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Halloween Radiator Springs: An Easy Cars Halloween Activity for Kids
Inspired by Cars Land at Disneyland Halloween Time, we turned our Radiator Springs playset into a mini Halloween town with pumpkins, lights, trees and spiderwebs — for less than $10. This easy Halloween activity took about 10 minutes to set up and gave an old favorite toy new life.
Our Halloween Radiator Springs complete with a pumpkin tree, fall leaves and a few decorations we already had at home.
After looking through all of my old Halloween photos while updating my Disneyland Halloween Time guide and Disneyland Paris guide, I apparently had Radiator Springs on the brain.
One of my favorite things about Halloween at Disneyland is how completely Cars Land transforms for Haul-O-Ween. Radiator Springs gets covered in Halloween decorations, the Cars get into the spirit, and the entire town feels different without losing what makes it so fun in the first place.
And then I looked at the Radiator Springs playset sitting in our house and thought…
Why couldn’t we give our Radiator Springs a little Halloween makeover too?
The best part? I didn’t want this to become another complicated craft project.
I have a three-year-old and a four-year-old, so whatever we added needed to be inexpensive, easy to move around and, most importantly, something they could actually play with.
In the end, I spent less than $10 on a few Halloween decorations from Dollar Tree and reused things we already had around the house.
It took us about 5–10 minutes to set up, and then my son happily played with his newly decorated Radiator Springs for at least another half hour.
I would absolutely call that a Halloween win.
A few pumpkins, fall leaves and Halloween decorations gave our Radiator Springs playset a whole new look. 🎃
Our Disneyland Cars Land Halloween Inspiration
This whole idea really started with Disney.
While I was updating my Disneyland Halloween Time post, I kept coming back to my photos of Radiator Springs decorated for Halloween.
Disney doesn’t completely change Cars Land for Halloween. Instead, they add Halloween details to the town that’s already there — lights, decorations, seasonal touches and funny little surprises.
That became my goal for our playset too.
I wasn’t trying to recreate Disneyland’s Cars Land Halloween decorations exactly.
I just wanted to take a toy my kids already loved and add enough Halloween details that it suddenly felt new again.
If your kids love Cars, make sure to check out my Disneyland Halloween Time guide, where you can see the real Radiator Springs during Haul-O-Ween along with the other Halloween decorations, rides and kid-friendly Halloween experiences around Disneyland.
And if you love Disney Halloween decorations in general, I also have photos from Disneyland Paris at Halloween, which has its own completely different Halloween style.
A little spiderweb and a few lights were enough to make the Cars playset feel completely different for Halloween.
What We Used to Decorate Our Radiator Springs Playset
I purposely kept this simple.
Most of the decorations were things we already owned, which is also why I love this idea so much. You really don’t need to buy a dedicated “Halloween playset.” You can raid your Halloween bins, craft supplies and even old birthday party decorations.
Here's our Halloween Makeover shopping list:
Two inexpensive strands of Halloween lights from Dollar Tree
One small bottle-brush tree from Dollar Tree
Spiderweb material from Dollar Tree
Light up pumpkin figurine from Dollar Tree
A few miniature trees from Michael’s
A fall leaf table runner
Extra orange traffic cones from a Cars-themed birthday party
Glow-in-the-dark spiders left over from a Spidey-themed birthday party
Our existing Cars and Radiator Springs toys
The only new things I bought were the Dollar Tree lights, tree and spiderwebs, bringing my total to less than $10 with tax.
You absolutely don’t need everything on this list.
A few pumpkins, a strand of lights and some Halloween spiderwebs would already make a big difference.
The best part was letting him move everything around and decorate Radiator Springs his own way.
How We Made Our Halloween Radiator Springs
There was really no “right” way to decorate it, which ended up being one of the best parts.
We spread our fall leaf runner underneath the playset first. It isn’t necessary, but the orange leaves instantly made the whole setup feel more like fall.
Then we started adding little Halloween details throughout Radiator Springs.
We tucked miniature trees around the buildings, wrapped a little spiderweb material around different areas, added pumpkins and gems, and scattered our orange cones and glow-in-the-dark spiders throughout the town.
The little strands of lights made the biggest difference.
As soon as we turned them on, our regular Radiator Springs suddenly looked like it was ready for its own tiny Halloween party.
But I intentionally didn’t glue or permanently attach most of the decorations.
My son could move the pumpkins.
He could move the spiders.
He could rearrange the trees.
And, naturally, the Cars could drive through all of it.
I initially had ideas about where everything should go, but watching him decide where the Halloween decorations belonged was much more fun.
Lightning McQueen and Mater cruising through our very own Halloween Radiator Springs.
A Halloween Activity They Can Actually Play With
One thing I’ve learned about doing activities with toddlers and preschoolers is that sometimes the simpler activity ends up being the bigger hit.
This wasn’t a craft where I spent 45 minutes preparing something they finished in three minutes.
We decorated together for about 5–10 minutes, and then he played.
And played.
And continued rearranging his little Halloween town.
That’s exactly what I wanted.
The decorations gave new life to a toy he already loves without changing how he normally plays with it.
If you have a Cars playset, train table, dollhouse, toy farm, construction site or even just a collection of toy vehicles, you could use the same idea.
Add some mini pumpkins.
Put out a few Halloween trees.
Add battery-operated lights.
Scatter some kid-safe Halloween decorations around.
Suddenly, it’s a Halloween small world.
Sally in our home made Cozy Cone Motel out of an orange traffic cone!
Use the Same Idea With Any Playset Your Kids Love
One thing I really liked about this idea is that it doesn’t only work for Radiator Springs. You could use the same basic concept with almost any playset your child already loves. A dollhouse, train table, farm set, construction site, parking garage or small toy town could all get a simple Halloween makeover with a few pumpkins, lights, trees or spiderwebs.
The fun part isn’t making it perfect — it’s giving an old favorite toy a fresh seasonal feel.
Our pumpkin tree may be my favorite addition to Halloween Radiator Springs. 🎃
Keep Halloween Play Simple for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Because my boys are three and four, I knew I didn’t want to use anything fragile or anything I’d be devastated to see accidentally broken.
That’s another reason I skipped elaborate decorations.
Everything needed to survive little hands, Cars driving through it and the inevitable “creative decisions” that happen when preschoolers start decorating.
You’ll obviously want to choose decorations that are appropriate for your own child’s age and supervise small pieces, especially things like mini gems, pumpkins and spiders.
For us, keeping everything movable made the activity more fun.
This wasn’t supposed to be a perfect Halloween display.
It was supposed to be something they could touch.
Tiny pumpkins and trees were an easy way to add Halloween to buildings already in the playset.
Reusing Our Halloween Activity Supplies
The pumpkins and colorful Halloween gems might look familiar if you’ve seen my other Halloween ideas.
That’s intentional!
I used many of these same inexpensive supplies while putting together my 10 Easy Halloween Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers.
I love finding things we can use for several different activities instead of buying a pile of supplies for one craft and never touching them again.
The little pumpkins and gems can become sensory-bin pieces, carnival decorations, counting activities, playset decorations and whatever else the kids decide they are that day.
