If I’m being honest, my favorite thing about Halloween is candy. Everywhere. In massive bulk packages and in bowls on people’s desks for the entire month of October. And don’t even get me started on Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Yes. Yes to all of that goodness.
Since I don’t want my toddler as hopped up on sugar as I am the entire month, I try to celebrate the holiday in other fun ways too. I love coming up with easy DIYs for every little holiday and this year I thought I would create some simple Halloween toddler activities. You know, so I can keep my toddler distracted while I hide in my laundry room eating peanut butter cups and skittles…
The first project I worked on is a memory game that is literally the easiest thing to make ever. Harper is obsessed with her Frozen memory game cards so I purchased some Halloween themed foam pieces for 40 percent off at Michael’s Arts & Crafts and some poster board and created cards for a matching game. We always play a few rounds with the cards turned up so she can get used tothe concept of the game before we try themturned around. 
The second game I created was one inspired by a Christmas tree craft I saw on Pinterest last year.
Basically you make a big felt tree and oranments for your child to stick on, also made with felt. I decided to make pumpkins and ghosts with different expressions so Harper could play with them, kind of like Mr. Potato head.
I simply drew the pumpkin and ghost shapes onto some felt with a pencil and then free-handed all of the other shapes for eyes, noses and mouths. Eventually, Harper just piled all of the facial onto one pumpkin.
If you have a toddler, you know keeping them entertained can be a challenge and these games are definitely fun to break out when you need an activity to occupy your busy child. Both of these activities can also be tailored for any holiday.
Speaking of Halloween candy, I recently shared how we brush the “sugar bugs” off of Harper’s teeth before bedtime every night. Believe me when I tell you that during the month of October, there’s a whole lot of flossing and brushing happening with all of those extra sugar acids on my teeth (or “sugar bugs” as we now call them). Harper sometimes asks if they’ll bite her…and I tell her yes, they will, if we don’t brush them off. Terrible? Maybe…but it works and we sing songs about how the sugar bugs are being brushed away and it makes her laugh. Parenting win? Taking my own advice since I’ve already had a couple of cavities filled in my life,Aquafresh® toothpaste helps me keep my teeth clean and protects them from cavities. I prefer the whitening version myself.
Don’t feel guilty about the copious amounts of candy and chocolate you’ll undoubtedly consume this Halloween month…just make sure you take care of your teeth so you don’t get a talking to from your dentist 😉
You can also visit Aquafresh on Facebook and Twitter using their handle @AquafreshUS. Now tell me, what’s your favorite way to take care of your teeth this Halloween? Please leave your comments below for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card.
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If I don’t have a toothbrush nearby, I like to at least rinse my mouth with water. Makes me feel somewhat productive until I can get to a toothbrush and paste!
Love those fun and cute seasonal ideas for toddlers. My daughter would love both of those! I should make the felt pumpkins and ghosts for sure!
I try to brush after every meal! Keeps your mouth fresh and clean. 🙂
I brush with fluoride/floss every night, and after having something sweet, I swish water or mouthwash around.
Thanks for the tips on toddler teeth brushing! We need them in our house!
I rinse with fluoride mouthwash after particularly “bad” days of candy-eating!
My favorite way to take care of my teeth this Halloween is to brush several times per day with Aquafresh and to floss.
My favorite way is to brush and floss twice a day
https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/650133138350313473
My favorite way to take care of your teeth this Halloween is try NOT to take candies from my kids trick or treat basket! hahahaha…and brush as often as I could. 😉
amy [at] utry [dot] it
tweeted:
https://twitter.com/uTry_it/status/650174677529133056
amy [at] utry [dot] it
My favorite way will be to rinse them after eating sweets during the day, and being sure to brush right after, if at home.
tweet-https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/650220369681362944
I brush and floss twice a day and so does my son and daughter! We love using Aquafresh because it really cleans our teeth! And we like the taste.
Tweet-https://twitter.com/JewelWood/status/650297407024967680
We just make sure to brush every morning and evening.
