As per usual, the internet is divided. This time, though, it’s not about celebrity drama or politics. It’s about whether to do boo baskets—social media’s Halloween gifting tradition. These spooky gift baskets can be put together for your kids or other loved ones with ideas like spooky sweet treats, Halloween pajamas, and other fall-themed toys. Boo baskets definitely don’t need to include anything fancy (or expensive), but they can be a fun way to get excited about Halloween with your kiddos.
Platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram have commodified boo baskets. Videos of creators putting together their baskets and gifting them to their kids have racked up millions of views. But many parents question whether these gift baskets are really necessary. After all, don’t kids already have enough gifting opportunities with birthdays and the holidays? Is this just another consumerism trap? Regardless of how you feel, here’s everything you need to know about the trend, boo basket ideas, and alternative ways to get excited about Halloween with your family.
What are boo baskets?
Boo baskets are similar to other holiday traditions like Easter baskets, Valentines boxes, and Christmas Eve boxes. While in the form of gift baskets or bags, they include “stuffers” like Halloween candy, small toys, and more. At their core, they’re another opportunity to spoil your loved ones and celebrate a widely adored holiday.
Boo baskets surged in popularity in 2020, when many were eager to spread the Halloween spirit regardless of COVID-19 restrictions. However, the idea of the boo basket dates back even earlier. The trend may have started with the “You’ve Been Boo’ed” gifting tradition, where neighbors would leave small baskets on each other’s doorsteps in a ding-dong ditch style Halloween surprise. Now, many have started giving these baskets to their children in a more formal (and less surprising) way.
Why are boo baskets trending?
If there’s one thing social media loves, it’s fall. From aesthetic trips to the pumpkin patch to your first pumpkin spice latte of the season, social media celebrates (and commodifies) everything about the changing seasons. Halloween is particularly susceptible to this, with costume ideas and spooky decorations circulating TikTok and Instagram before summer has ended.
This couldn’t be truer for boo baskets. Creators who love Halloween have quickly made a trend out of shopping for, putting together, and gifting their boo baskets. Users have flocked to Pinterest for gifting inspiration or relied on their favorite influencer’s aesthetic videos to plan their own baskets. Parents are a key part of the target audience here, especially since families are always searching for small and affordable ways to celebrate the joy of the holidays.
@caitliniola Making a Boo Basket for my toddler
She loves Halloween
#boobasket #halloween #fall #spookyseason #toddlermom
Boo basket ideas for toddlers and kids
It’s perfectly fine to opt out of giving boo baskets entirely. The holidays are already full of opportunities to spoil your family and friends. However, if you’ve seen a boo basket TikTok and can’t get it out of your head, here are some fun (and affordable) ideas for stuffing your boo basket. These items can also be put in a gift bag—or wrapped—if that is easier or if the Halloween gifts don’t quite fit.
Every kid is different. These boo basket ideas cover a wide array of ages and interests, from Halloween pajamas for toddlers to DIY Halloween activities to spooky accessories for teens.
Halloween pajamas, clothes, and accessories
A cute outfit or the easiest first Halloween costume ever? This adorable black cat bodysuit is made with ultra-soft bamboo fabric and pairs purrfectly with tights, a tutu, and cat ears. Plus, there’s also a long-sleeve shirt version available for older kids or siblings.
These organic cotton blend Halloween pajamas are covered in adorable ghosts with trick-or-treat pumpkins, sunglasses, and more. Footed pajamas also available.
sizes 3 mon – 5T
Another cute and comfy Halloween option for school, the park, or anywhere your kiddo frequents. This dress can easily be paired with leggings or tights to keep warm. It also glows in the dark for extra spooky fun.
Warm and snug, this long sleeve is perfect for the cooling weather, and comes in multiple patterns, including a skeleton on a skateboard!
Your little one will love this classic Halloween tee. It’s cute, comfy, and can be worn to school or as an extra layer to stay warm while trick-or-treating!
These charm bracelets can be an adorable addition to any Halloween costume, and can also be worn throughout October to get into the spooky season spirit!
Spooky decor for their bedroom or play space
These Halloween pillows come in the form of ghosts, pumpkins, bats, and more. They are the perfect addition to your child’s bedroom.