If you’re looking for more simple ideas like this one, head over to my easy Halloween activities for toddlers and preschoolers. They’re designed to be fun without requiring hours of preparation.
We used inexpensive Halloween decorations throughout the whole town instead of trying to make anything permanent.
More Halloween Fun for Kids Who Love Trucks and Cars
Apparently vehicles and Halloween are becoming a theme around our house.
If your child loves Cars, construction trucks or anything with wheels, they might also like my children’s picture book, The Trucks That Saved Halloween.
In the story, Dump Truck, Excavator and Crane Truck help transform an old farm into a cheerful Halloween carnival filled with pumpkins, costumes, games and a little Halloween magic.
It was written specifically with little truck-loving kids in mind, so it fits perfectly with the same not-too-spooky Halloween fun we love at home.
And if you’re looking for even more books, I also put together my favorite Halloween books for kids who love trucks, including plenty of fun, not-too-scary choices for toddlers and preschoolers.
Cars Radiator Springs Flo’s Cafe playset lit up for Halloween with orange lights, spiderwebs, mini pumpkins, Lightning McQueen and Sally.
Adding Lights for a Disneyland-at-Night Feel
One of the things I love most about Halloween at Disneyland is how magical everything feels once the lights come on at night. Since parts of the Radiator Springs playset already light up, I thought it would be fun to lean into that and add a few extra Halloween lights too.
The little pumpkin lights helped the playset feel even more festive and made the whole setup look a little more like a miniature version of Radiator Springs at Halloween. During the day, the decorations were bright and playful, but at night the lights gave it that extra glow that made it feel special.
We still kept everything simple, but the lights added a lot without much effort.
A few inexpensive lights made the whole playset feel completely different once it got dark — and the kids loved seeing everything glow
An Easy Way to Make an Old Toy Feel New Again
This might be one of my favorite Halloween activities we’ve done simply because it was so easy.
I spent less than $10.
It took us about 10 minutes.
My son got to help decorate.
And afterward, he immediately wanted to play with a toy we’ve already owned for a while.
There wasn’t a complicated craft, a perfect finished product or a long supply list.
We just brought a little bit of Halloween into something he already loves.
And now I’m looking at our Radiator Springs playset wondering what happens if I add snow, miniature Christmas trees and Christmas lights in December…
I may have created a problem. 🎄😂
If you like this post, pin this to your favorite Pinterest board or share with a friend!
More Halloween Posts:
15 Halloween Books for Kids Who Love Trucks, Cars & Things That Go
Looking for Halloween books for kids who love trucks? These 15 fun, not-too-spooky books feature construction trucks, diggers, cars, tractors, trains and more for toddlers and preschoolers.
Our favorite Halloween Truck books!
If you have a kid who can spot an excavator from three blocks away, gets excited every time a garbage truck drives past, or would happily choose a construction vehicle over just about anything else, Halloween books are even more fun when there are trucks involved.
We pull out a big stack of Halloween books every fall, but with two truck-loving kids in our house, the books with dump trucks, diggers, tractors, trains and other things that go always seem to get extra attention.
The best part? There are actually quite a few Halloween books for kids who love trucks now, including lift-the-flap board books for toddlers, construction-site Halloween stories, trick-or-treating vehicles and even a few brand-new books for 2026.
And because we like our Halloween fun much more cute than creepy, I focused mostly on cheerful, silly and not-too-spooky stories that work well for toddlers and preschoolers.
You can find all of these in my Halloween Books for Kids Who Love Trucks Amazon Idea List.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Best Halloween Books for Kids Who Love Trucks
The Trucks That Saved Halloween — Book 3 in The Trucks That Saved series
1. The Trucks That Saved Halloween
By Kathleen Cregg
Best for: Ages 2–6
NEW FOR 2026!
Okay, I’m admittedly a little biased about this one because I wrote it!
In The Trucks That Saved Halloween, Dump Truck, Excavator and Crane Truck discover that Halloween is far too quiet, so the Truck Team gets to work transforming an old farm into a cheerful Halloween carnival. There are pumpkins, carnival rides, a corn maze, costumes, a tractor hayride, truck-or-treating and even a Witch Ice Cream Truck who adds a little Halloween magic.
I specifically wanted this story to feel colorful, silly and festive rather than scary, especially for younger kids who love all the fun parts of Halloween but aren’t necessarily ready for anything creepy. It was created for little truck lovers ages 2–6, with the whole visual world designed around a bright, welcoming, not-frightening Halloween.
📚 You can also read the story behind the book in my The Trucks That Saved Halloween: A Not-So-Spooky Halloween Book for Kids Who Love Trucks post.
2. Little Blue Truck’s Halloween
By Alice Schertle, illustrated by Jill McElmurry
Best for: Babies, toddlers and preschoolers
If your kids already love Little Blue Truck (I know we do!), this one is an easy addition to the Halloween shelf.
Little Blue Truck picks up his animal friends for a Halloween costume party, and kids can lift the flaps to figure out who is hiding underneath each costume. It’s simple, interactive and very toddler-friendly — exactly the kind of Halloween book that works when you want pumpkins and costumes without anything actually scary.
This one stays out year-round in our house!
Construction Site Gets a Fright! - One of our favorite series!
3. Construction Site Gets a Fright!
By Sherri Duskey Rinker, illustrated by AG Ford
Best for: Ages 2–4
WE LOVE THIS SERIES! Fans of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site get to celebrate Halloween with the construction crew in this lift-the-flap board book.
A dark and windy Halloween night makes familiar things around the construction site suddenly look a little spooky — until the trucks look closer and discover silly surprises instead. I especially like the reassuring idea behind this one: sometimes something that looks scary at first really isn’t.
4. Where Do Diggers Trick-or-Treat?
By Brianna Caplan Sayres, illustrated by Christian Slade
Best for: Toddlers through early elementary
Another AMAZING series - we have them all!
This may be one of the most perfectly targeted books on the entire list.
Instead of asking what kids do on Halloween, it imagines how diggers, tractors, road rollers, cranes, flatbed trucks and monster trucks would trick-or-treat. There are costumes, candy and jack-o’-lanterns mixed right in with all the vehicles little truck lovers already know.
There’s a sturdy board-book edition for the youngest readers as well as a larger paperback version for ages 3–7.
5. Truck or Treat
By Hannah Eliot, illustrated by Jen Taylor
Best for: Ages 2–5
This is another one I’d put near the top of the list for construction-truck kids.
The trucks at a construction site dress up for Halloween, and readers lift the flaps to discover the real truck hiding beneath each costume. There’s a dump truck dressed as a dinosaur, a recycling truck dressed as a robot and even more silly truck disguises.
It’s basically construction trucks + costumes + lift-the-flaps (our favorite combo), which is a pretty solid toddler Halloween combination.
6. Trick-or-Treat with Tow Truck Joe
By June Sobel, illustrated by Patrick Corrigan
Best for: Preschoolers and young truck lovers
Tow Truck Joe and the other cars and trucks of Motor City get dressed up and head out for Halloween in this rhyming lift-the-flap book.
This one has lots for vehicle-obsessed kids to look at, and the oversized flaps make it especially fun for younger readers. The publisher describes it as a Halloween story that is more “beep than boo,” which pretty much sums up the kind of Halloween book I’m looking for.