I use an electric toothbrush (can’t use manual now!) and floss every day!
These are such cute ideas for Harper! I use (and love!) my electric toothbrush, and drink lots of water!
I stay away from things like caramel that always get stuck in my teeth and I brush twice daily and floss and use a fluoride rinse.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/PrettyHotPink6/status/650479500157845504
To take care of my teeth, I brush and floss, and a few times a week I also use mouthwash.
Tweet link: https://twitter.com/shala_darkstone/status/650495873974181888
i brush my teeth and use whitener
https://twitter.com/raggammuffin/status/650674393815908352
I’ve always been a good brusher (fresh, clean teeth/mouth just feels better!) but the past few years I’ve been flossing regularly too and I can tell it makes a difference!
tweeted
https://twitter.com/rubylorikeet/status/650720695517745152
Love that you call it “sugar bugs” on your teeth. I always call them sweaters. Ha! I brush & floss 2x a day and try to use mouthwash every other day.
I make sure to brush my teeth at least twice a day. I also try to stay away from hard or very sticky type of candy. Thanks so much.
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/peg42/status/650808635409498112
Thanks again.
I plan to floss and brush to take care of my teeth after enjoying all sweet goodies this Halloween.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
tweet-https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/650861585594843136
I brush with my fave toothpaste Aquafresh Extreme Clean with whitening action and flossing morning and evening.
My two daughters would love these easy craft ideas, and I like that they are so easy. We always use Aquafresh Extreme Clean with whitening action and flossing morning and evening.
Good old fashioned brushing and flossing 🙂
My favorite way to take care of my teeth is not to eat too much Halloween candy and brush and floss every day.
I like to use flossers and brush two times a day to take care of my teeth this Halloween.
tweet
https://twitter.com/Kellydpa/status/651098589138169856
I use flossers and brush after each meal.
tweet–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/651119098823184384
We brush at least twice daily and use dental floss.
cshell090869 at aol dot com
tweeted
https://twitter.com/cshell202/status/651182164025872388
cshell090869 at aol dot com
I like to carry floss in my purse and rinse with mouthwash after lunch at work. I brush morning and night and floss at night. I also try to avoid eating sticky candy or honey.
https://twitter.com/yarbr012/status/651190642383548416
I make a point to floss every night, even though I hate every minute of it. And I buy the floss in bulk at Costco so I have no excuse.
I tweeted
https://twitter.com/D_is_for_Doodle/status/651457189584896000
Love the felt jack o lanterns idea, Veronika! I made some big pumpkins, small ones, and then a large skull and a few smaller skulls this weekend, and my 3 and 6 year old have been playing and designing every day since. Thanks for the idea!
I’m so glad your kids enjoyed it 🙂
I really just avoid candy! My teeth are sweet-sensitive, and I really don’t have a sweet tooth at all. If I do indulge, I try to brush soon after.
Brush brush brush
https://twitter.com/mkjmc/status/651887292014010372
I brush my teeth after meals.
https://twitter.com/HappyTina0115/status/651917663422124032
https://twitter.com/HappyTina0115/status/651918230869573632
I like to use baking soda to brush my teeth a couple times a week instead of toothpaste, it helps keep my teeth white!
Lots of brushing, and not a lot of candy!
chambanachik(at)gmail(dot)com
I use an electric toothbrush and floss every day.
I limit the number of hard candies I eat and brush and floss as usual.
tweeted – https://twitter.com/dmarie824/status/653638800434790401
I brush my teeth after eating most anything; if I can’t brush, I rinse my mouth out and floss
JenniferAnne74 @ aol.com
https://twitter.com/OneFrugalGirl/status/654864958895861760
I bought one of those rubber tipped gum stimulators. It seems to reach all the junk that flossing and brushing can’t get to.
My favorite way is to keep flossers in my purse so I can floss on the go!