This wooden sign is adorable, spooky, and can double as a night light for your kiddo with the string lights hidden inside.
Cuddle + Kind has a whole set of limited edition Halloween stuffies, with this baby skeleton as one of their adorable inclusions! Shop the whole collection here.
Want some matching Halloween decor for your kiddos? These ghost pillows have all the spooky vibes and come in a set of two. Grab a cozy Halloween blanket for fall movie nights, too!
Everyone knows just how much kids love cute and squeezable Squishmallows. And this Halloween countdown calendar comes with 13 small spooky Squishmallows you can use as a single Halloween gift—or split among siblings for boo baskets.
Perfect to hang in their play area, bedroom—or in your living room as some additional spooky decor—this ghost garland can easily fit in a boo basket and is sure to add some Halloween vibes to their bedroom!
Halloween books for toddlers and kids
This lift the flap board book is an interactive Halloween reading experience that is perfect for babies and toddlers curious about spooky season.
A clever and hilarious family read, Bonaparte is a skeleton who is literally falling apart at the seams. Can his friends help him get back together?
Gustavo is shy, so some things—like getting in a line to buy eye scream or making friends with other monsters—are harder for him. A charming picture all about finding the courage to make friends, there are two other titles in the Gustavo series: Leila, the Perfect Witch and Vlad, the Fabulous Vampire.
Teaching bravery through friendship, this story follows Ghost as he overcomes his fear of the dark. The glow-in-the-dark cover will make this an irresistible Halloween read for your little ones.
A beautiful story about the love a parent has for their little one, this is the perfect treasure to share with your toddler this Halloween—plus, it’s interactive!
Gilbert isn’t like the other ghosts—he doesn’t like to screech or haunt anyone or even be impolite. But what will happen to Gilbert when he’s sent by his school principal to the Abandoned Tower? This is a charming read that will help little ones learn to be true to themselves, despite outside pressure.
Halloween activities and crafts
Play dough is an ideal sensory activity, and can be fun for toddlers and older kids! The kit comes with multiple colors, along with Halloween cut outs and an optional rolling pin.
The perfect rainy day activity, this craft kit is easy to use and can be hung up anywhere around your house for some affordable, DIY Halloween decor!
This mini Lego set includes a skeleton and his own personal Halloween barn. Perfect for a kiddo who loves to build!
This Halloween activity will be too big to fit in a basket but would be a cute wrapped Halloween gift for the kid who loves to tinker—and loves spooky decor.
A kid friendly pumpkin decorating activity that is perfect for a rainy day, this kit includes gems and a stylus, all to help your kiddos personalize their pumpkins.
This adorable jigsaw puzzle shows countless ghosts preparing for the Halloween festivities ahead—hanging spooky decorations, eating pumpkin pie. A perfect family activity to get into the Halloween spirit!
Shop boo baskets
Used this a boo basket for gifts and a trick-or-treat bag to use on Halloween night? This bat-shaped bag is glow-in-the-dark and can even be personalized with your child’s name.
Turn any basket or tote into a “boo basket” with this personalized ghost tag.
This seagrass boo basket includes an adorable felt ghost tag and is a cute option to gift a few small treats—and later become Halloween decor.
Perfect for boo basket gifts, trick-or-treating, or both! This cute beaded bucket comes in three spooky-cute designs.
These cotton baskets can be personalized and repurposed after your boo basket to be used on Halloween night!
While made to be a treat bucket, this felt ghost bag comes in two sizes and could easily be stuffed with toys and books for a boo basket. Then, you can reuse it on Halloween night!
Free and budget-friendly boo basket ideas
Looking to celebrate Halloween this year without breaking the bank? These DIY boo basket options are equally spooky and affordable. From Halloween treats to Halloween crafts, we’ve got it all.
Free Halloween printables
The Everymom Printable Halloween Coloring Pages
These printable Halloween coloring pages are free to access and include a witch, pumpkins, ghosts, and more!
Printable Halloween Candy Bar Wrappers
Wrap some of your kiddos’ favorite candy in these free candy bar wrappers to make the gifting experience feel extra special!
Edible Halloween treats
Halloween Cake Pops
Delicious and easy to make, these homemade treats can be thrown together using things you already have in your kitchen. They can also be packaged up and included in your boo basket!