7. Richard Scarry’s Halloween Cars and Trucks
By Richard Scarry
Best for: Ages 0–3
Busytown at Halloween? Yes, please.
This little chunky board book follows Lowly Worm, Huckle Cat and their friends through a Halloween version of Busytown filled with candy racers, a scarecrow car and other wonderfully silly vehicles. The book itself is even shaped like a jack-o’-lantern.
It’s small enough for toddler hands and would also be really cute tucked into a Halloween boo basket.
8. Beep, Beep, Beep, Trunk-or-Treat!
By Tracie Schneider, illustrated by Sarah Rebar
Best for: Ages 0–3
This is a brand-new 2026 Halloween book, and it fits this list almost too perfectly.
Kids follow a family to a trunk-or-treat celebration where decorated cars become spiders, dinosaurs and monsters. Lift the flaps to see the Halloween treats hiding inside the trunks, from candy apples to cider doughnuts.
It was released August 25, 2026, so this is also a nice opportunity to include something genuinely new rather than recycling the same Halloween-book recommendations everyone has been sharing for years.
9. Trunk-or-Treat
By Chris Ayala-Kronos, illustrated by Rea Zhai
Best for: Ages 4–8
This picture book takes the increasingly popular trunk-or-treat tradition and turns it into a colorful Halloween story.
Families visit creatively decorated cars and trucks, with each trunk offering something different to discover. It’s less specifically about construction vehicles than some of the books above, but I think kids who love cars will especially enjoy seeing how each vehicle gets transformed for Halloween.
This is one of our FAVORITE pop-up books! My 3-year-old reads it all year long!
10. Hot Wheels Let’s Race: Trunk or Treat?
By Steve Behling, illustrated by Kirk Parrish
Best for: Ages 3–7
If your truck-loving kid also has a Hot Wheels collection taking over your house, this brand-new 2026 book is worth adding.
The Hot Wheels Racers create a spooky “Frankencar” after hearing a Halloween story — only for the monster vehicle to mysteriously come to life and race through Hot Wheels City.
This one has more action and a little more Halloween suspense than the toddler board books on the list, so I’d especially look at it for preschoolers and younger elementary kids who think a runaway monster car sounds hilarious rather than scary.
11. Little Tractor’s Halloween
By Natalie Quintart, illustrated by Philippe Goossens
Best for: Ages 4–6
Here’s another completely new one for 2026 — and technically one you can put on your fall wish list because it releases September 8, 2026.
Little Tractor and his friends dress up and head out trick-or-treating, planning to scare their forest friends. Instead, they encounter something that scares them and eventually discover that things aren’t always as frightening as they first appear.
The cheerful ending and farm setting make this a natural fit for kids who love tractors but prefer their Halloween stories on the gentler side.
More Halloween Books for Kids Who Love Things That Go
Trucks definitely dominate our vehicle obsession, but trains and buses still count as far as I’m concerned. If your little one loves basically anything with wheels, I’d add these too.
12. The Spooky Wheels on the Bus
By J. Elizabeth Mills, illustrated by Ben Mantle
Best for: Ages 3–5
This Halloween spin on The Wheels on the Bus turns the familiar song into a goofy ride filled with cats, witches, monsters and ghosts.
It also counts from one to ten along the way, so toddlers and preschoolers can sing, count and enjoy the Halloween pictures at the same time. Despite the word “spooky” in the title, Scholastic describes the passengers and ride as friendly and not-so-spooky.
The Goodnight Train Halloween - love the illustrations
13. The Goodnight Train Halloween
By June Sobel, illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith
Best for: Babies through preschoolers
For train-loving kids, this is a particularly cute Halloween bedtime book.
The Goodnight Train rolls through Halloween scenery filled with costumed characters, glowing jack-o’-lanterns and candy before eventually making its way back to the station for bedtime. The sturdy pages also include little peek-through holes for kids to explore.
It manages to feel festive while still winding everything down for sleep — useful when Halloween excitement is already at approximately 400 percent.
I LOVE the illustrations for this book (and all in the series).
14. Happy Halloween, Little Engine!
By Matt Mitter, illustrated by Jannie Ho
Best for: Ages 1–3
The Little Engine That Could gets her own Halloween story in this short rhyming board book.
She’s ready to trick-or-treat with her friends, and the bright illustrations and simple story make this an easy choice for very young readers who love trains but don’t need a complicated Halloween plot.
15. The Halloween Train
By Mike Lucas, illustrated by Sofya Karmazina
Best for: Ages 2–6
Another new release for 2026, The Halloween Train takes kids on a magical ride through the Halloween season.
There are costumes, witches, skeletons, zombies and plenty of traditional Halloween fun, so this one is a little more “spooky Halloween” than something like Little Blue Truck. But the publisher specifically describes it as a story with gentle spookiness and heart, and the journey eventually winds down toward bedtime.
For kids who love trains and are ready for a little more Halloween atmosphere, it looks like a really fun addition.
Excited to add this to our collection this year!
Which Halloween Truck Book Is Best for Your Child?
For the youngest truck lovers, I’d start with Little Blue Truck’s Halloween, Truck or Treat, Richard Scarry’s Halloween Cars and Trucks or Beep, Beep, Beep, Trunk-or-Treat! because the sturdy board-book formats and interactive elements are especially toddler-friendly.
For kids who specifically love construction trucks, try The Trucks That Saved Halloween, Construction Site Gets a Fright! or Where Do Diggers Trick-or-Treat?
And for kids who like all things that go, there are plenty of trains, buses, race cars and tractors here too.
The good news is that none of these require Halloween to be genuinely scary. You can have costumes, pumpkins, ghosts, monsters and plenty of trick-or-treating while still keeping Halloween fun and approachable for little kids.
Shop All of Our Favorite Halloween Books for Truck-Loving Kids
I put these books together in one place to make them easier to find:
🛍️ SHOP MY HALLOWEEN BOOKS FOR KIDS WHO LOVE TRUCKS AMAZON IDEA LIST
And I’ll keep adding new truck, construction and vehicle Halloween books as I find them.
More Not-So-Spooky Halloween Fun for Kids
If your kids are excited about Halloween but you’re looking for activities and stories that skew more fun than frightening, you might also like:
Happy Halloween — and happy truck-or-treating! 🎃🚜
10 Easy Not-So-Spooky Halloween Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers
Looking for easy Halloween activities for toddlers and preschoolers? These not-so-spooky ideas are perfect for active little kids, with pumpkin hunts, construction truck games, sensory play, sidewalk chalk activities, Halloween baking and more. Best of all, many of the activities reuse the same simple supplies!
Perfect Halloween Activity - Sidewalk Chalk Obstacle Course!
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays (besides Christmas), but with little kids I prefer the cute, colorful, not-too-scary side of Halloween—pumpkins, costumes, treats and getting outside to play.
My active boys are much happier when an activity involves running, digging, building or trucks, so I've been testing out some easy Halloween activities with them this fall. And honestly, we've been having so much fun with them! Most of these work just as well with one or two kids as they would with a preschool class, playdate or a whole park full of kids.
And these aren't complicated Halloween crafts that require an hour of prep...only to discover that YOU are the one who actually has to hot glue and assemble everything.