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 AT gmail DOT com
tweet–https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/655881123344601088
I rinse my mouth out and floss a lot if I don’t have a toothbrush handy]]
Digicats @ sbcglobal.net
Brushing with an electric toothbrush using fluoride toothpaste keeps my teeth healthy.
Tweet
https://twitter.com/clc408/status/657246147954790401
I like to brush my teeth and floss twice a day for a minimum of 2 minutes
https://twitter.com/disneyfan40/status/657380539935117312
my #SweepstakesEntry tweet:
https://twitter.com/thrincor/status/657549131787931648
KC
[email protected]
#SweepstakesEntry – comment
for Halloween I will just have to make sure I limit the sweets (not eat the whole bag lol) but I brush,
floss & use mouthwash vigilantly anyway all year round
KC
[email protected]
Brushing my teeth after eating candy!! It gets rid of the sugar bugs and I’m less likely to eat even more candy with fresh, clean teeth!
https://twitter.com/DesertChica/status/657965205834457089
Always brushing morning and night!
tweeted: https://twitter.com/KerryBishop/status/658037429358739456
We use a timer set for 2 minutes to make sure we brush long enough.
tweeted
https://twitter.com/fairydancer35/status/658355534555402240
Brushing after every meal.
Tweet https://twitter.com/Lindiac/status/658368425144643584
We try to brush teeth after every meal.
I always like to use a good electric toothbrush and use it often, especially after eating Halloween treats.
Oh we love caramel apples but I try to schedule our teeth cleaning for
after Halloween and before the holidays but I also make
sure we floss regular and brush our teeth!
I tweeted
https://twitter.com/my4boysand1/status/658599806626082816
We definitely make sure to brush extra long during this time of the year. We also floss extra.
I brush and floss every morning and night!
I like to brush and floss extra after eating candy.
tweeted
https://twitter.com/thomasmurphy40/status/659122845394538496
keep sweet to a min and daily brushing and floss
https://twitter.com/purplelover04/status/659148166894252032
I floss more often when I’ve been indulging in Halloween treats 😉
Tweet! https://twitter.com/lexiquin/status/659415805134684160
I brush and floss!
https://twitter.com/aes529/status/659433203409801217
Brush, floss, and keep away from sticky, chewy candy that seems to be harder on teeth than some other candies.
Tweeted too! https://twitter.com/kytah00/status/659613269460697088
CINNAMON TOOTHPASTE- MAKES BRUSHING SO MUCH EASIER! =)
2nd entry tweet https://twitter.com/Esham4life/status/659617117134831616
I don’t eat candy anyway… my problem is pop. I brush twice a day though like a good boy lol
I tend to floss more and rinse my mouth out more this time of year just to keep the chewy, nutty bits out from between my teeth and to rinse off sugar and stain causing stuffs. 😀
I tweeted here: https://twitter.com/MsTofuFairy/status/660114337978281984
The best way I can take care of my teeth is to stick to my trustworthy routine of brushing and flossing daily.
Here’s my tweet: https://twitter.com/pixel_berry_pie/status/660213579749036033
I bought my grand kids new toothbrushes with their favorite colors or characters on them for encouragement and we are limiting their candy .
https://mobile.twitter.com/dawnmonroe83/status/660249575932973056
i’m brushing my teeth after meals and trying to avoid eating candy that sticks to my teeth
debbiebellows (at) gmail (dot) com
i posted a tweet here:
https://twitter.com/bellows22/status/660337430692663296
Brushing and flossing twice a day, no matter what time of the year keeps my smile bright.
Tweet – https://twitter.com/willitara/status/660367982661513216
Brushing teeth twice a day and after eating candy and flossing
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/660477603774623744
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
I just stay away from the candy altogether. it works wonders!
I sent out a tweet: https://twitter.com/electricstar/status/660518081240805376
I’ll take care of my teeth by bushing and flossing as usual unless I eat sticky candy, then I will put in some extra effort.
https://twitter.com/myfolly/status/660557618218430468