Monster Oreos
Another classic and easy Halloween treat, this recipe puts a spooky twist on a store-bought brand kids already love.
DIY gifts/crafts you can make together
Halloween Corner Bookmark
Got a little bookworm? These paper homemade bookmarks can be crafted into any shape your kiddo prefers, from a pumpkin to a vampire.
Halloween Candy Pouches
A cheap alternative to a custom trick-or-treating bag, these candy pouches can resemble a pumpkin, witch, or whatever your kiddo desires! Plus, there’s a video tutorial for those of us who may be less familiar with a sewing needle (myself included).
The boo basket backlash
Some parents see boo baskets as just another gift to add to the never-ending holiday to-do list. Others are worried about the impacts of consumerism, especially since boo baskets are given during a season when many kids are already spoiled with gifts. This is a fair conclusion: the holidays are already an expensive, over-the-top time of year, so do we really need to add to that with another gift-giving tradition?
Social media has also increased pressure to participate in this new trend. Children are getting exposed to platforms like YouTube and TikTok at younger ages and may see these gift baskets on their feed and wonder why their parents aren’t participating. While it can be easy to give in to this pressure, the most important thing to remember is that there is no right way to celebrate Halloween or any holiday. So if boo baskets aren’t in your budget, or just seem unnecessary, that is totally fine.
Halloween traditions that aren’t boo baskets
“I love Halloween, and while I’ve never done formal ‘boo baskets’ for my kids, I always bought them Halloween PJs and a Halloween-themed book,” said Kathy Sisson, Senior Editor. “Now that they’re older, I let them choose one Halloween decor item for their bedroom, and we set up the outdoor Halloween decorations together. These traditions get us excited about spooky season without buying too much.”
There are countless ways to make Halloween special that don’t involve spending more money on gifts. Here are some alternatives to boo baskets that get the whole family involved without extra stress on already-stretched parents.
Family Halloween movie night
After a long day at work, many parents just want to curl up on the couch and relax. This can be difficult to do with so much pressure to make the holiday season special. Luckily, a family-friendly Halloween movie night is the ideal balance of spooky fun for the family and a relaxing evening for parents. You can even pull out a projector and some cozy blankets to make it extra special.
Neighborhood “You’ve Been Boo-ed” game
Another call back to boo baskets, get your kiddos involved in a neighborhood-wide game of “You’ve Been Boo-ed.” This can involve ding-dong ditching one another with Halloween candy, or you can put your own personal twist on it. You can also use these adorable “You’ve Been Boo-ed” treat bags or free printables to leave the candy on your neighbor’s doorstep!
DIY spooky crafts
If your cabinet is overflowing with glue, paper, and markers, take out some of those long-forgotten supplies and get moving on some Halloween crafts. These can be goblin garlands to hang in your living room, glowing mason jars to put on your doorstep, or any other spooky crafts you can think of.
Baking festive treats together
Are your kiddos itching to help you out in the kitchen? Put that curiosity to use and get their hands dirty with some Halloween treats. From monster cookies to mummy hot dogs, the options are endless. Plus, making treats with your kids means dessert can be planned days in advance.
Pumpkin carving competition
You don’t have to wait until October 31 to get creative with decorating or carving pumpkins. Many local libraries, restaurants, and businesses host pumpkin contests you can join. Or your loved ones can get together for a friendly competition to see who creates the cutest or most unique jack-o-lantern ahead of Halloween.
Final thoughts on boo baskets
Boo baskets are just another one of the countless holiday trends that circulate on social media. While they can be adorable additions to your seasonal fun, they can also be one more thing for parents to do during a busy time of year. There is no right way to celebrate any holiday, let alone Halloween, and your kids will have fun with or without a boo basket.
Rebecca Smith, Editorial Intern
As editorial intern, Rebecca works with The Everymom team on updating existing content, photo sourcing, pitching original articles, and more. She’s passionate about creating authentic and diverse online content, and is thrilled to help women of all ages feel represented by contributing to The Everymom.
This post contains a sponsored inclusion of Little Sleepies, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board.
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Source link: https://theeverymom.com/boo-baskets/ by Rebecca Smith at theeverymom.com