Look, there will be some setup. But hopefully you can set up the activity, send the kids off to play and have a minute to take a sip of apple cider—or buy a new Halloween book on Amazon. 😉
Even better, most of these activities use the same handful of inexpensive supplies over and over again.
I don't know about you, but I love finding new ways to repurpose toys and supplies we already have. I have fewer things to store, and the kids get to use their imaginations and discover completely different ways to play with the same things.
Halloween Activity Supplies for kids - Pumpkin Easter Eggs and Halloween gems
The Halloween Activity Supplies We Reuse
You definitely don't need everything on this list, and you may already have quite a bit of it at home.
The idea isn't to buy supplies for ten different activities. Instead, grab a few basics and reuse them throughout Halloween.
Here's our basic Halloween activity shopping list:
Small orange traffic cones
Small construction truck set
Plastic spiders or bugs
Halloween stickers
Orange or pumpkin-shaped trick-or-treat buckets
Painter's tape
Blocks or Magnetic Tiles
You'll see the same mini pumpkins, trucks, chalk and cones pop up again and again below.
This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
1. Build a Halloween Carnival With Toy Trucks 🎡
We love Halloween carnivals, so why not build one at home?
The Setup: About 5 minutes—or make building the carnival part of the activity!
What You Need
Construction trucks
Blocks or Magnetic Tiles
Mini pumpkins
Road or Painter's tape
Use roads from any playsets you already own—Hot Wheels tracks, magnetic-tile roads or even roads made from painter's tape—to create a path around the playroom floor. Then use blocks, Magnetic Tiles and toys to create different destinations along the road.
You could make:
Pumpkin Patch → Carnival → Haunted Barn → Truck-or-Treat Stop
Then hand over the construction trucks and let the kids take over.
Dump Truck can deliver pumpkins to the pumpkin patch.
Excavator can move supplies.
Crane Truck can help build the carnival rides.
Kids can add booths, rides, houses, parking lots or whatever else they imagine. There really isn't a wrong way to build it.
This activity was inspired by my children's book, The Trucks That Saved Halloween, where Dump Truck, Excavator and Crane Truck work together to transform an old farm into a cheerful Halloween carnival.
We decided our carnival needed a Ferris wheel! I didn't even realize some of our magnetic-tile pieces had holes in them until I started looking for a way to build one. I happened to have a little wooden dowel saved in my craft box (craft hoarding for the win!), and it worked perfectly. I followed this Instagram video to figure out the basic construction.
2. Have a Pumpkin Truck Race or Pumpkin Delivery 🚜🎃
Here's an EASY one—and you can play it inside or outside.
The basic idea is simple: use construction trucks to transport pumpkins from one place to another.
The Setup: About 3 minutes
What You Need
Construction trucks
Mini pumpkins
Sidewalk chalk and/or cones
Outside, use sidewalk chalk to draw a start line and finish line. You could also draw a large box and write PUMPKIN PATCH above it.
Place your mini pumpkins at the starting line or scatter them around the driveway.
Now give the kids their construction trucks.
The challenge is to get the pumpkins to the Pumpkin Patch without touching them with their hands.
Push one with a bulldozer.
Carry one in a Dump Truck.
Try to scoop one up with an Excavator.
If you have several kids, turn it into a race. You could also skip the competition and have everyone work together to get all the pumpkins safely into the patch.
Try It Inside
Scatter the mini pumpkins around a room and put a trick-or-treat bucket or container in the middle to become your Pumpkin Patch.
The kids have to use their trucks to collect and deliver all the pumpkins.
Make a Halloween Sidewalk Chalk Obstacle Course
3. Make a Halloween Sidewalk Chalk Obstacle Course
This one is perfect when the kids need to MOVE.
And you don't need to build an actual obstacle course. Your driveway and a box of sidewalk chalk are enough.
The Setup: About 5 mins
What You Need:
Sidewalk Chalk Set
Orange Cones
Draw a course that winds its way across the driveway or sidewalk.
For example:
🎃 START
➡️ Follow the winding road
🕷️ Jump over 3 spiders
🎃 Hop from pumpkin to pumpkin
👻 Tiptoe past the ghosts
🌀 Run around the cauldron 3 times
🧙🏻♀️Balance on the Witch Broom
🦇 Run to the bats
🏁 TRUCK-OR-TREAT!
Once you've drawn it, the kids can run through it again...and again...and again.
Which is sort of the point. 😂
We made ours Halloween-themed with spiders to jump over, pumpkins to hop between, ghosts to tiptoe past and bats to run toward. I also drew a winding road for the boys to follow with their construction trucks, which ended up being one of their favorite parts.
Don't worry about making the drawings perfect—mine definitely aren't! The kids knew what everything was supposed to be, and that's all that mattered. 😂
It’s also cute to have if you have a busy neighborhood for trick-or-treating.
4. Go on a Halloween Scavenger Hunt 🎃
This might be the easiest activity on the entire list.
Take a walk around the neighborhood and see how many Halloween and fall things you can spot.
The Setup: 1 min
What You Need:
Halloween Scavenger Hunt List
Clipboard
Pencil or Crayon
Print or write down a list, grab a clipboard and head outside.
See if you can find:
🎃 Pumpkin
👻 Ghost
🕷️ Spider
🦇 Bat
🚜 Construction truck
🍂 Red leaf
🍁 Orange leaf
🚚 Delivery truck
🧙 Witch
💀 Skeleton
For younger kids, you can simply read the list aloud instead of worrying about checking everything off.
You could also bring a trick-or-treat bucket and collect fallen leaves or other safe little nature finds along the way.
Use kinetic sand and trucks to dig for Halloween treasure
5. Dig for Halloween Treasure 💎
If your kids like digging, this one is ridiculously easy.
You can do it outside in a sandbox or make an indoor sensory bin with kinetic sand or another sensory-bin filler you already use.
The Setup: About 2 minutes
What You Need
Mini pumpkins
Plastic spiders or Halloween acrylic gems
Construction trucks
Sandbox, kinetic sand or sensory bin
Need the supplies? You can find everything I'm using on my Amazon Halloween Activity List.
Then bring out the construction trucks.
Have Excavator dig up the Halloween treasure while Dump Truck hauls everything back to the trick-or-treat bucket.
You can make this one even simpler, too. When I first brought out the mini pumpkins and Halloween gems, my boys immediately started playing with them before I even finished setting up the sensory bin! They put the mini pumpkins together and took them apart, then sorted and counted the gems by color, shape and size.
Sometimes the easiest activity is just putting out a few interesting supplies and seeing what the kids decide to do with them.
You can also turn it into a counting game:
Can you find 5 pumpkins?
Can you dig up 5 spiders?
How many gems did Dump Truck collect?
Just make sure anything small is age-appropriate for your child and supervise little ones closely.
This ties in with the next activity…
6. Go on a Pumpkin Hunt 🎃
Think Easter egg hunt...but make it Halloween. We called it Pumpkin Hide and Seek for the little ones!
The Setup: About 2 minutes
What You Need
Mini pumpkins
Construction trucks or trick-or-treat buckets
Hide mini pumpkins around the house or yard.
But instead of handing the kids an Easter basket...
