

DIY Boo Basket Ideas for Toddlers

For my 2 year old toddler's boo basket in 2023 I included:

• Pennant Flags
• Little Me Halloween Pajamas
• Moon Fruit Snacks
• It Sounds Like Halloween!
• You're My Little Baby Boo (check price on Amazon, Target, Walmart)
• Halloween Stickers
• Cat ears or spider rings
• Halloween Squishmallows
• Gustavo The Shy Ghost (check price on Amazon, Target, Walmart)

My formula is pretty simple, keep it with some fun Halloween-themed books to introduce some of the concepts they'll see this month, get them something cozy, and feed them!

What do you put in a Halloween basket for kids?

Boo baskets for kids can include more options than toddler boo baskets thanks to fewer choking hazards. Generally the boo basket ideas for kids are the same as above with some additional things:

• Fall popcorn – we love Sweet Chaos which pops their seasonal flavors like Pumpkin Spice in coconut oil!)
• Pumpkin decorating kits/crafts (if boo basket is being given at start of month)
• Halloween pumpkin patch game
• Halloween tattoos that glow in the dark
• Halloween Crafts
• Bath bombs
• Halloween squishies
• Halloween bubble wand
• Fidget popper Halloween toys or spinner tops
• Necklaces
• Halloween Pennant Flags

DIY Boo Basket Ideas For Kids

In my (almost) 5 year olds 2023 boo basket I included:

• This pumpkin kit – which is really fun combo of jack-o-lantern meets lite brite Halloween Craft
• Kyte Baby Pajamas (the softest bamboo + cute prints prints!)
• Halloween: Super Puffy Stickers! Boo to You! (check Target price too) it's a great mix of preschool Halloween activities and stickers!
• Rainbow Magic Special Edition: Trixie the Halloween Fairy (check price on Target, Amazon, Walmart)
• Moon Fruit Snacks
• Leila The Perfect Witch (check price on Amazon, Target, Walmart) – the author has some of our favorite Halloween-themed books!
• Halloween flags

FAQs about boo baskets

How do you make a boo basket?

Making Halloween baskets is really simple: get a basket and fill it with seasonal goodies your person will love to spread some Halloween cheer!

However making a cute boo basket is really where it's at.

Cute boo baskets are all about the details; like Halloween pennant flags and tags. I made these for the kids by printing them out, gluing to dowels, then tying off some festive bows and ribbon for a nice touch. They were SO cute and make great Halloween decorations around the house afterwards to show your Halloween Spirit!

When do you give a boo basket?

Depending on how you're choosing to do your boo basket (act of kindness, celebrate the season, or a “Switch Witch” treat) will change when to give your Halloween gift basket.

If you're doing a boo basket just because, we suggest at the start of October to enjoy it all month long. You can also focus more on Halloween items when doing it earlier in the month; as you move later in the month we suggest more seasonal small gifts like a face mask, blanket, fun nail polish, a mason jar of cocoa or apple bread mix, favorite books, etc.

If you're doing it as an act of kindness, you'll either give your boo basket ASAP after you receive one, or start ASAP to get the acts of kindness going!

Lastly, if you're using a Boo Basket as a way to swap out your kids candy, you'll save it for the morning after Halloween.

What should you put in a boo bag?

Boo bags usually signify the change of seasons so including some fresh cozy things like pajamas or blankets are great options to welcome the Fall season and celebrate this time of year.

For kids, we also love including seasonal books and some snacks.

For adults, you could add in some of their favorite fall scents or treats.

Why did boo baskets become popular on TikTok?

Boo baskets blew up on TikTok in 2023 as a way to surprise your “boo” meaning your significant other with all the delicious fall things.

In 2020 and 2021 they were a fun way to practice social distancing while still showing friends you cared.

Generally speaking, they are just an innocent and fun Halloween tradition to bring children, friends, and loved one's in on though which I think we can all agree, is something we could all use more of right now.

What are good boo basket snacks for toddlers and kids?

Festive – but healthy – snacks are great for Boo Baskets, especially if you're having your kid swap out their candy to get theirs!

We love Moon Fruit Snacks, Kenny's Sweet Chaos Popcorn, Yum Earth, and Unreal as some healthier alternatives (swipe for more):

Where should you shop for Halloowen basket ideas?

While we love the dollar store and Target dollar spot, I find a lot of those items play into the consumerism ideas of Boo Baskets a little too much. I find longer lasting, more useful items (which I linked throughout this post) by focusing on my kids favorite quality snacks, pajamas, and books.

The occasional cheap toy or spider ring from those spots still finds its way in and makes for a fun basket, but we don't use it as the bulk of our items like we do with our toddler Easter Baskets.

Who is a boo basket is for:

A boo basket can be for anyone! People often give them to boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, neighbors, and children.

Whoever it is for, make sure you include a Boo Basket Tag so they know who it's for!

They are a ton of fun, and a great little way to show you care. You can spend as much or as little as you like, and add personal touches along the way.

Watch Boo Basket Ideas Video:

Final thoughts on Boo Baskets for toddlers and kids:

Boo baskets are a fun way to kick off the month of October, spread kindness and joy, and give your kids whatever they may need during the transition to Fall.

Some of our favorite Halloween basket ideas include craft kits for decorating pumpkins, warm and cozy pajamas or clothes, and simple activities to keep them busy as you start prepping for the holidays.

So grab a cute basket, filled it up with your loved one's favorite things, then settle in to watch some family-friendly Halloween movies and have a Happy Halloween!

Don't forget to grab you Boo Basket Tags + Flags here!

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