Halloween Family Tradition
A few years ago I found such a fun and unique idea from Nicole @BeginAtHome on Instagram, about a hosting a Halloween book breakfast. The general idea is that one morning (close to Halloween) you host a fun Halloween breakfast, bring out all of your favorites children’s Halloween books and cozy up together and kick off the Halloween season. It is the perfect way to kick off October and make some cozy family memories. This has become one of our favorite Halloween family tradition and we have put our own twist on it.
How to Host a Fun Halloween Book Breakfast for Your Family
Pick the Perfect Date
Our family has always hosted the Halloween book breakfast the first weekend in October. Sunday usually works best for our family as we have the least going on. Do whatever works best for your family! If it’s the last week in September or even the week before or of Halloween, do that!
For our family, doing it in early October gives us the whole month to enjoy those books over and over again. Whatever day or weekend you pick, just set aside a morning (or even afternoon when kids come home from preschool or school) and where everyone can relax and enjoy the time together without rushing.
Gather Your Halloween Books
My mom used to be a first grade teacher and she passed down her entire library to me (I am so grateful and so lucky). We have a TON of fun children’s Halloween books. Now that my children are getting older I try and find a fun and festive Halloween graphic novel or spooky age appropriate chapter books they may be into. My older kids still love that we read these Halloween children’s books together.
You do NOT need to go out and buy a bunch of books. In fact, I would recommend borrowing them from the library in advance if you can.
Some of my favorite Children’s Halloween Books.
- Room on the Broom
- Inside A House That Is Haunted
- Creepy Carrots
- A Halloween Scare in Chicago
- Berenstain Bears: Trick or Treat
- The Ghost’s Dinner
- Froggy’s Halloween
- The Hallo-Wiener
Create a Festive Breakfast Menu
No Halloween breakfast is complete without some spooky themed foods. I don’t know why but our Halloween breakfast has always been the same, Cinnamon rolls! (Did you know Annie’s brand cinnamon rolls are egg free?) One year we grabbed these delicious Pumpkin Cinnamon rolls from Trader Joes (also egg and nut free).
You could try making pumpkin shaped pancakes or waffles, ghost-shaped toast using a cookie cutter or serve up some “monster” smoothies with green spinach and berries. Add a little ORANGE juice (when my kids were little I called it pumpkin juice) and voila you’ve got a fun, festive meal that’ll make the morning even more special.
Bonus points if you use Halloween-themed plates and napkins! My kids loves this color your own Halloween Tablecloth (Pro tip: after halloween each year I go to HomeGoods and scoop up their leftover plates/napkins/table cloths and Halloween decor to use for next years’ book breakfast.)
Do a Simple Halloween Craft
After breakfast we usually do a super easy Halloween related craft. I love the little crafts from Mondo Llama at Target. We now have a collection of fun crafts I store away with our Halloween decor and we pull them out each year and decorate the kids’ rooms with them.
Other ideas:
- Paper Plate Pumpkins: Give the kids paper plates, orange paint, and black construction paper to make jack-o-lantern faces.
- Ghost Garland: Cut out ghosts from white construction paper, let the kids draw faces on them, and string them together.
- Monster Bookmarks: Fold colorful paper into simple bookmark shapes, then let your little ones decorate them with googly eyes, sharp teeth, and silly faces. These can double as a fun way to mark their place in their Halloween books!
Snuggle Up for Story Time
Now that the craft is done and you’ve got a delicious “Halloween breakfast” in you, it’s time for the main event reading all those amazing Halloween books! Gather everyone together in a comfy spot, whether it’s on the couch, in a reading nook, or even outside if the weather’s nice. Let each child pick one or two favorites, and take turns reading together.
Carry the Halloween Spirit All Month Long
One of the best things about this is that it kicks off the Halloween fun early in the month. After the book breakfast, leave those Halloween books in an accessible spot for easy reading throughout October. You’ll find that your kids will want to keep diving into them and you can even add a few new books to the mix as the month goes on.
Hosting a Halloween Book Breakfast is a simple but super magical way to get the whole family excited for Halloween and to create a fun Halloween family tradition. So dust off your books, whip up some festive breakfast treats, and get ready for a new family tradition that’s sure to be a hit year after year!