Give them a Dump Truck.
😂
Every time they find a pumpkin, it goes into the back of the truck.
If you're outside, use your sidewalk chalk to draw a big PUMPKIN PATCH on the driveway.
Now the kids have two jobs:
Find all the pumpkins.
Use the trucks to deliver them to the Pumpkin Patch.
For a larger group, hide lots of pumpkins and have the kids work together to fill the patch.
7. Halloween-ify a Favorite Playset
You don’t need a brand-new Halloween toy to make playtime feel seasonal! We gave our Radiator Springs playset a quick Halloween makeover with mini pumpkins, lights, spiderwebs, fall leaves and decorations we already had around the house. It took about 10 minutes to set up, cost less than $10 in new supplies, and made an old favorite feel completely new again.
The same idea would work with almost any playset your child already loves — a dollhouse, train set, toy farm, construction site or little town.
Chocolate Halloween Cookie Haunted house is a fun activity to do with kids
8. Make a Chocolate Halloween Cookie House 🍪🎃
Okay, this activity takes a little more effort than the others.
But it's also delicious.
I LOVE making sugar cookie houses, but for Halloween I wanted something darker than my usual sugar cookie dough. That's how my Chocolate Halloween Cookie House was born.
Instead of making it genuinely scary, I decorated it with bright orange, purple and green frosting and lots of colorful Halloween details.
The Setup: About 1 hour
What You Need
See my full Chocolate Halloween Cookie House recipe for the ingredients, decorating supplies and step-by-step instructions.
You can make the chocolate cookie-house pieces ahead of time, so you don't have to bake and decorate everything in one day. Make the cookies the day before, then make—or buy!—your frosting when you're ready to decorate.
Want the Easier Version?
Skip the house!
Use the same chocolate cookie dough to make regular Halloween cookies.
Put out orange, purple and green frosting, sprinkles, candy eyes and other Halloween decorations and let the kids decorate their own.
You still get the fun—and the chocolate—without having to construct an entire house.
The Trucks that Saved Halloween Children’s Book
9. Read a Not-So-Spooky Halloween Book 📚
After all that running, digging, pumpkin hauling and cookie decorating, this is the point where I'm ready for everyone to SIT DOWN. 😂
The Setup: 0 minutes
Grab a cozy spot and read a favorite Halloween picture book together.
If your kids love construction trucks, The Trucks That Saved Halloween combines trucks with all of my favorite not-so-spooky parts of Halloween.
Dump Truck, Excavator and Crane Truck are ready to truck-or-treat, but the streets are far too quiet. So the Truck Team gets to work transforming an old farm into a cheerful Halloween carnival.
There are pumpkins, carnival rides, costumes, a little Halloween magic and, of course, truck-or-treating!
It's a cheerful Halloween story about friendship and teamwork created especially for little truck lovers ages 2–6.
And if you're always looking for another Halloween book to add to your shelf, I'm also putting together a list of our favorite not-so-spooky Halloween books for toddlers and preschoolers.
Toddlers Painting Pumpkins for Halloween
10. Paint Pumpkins Instead of Carving Them 🎨🎃
Pumpkin carving is fun, but with toddlers and preschoolers, sometimes it's easier to skip the knives and hand them some paint instead.
This one can get a little messy, but it's something I've enjoyed doing both on my own and with my littles.
The Setup: About 5 minutes
What You Need
Washable paint
Real or craft pumpkins
Paintbrushes
Halloween stickers
Water cups
Paper towels—lots of paper towels!
Set out washable paint, paintbrushes and pumpkins.
Real pumpkins work, or use craft pumpkins if you'd like to keep your creations for another year.
Kids can paint anything they want, but truck-loving kids can turn their pumpkins into construction-truck pumpkins.
Try:
💛 Yellow Crane Truck pumpkin
💚 Green Excavator pumpkin
🧡 Orange Dump Truck pumpkin
Add Halloween stickers when the paint dries, or just let the kids cover their pumpkins in whatever colors they want.
They do not need to look remotely Pinterest-perfect. Mine definitely did not! 😂
Put down something to protect your table, have water cups nearby and keep plenty of paper towels within reach.
Trust me on that last one.
I painted this donut pumpkin a few years ago, and it's still one of my favorite Halloween decorations to pull out every fall!
My painted pink pumpkin donut WITH sprinkles, of course!
More Halloween Fun / Resources
Looking for a few more ways to keep the Halloween fun going?
Make a Chocolate Halloween Cookie House: If you’re in the mood for a hands-on Halloween baking project, try my Chocolate Halloween Cookie House. You can build the full house or use the same dough and decorating ideas for easy Halloween cookies.
Read The Trucks That Saved Halloween: If your little one loves construction trucks, pumpkins and not-too-spooky Halloween fun, learn more about The Trucks That Saved Halloween.
Shop the Activity Supplies: You can find the mini pumpkins, chalk, trucks, gems and other supplies we reused throughout these activities on my Amazon Halloween Activity List
Easy Halloween Fun Doesn't Have to Be Complicated
You don't need a brand-new craft kit or elaborate setup every day to make Halloween feel special.
A bag of mini pumpkins, some sidewalk chalk and a few toys your kids already love can turn into a pumpkin race one afternoon, a treasure hunt the next and an entire Halloween carnival after that.
Whether you went on a neighborhood scavenger hunt, raced Dump Trucks full of pumpkins or tackled an entire Chocolate Cookie Haunted House, I hope you found something here that helps you make some sweet—and maybe slightly messy—Halloween memories together.
Happy Halloween! 🎃
Like these ideas? Share or save them for next year on your favorite Pinterest board!
More Halloween Posts:
The Trucks That Saved Halloween: A Not-So-Spooky Halloween Book for Kids Who Love Trucks
Go behind the scenes of The Trucks That Saved Halloween, a colorful new Halloween book for little truck lovers! See how pumpkin patches, costumes, carnival memories, family jokes and a very special Witch Ice Cream Truck inspired the Truck Team’s newest not-too-spooky adventure.
The Trucks that Saved Halloween artwork from start to finish
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I have officially published THREE children’s books!
The Trucks That Saved Halloween is the newest adventure in The Trucks That Saved series, and I wrote it for the same reason I started this whole adventure in the first place: my boys.
I wanted to create books they would be excited to pull off the shelf again and again—full of the trucks they love, bright colors, silly little details, and stories about friendship and helping others.
And while I absolutely love how The Trucks That Saved Halloween turned out, I have to admit something:
This one was hard to write!
Get your copy - The trucks that Saved Halloween is AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 1st!
Coming Up With The Trucks That Saved Halloween
The idea for this book didn’t come together quite as easily as my previous stories.
I knew I wanted to write a Halloween book. We have a TON of Halloween books in our house, and I was so excited about the idea of adding one of my own to our Halloween library.
I also knew one thing from the very beginning:
I wanted to dress the trucks up in costumes.
I could picture Dump Truck, Excavator, Crane Truck and their friends dressed up for Halloween, and the idea made me so happy.
But…what were they actually going to do?
Some of my favorite fall memories are going to the pumpkin patch and attending the carnival at my best friend’s school. I love everything about that classic fall festival feeling—the pumpkins, games, treats, decorations and especially the tractor ride.
My mom was actually the one who suggested that the trucks could build a carnival.
And I thought…why not build one for Halloween?!
Suddenly, I had my setting.
There was just one problem.
Were the Carnival and Costumes Two Different Books?
For a while, it really felt that way!
I had one story about the Truck Team building this amazing Halloween carnival, and another story in my head about all of the trucks choosing silly Halloween costumes.
I loved both ideas and didn’t want to give either one up.
But getting them to feel like one story instead of two stories smashed together was surprisingly difficult.
I tinkered. And rewrote. And moved things around. And tinkered some more.
Eventually, everything clicked.
The trucks could work together to transform an old farm into a cheerful Halloween carnival—and then, before it was time to truck-or-treat, there was one more problem to solve.
Crane Truck couldn’t decide what to be for Halloween!
That finally gave me a way to bring the carnival, the costumes, the friendship story and the Halloween fun together.
And I got to dress up my trucks after all.
Sketch of Dump Truck dressed as a Vampire for Halloween
Creating a Bright, Colorful Halloween
Once I had the story figured out, I couldn’t wait to start working on the illustrations.
Fall is SO much fun to draw.
I knew I wanted this book to have tons of beautiful fall colors—bright orange pumpkins, golden leaves, reds and yellows—but I also wanted it to feel different from the other books in the series.
So I brought in more pinks and purples.
The story starts in a bright autumn afternoon and gradually moves toward a colorful Halloween evening filled with pink, lavender, purple and blue instead of becoming dark or scary.
That was really important to me.
I wanted Halloween to look magical, colorful and fun.
My sketches and colors needed to make me happy—and hopefully make little kids happy when they turn the pages too!
Of Course There Had to Be a Tractor Ride
One of my absolute favorite things to do at the pumpkin patch is the tractor ride, so there was no way I was making a Halloween carnival without one.
The farm became such a fun backdrop for the story.
There are pumpkins, hay bales, fall trees, a red barn, a corn maze and all those little things that remind me of going to the pumpkin patch in the fall.
It was so much fun getting to create my version of the perfect kid-friendly Halloween carnival.
Colorful cauldron element from The Trucks that Saved Halloween
The Little Details Are My Favorite Part
Some of my favorite parts of the book probably aren’t the things most people will notice first.
They’re the tiny details I added for my boys.
At one point, a leaf lands right on Crane Truck’s nose.
It makes my little one laugh, so of course it stayed.
There’s also some silly witch’s brew involved—including stinky socks.
Why stinky socks?
Because taking off our shoes and joking about everyone’s stinky feet is apparently hilarious in our house.
And the potion colors?
Blue and green, because those are my boys’ favorite colors.
Those are the kinds of details I love sneaking into these books. They may seem completely random to everyone else, but I know exactly why they’re there.
Princess Monster Truck sketch for The Trucks that Saved Halloween
Adding a Princess Monster Truck
One of my son’s friends had a very important request when she heard about the book:
It needed a princess!
And she was right.
So I added a Princess Monster Truck.
I loved getting to bring another girl character into the Truck Team world while still keeping everything silly, colorful and truck-filled.
Because princesses and monster trucks absolutely belong in the same book.
“Truck-or-Treat!”
Another idea I knew I wanted to use was truck-or-treating.
It’s such a simple little play on “trick-or-treat,” but it felt perfect for the world of the Truck Team.
It also helped me make the Halloween celebration feel especially fun and approachable for toddlers and preschoolers.
Instead of making Halloween about things being frightening, I wanted the story to focus on the parts little kids tend to love: costumes, pumpkins, candy, friends, silly surprises and getting to celebrate together.
Ice Cream Truck sketch as a witch for Halloween
My Favorite New Character: Witch Ice Cream Truck
Okay, I might have saved my favorite part for last.
I turned Ice Cream Truck into a witch.
And I LOVE her.
I knew immediately that I wanted her Halloween colors to include pink and green, which is a color combination I’ve loved forever.
There’s actually a very random childhood reason for that.
My bedroom growing up was pink, and I had a pink-and-green Laura Ashley comforter with a matching border around the room. Apparently that color combination stuck with me because all these years later, here I am putting it on a witch ice cream truck!
She has a giant floppy witch hat, pink details, a broom, Halloween treats and a candy-filled cauldron.
But there was one more thing she absolutely needed:
A black cat.
I LOVE cats, and I had a couple of black cats growing up, so there was really no question about whether my Halloween book needed one.
Of course it did.
Witch Ice Cream Truck ended up becoming one of my favorite characters I’ve created. She’s colorful and sweet and just the right amount of witchy without being scary.
Ice Cream Truck as a witch from The Trucks that Saved Halloween
A Halloween Book for Little Truck Lovers
At its heart, The Trucks That Saved Halloween is about the same things I want all of my Truck Team stories to celebrate: friendship, teamwork, helping others and having fun together.
Dump Truck, Excavator and Crane Truck realize that Halloween needs a little help, so they do what the Truck Team does best:
They get to work.
Together they transform an old farm into a cheerful Halloween carnival filled with rides, games, pumpkins, a corn maze and plenty of treats.
And when Crane Truck needs a little help of his own, his friends are there for him too.
It’s a Halloween story filled with construction trucks, costumes and plenty of silly Halloween magic—without making Halloween too scary for little readers.
The Trucks That Saved Halloween
is especially fun for kids who love:
Construction trucks
Dump trucks, excavators and cranes
Halloween and costumes
Pumpkin patches
Tractors and hayrides
Carnivals and fall festivals
Candy and Halloween treats
Bright, colorful picture books
Silly, not-too-spooky Halloween stories
Friendship and teamwork
It’s written especially with young truck lovers and preschool-age kids in mind.
Three Books!
It still feels a little surreal to say that.
What started with me wanting to make something special for my boys has turned into three books, and seeing these characters continue to have new adventures has been so much fun.
And this book may have been the hardest one for me to figure out, but that almost makes me love it even more.
There were so many moments when I couldn’t quite figure out how the carnival and costume stories belonged together.
Now I can’t imagine the book without either one.
And after all that tinkering, I’m thrilled that The Trucks That Saved Halloween finally gets to join the very large stack of Halloween books we pull out every fall.
Only now, one of them is ours. 📚🎃🚜
Where to Buy The Trucks That Saved Halloween
The Trucks That Saved Halloween is part of The Trucks That Saved children’s book series and is perfect for little readers who love trucks, Halloween and colorful adventures.
Get your copy - The trucks that Saved Halloween is AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 1st!
And if this is your first adventure with the Truck Team, you can also meet Dump Truck, Excavator, Crane Truck and their friends in The Trucks That Saved the Park.
Happy truck-or-treating! 🎃
The Trucks that Saved Series and Activity Books
Best Beaches in Maui for Kids, Toddlers & Families
Looking for the best beaches in Maui for kids? Discover calm, shallow beaches with easy parking, bathrooms, and toddler-friendly waves.
Airport Beach is a great beach in Maui for toddlers
Best Beaches in Maui for Kids
Finding the perfect beach in Maui with little ones can make all the difference. While Maui is full of beautiful beaches, not all of them are ideal for babies, toddlers, or younger kids.
When we’re looking for a family-friendly beach, we usually look for a few key things:
✔️ Calm water
✔️ A shallow entry into the ocean
✔️ Easy parking
✔️ Nearby bathrooms
We’ve been visiting Maui almost every year since 2013 and have explored beaches all over the island through different stages of life—from trips as a couple to vacations with two energetic little boys. We even spent an entire month living on Maui in 2021, giving us plenty of time to experience these beaches beyond a typical one-week vacation. These are the beaches our family keeps coming back to.
| Beach | Best For | Waves | Parking | Bathrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honokōwai Beach Park | Babies & toddlers | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Calm | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ✅ |
| Kapalua Bay | Toddlers & snorkeling | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Gentle | ⭐⭐⭐ | ✅ |
| Airport Beach | Young kids | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Gentle | ⭐⭐ | ✅ |
| Kaʻanapali Beach | Older kids & boogie boarding | ⭐⭐ More waves | ⭐⭐ | ✅ |
Kaʻanapali Beach is great for big kids who can swim really well
Kaʻanapali Beach
Kaʻanapali Beach is one of Maui’s most famous beaches, and for good reason. The water is crystal clear, the sand is soft, and there is plenty to do nearby. While it isn’t the calmest beach on the island, it’s perfect for older kids who love swimming, body boarding, or playing in the waves.
📍 Location: Fronting the Kaʻanapali Resort area near Whalers Village.
👶 Kid Friendly: Great for confident swimmers and older kids. The waves can be a lot of fun for boogie boarding, and there is plenty of room to spread out on the sand.
🍼 Toddler/Baby Friendly: Better for toddlers who enjoy playing in the sand rather than spending lots of time in the water. Depending on ocean conditions, the waves can become fairly strong.
🚗 Parking: There are a few free public parking lots, but they fill up quickly. If they’re full, parking at Whalers Village or one of the nearby resorts is usually the easiest option.
🚻 Amenities: Restrooms, restaurants, shopping, shaded walkways, and easy access to food and ice cream make this one of the most convenient beaches for families.
Airport Beach (Kahekili Beach Park) is good for little kids or toddlers with a shallow entry
Airport Beach (Kahekili Beach Park)
Airport Beach quickly became one of our favorite spots for little kids. Compared to Kaʻanapali Beach, the waves tend to be a little gentler with a shallower entry, making it a great place for toddlers to splash around.
Our boys loved running toward the waves as they rolled onto the shore and then racing away before the water could catch them. We probably spent an hour doing nothing but that!
📍 Location: Just north of Kaʻanapali near the Westin Nanea and Sheraton resorts.
👶 Kid Friendly: A wonderful beach for younger kids who want to play near the shoreline.
🍼 Toddler/Baby Friendly: One of our favorite beaches for toddlers thanks to the calmer water and gradual entry into the ocean.
🚗 Parking: There is a free public parking lot, but it’s fairly small and fills early. If you park near the Sheraton, be prepared for a longer walk to the beach.
🚻 Amenities: Public restrooms and showers are available nearby.
Kapalua Bay is the best beach for toddlers and babies.
Kapalua Bay
If you’re traveling with younger kids, Kapalua Bay is hard to beat. The crescent-shaped bay naturally protects the beach from larger waves, creating calmer water that’s perfect for swimming and snorkeling.
One of our favorite discoveries was walking over the grassy hill on the side of the bay where we spotted sea turtles resting on the rocks. It became one of the highlights of our trip.
📍 Location: North of Napili Bay in Kapalua.
👶 Kid Friendly: Excellent for swimming, snorkeling, and floating in calmer water.
🍼 Toddler/Baby Friendly: One of the best beaches on Maui for toddlers thanks to the protected bay and softer waves.
🚗 Parking: There is a public parking lot across the street, but it fills up quickly. Arriving early in the morning makes parking much easier.
🚻 Amenities: Public bathrooms, showers, nearby restaurants, and grassy areas for picnics.
Honokōwai Beach Park
Honokōwai Beach Park
Honokōwai Beach Park is one of Maui’s hidden gems for families with babies and toddlers.
A rock reef protects much of the shoreline, creating a calm, shallow pool where even little ones can safely splash and play. It almost feels more like a natural kiddie pool than the ocean.
The best part? There’s also a playground just steps from the sand, making it easy to switch between beach time and playtime.
📍 Location: Between Kaʻanapali and Napili along Lower Honoapiʻilani Road.
👶 Kid Friendly: Great for kids of all ages thanks to the combination of a calm beach and playground.
🍼 Toddler/Baby Friendly: Probably our favorite beach for babies and toddlers. The protected water is incredibly calm, and the playground is an added bonus for little ones who need a break from the sand.
🚗 Parking: Free parking lot adjacent to the park, with additional street parking nearby.
🚻 Amenities: Public restrooms, picnic tables, grassy areas, playground, outdoor showers, and easy beach access.
D.T. Fleming Beach Park next to The Burger Shack - great for big waves
D.T. Fleming Beach Park
D.T. Fleming Beach is one of our favorite beaches to relax while the kids play in the sand. It’s located just below the Ritz-Carlton, and one of our favorite Maui lunch spots, The Burger Shack, is only a short walk away. We often grab burgers and then spend the afternoon letting the boys run around on the beach.
The waves here are usually much bigger than some of the other beaches on this list, so we don’t recommend it for little ones who want to swim. Instead, it’s a great place to build sandcastles, chase waves along the shoreline, and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
📍 Location: North Kapalua, below the Ritz-Carlton Maui.
👶 Kid Friendly: Great for playing in the sand, flying kites, and running along the beach.
🍼 Toddler/Baby Friendly: Better for sand play than swimming because the shore break can be fairly strong.
🚗 Parking: Large public parking lot with easy beach access.
🚻 Amenities: Restrooms, showers, picnic areas, lifeguards, and The Burger Shack just steps away.
Waiʻānapanapa State Park (Black Sand Beach) - best beach on the Road to Hana
Waiʻānapanapa State Park (Black Sand Beach)
One of our favorite stops on the Road to Hana is the stunning black sand beach at Waiʻānapanapa State Park. Even if you don’t spend much time in the water, it’s absolutely worth visiting.
Our boys love exploring the black sand, watching the waves crash against the shoreline, and running back before the water reaches them. We usually pack a lunch and enjoy one of the picnic tables before exploring the trails around the park. The paved paths also make it fairly stroller-friendly for much of the area.
Be sure to reserve your entry time in advance, as reservations are required for both parking and admission. (Tripadvisor)
📍 Location: Waiʻānapanapa State Park on the Road to Hana.
👶 Kid Friendly: Perfect for exploring, hiking, tide pools (when conditions allow), and enjoying one of Maui’s most unique beaches.
🍼 Toddler/Baby Friendly: Great for sightseeing and short walks. The waves and rocky shoreline make it less ideal for swimming with little ones.
🚗 Parking: Large parking lot available with advance reservations.
🚻 Amenities: Public restrooms, picnic tables, walking trails, and scenic overlooks.
Palauea Beach (White Rock Beach)
If you’re looking for a quieter beach away from the larger resorts, Palauea Beach is a wonderful hidden gem. The small coves along the shoreline make it feel like you have your own little section of beach.
After spending some time at the beach, continue driving south toward La Perouse Bay and the Hoapili Trail. This area is covered in ancient lava fields, and we’ve almost always spotted wild black goats wandering through the rocks. It became one of our boys’ favorite unexpected Maui adventures!
📍 Location: Just south of Wailea along Mākena Road.
👶 Kid Friendly: Great for exploring quieter coves and enjoying a less crowded beach.
🍼 Toddler/Baby Friendly: Nice for sand play, though parents should keep an eye on changing surf conditions.
🚗 Parking: Small public parking lot with a short walk to the beach.
🚻 Amenities: Limited amenities, so plan ahead before arriving.
Baby beach near Mala Ramp is a great beach in Maui for babies and toddlers
Baby Beach
Baby Beach is one of the most recommended beaches on Maui for families with babies and toddlers, and it’s definitely on our list for our next trip. A reef protects the shoreline, creating calm, shallow water that’s ideal for little ones to splash and play.
While we haven’t spent time at Baby Beach itself, we have visited the area several times for scuba diving out of Mala Ramp. There’s a dirt parking lot near the boat ramp, and from what we’ve read, that’s now the recommended access point to Baby Beach as Lahaina continues to rebuild following the 2023 wildfires. If you decide to visit, be respectful of the community, follow posted signs, and use the north entrance near Mala Ramp.
📍 Location: North Lahaina, near Mala Ramp.
👶 Kid Friendly: Calm, protected water makes this one of the most popular beaches for young families.
🍼 Toddler/Baby Friendly: One of the best beaches on Maui for babies and toddlers thanks to the shallow, reef-protected lagoon.
🚗 Parking: Dirt parking lot near Mala Ramp. Arrive early, especially during busy travel seasons.
🚻 Amenities: Limited amenities, so come prepared with water, snacks, and beach gear.
Our Favorite Maui Beach for Toddlers
If you’re visiting Maui with babies or toddlers, our top picks would be:
🥇 Honokōwai Beach Park – Best overall for babies and toddlers thanks to the calm, shallow water and playground.
🥈 Kapalua Bay – Beautiful protected bay with gentle waves and a chance to spot sea turtles.
🥉 Airport Beach – A quieter alternative to Kaʻanapali with a more gradual entry into the water.
For older kids who love jumping in the waves (or an adventurous dive off Black Rock) or trying a boogie board, Kaʻanapali Beach is still one of the most fun beaches on the island.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best beach in Maui for toddlers?
Our favorite beach for toddlers is Honokōwai Beach Park. The reef creates a calm, shallow area that's almost like a natural swimming pool, and the playground is just steps from the sand. It's the perfect combination for little ones who need a break from the beach.
Which Maui beach has the calmest water for kids?
For calm water, we recommend Honokōwai Beach Park, Kapalua Bay, and Baby Beach. These beaches are protected from large waves, making them excellent choices for younger children.
What beach in Maui has a playground?
Honokōwai Beach Park is one of our favorite family beaches because it has both a playground and a protected beach. It's a great place to spend an entire morning with babies, toddlers, or preschoolers.
Are Maui beaches safe for babies?
Many Maui beaches are great for babies, but ocean conditions can change daily. We always recommend checking the surf before getting in the water and choosing beaches with calmer, protected coves such as Honokōwai Beach Park, Kapalua Bay, or Baby Beach.
Which Maui beach is best for boogie boarding?
For older kids, Kāʻanapali Beach is our favorite. Depending on the day's conditions, the waves are often perfect for body boarding and splashing around.
Which Maui beach is best for snorkeling with kids?
Kapalua Bay is one of the best places to snorkel with kids because the bay is naturally protected, making the water calmer and easier to explore. Keep an eye out for sea turtles around the rocks!
Which Maui beaches have bathrooms?
Most of the beaches on this list have nearby public restrooms, including:
Honokōwai Beach Park
Kapalua Bay
Airport Beach (Kahekili Beach Park)
D.T. Fleming Beach Park
Waiʻānapanapa State Park
Do I need reservations for the Black Sand Beach?
Yes. Waiʻānapanapa State Park requires advance reservations for both entry and parking. We highly recommend booking your reservation before your trip, especially during busy travel seasons.
What is the best beach in Maui for families?
If we had to choose just one, we'd recommend Honokōwai Beach Park. Between the calm water, playground, bathrooms, picnic tables, and easy parking, it's the beach our family returns to again and again.
How many days do you need in Maui with kids?
We recommend spending at least 5–7 days in Maui if you're traveling with kids. That gives you enough time to enjoy several beach days, explore the Road to Hana, relax by the pool, and avoid feeling rushed. If you're lucky enough to stay longer, even better—we've been visiting Maui since 2013 and even spent an entire month on the island in 2021, and we still find new places to explore!
See all MAUI POSTS or read our most recent:
3-Day Santa Cruz Itinerary with Kids: The Best Things to Do, Eat & Stay
Planning a family trip to Santa Cruz? Here's our exact 3-day Santa Cruz itinerary with toddlers, including redwoods, trains, beaches, playgrounds, restaurants, and hotel recommendations.
Checking out the redwood trees in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
3-Day Santa Cruz Itinerary with Young Kids
The first time I visited Santa Cruz was about 15 years ago, and let's just say it was a very different kind of trip.
Fast forward to today, and we're exploring Surf City with two high-energy little boys who don't nap and need constant activity to avoid a complete meltdown.
If that sounds familiar, this itinerary is for you.
We recently spent three days in Santa Cruz with our 2- and 4-year-old boys and packed our trip with redwood forests, steam trains, mini golf, beaches, playgrounds, ice cream, and plenty of opportunities to burn energy. Santa Cruz turned out to be one of our favorite California family destinations because there is so much to do within a short drive.
Here's exactly what we did, where we ate, where we stayed, and what I'd recommend for families visiting Santa Cruz with young kids.
Find Banana Slugs with kids near the Redwood Trees in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Why Santa Cruz is Great for Young Kids
Santa Cruz is one of those rare destinations that has a little bit of everything:
✔ Beaches and tide pools
✔ Redwoods and nature walks
✔ Trains and playgrounds
✔ The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
✔ Family-friendly restaurants
✔ Easy day trips nearby
Most attractions are within 15-20 minutes of each other, making it easy to fill your day without spending hours in the car.
Best Things to Do in Santa Cruz with Young Kids
Neptune's Kingdom Mini Golf - Santa Cruz Boardwalk
Neptune's Kingdom Mini Golf
📍 Location: 400 Beach St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk)
⏰ Time Needed: 45–60 minutes
👶 Best for: Ages 3+
💲 Cost: Paid attraction
⭐ Our Favorite? Yes!
Located at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Neptune's Kingdom is an 18-hole indoor pirate-themed mini golf course that was a huge hit with our boys.
Cannons randomly fire, seagulls pop out from hidden doors, and several holes feature glow-in-the-dark effects that kept the kids completely entertained.
If you're looking for a break from the sun or something fun to do after dinner, this is a great family activity.
Parent Tip: The course is indoors, making it a perfect option on chilly evenings or rainy days.
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
📍 Location: 400 Beach St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
⏰ Time Needed: 3–6 hours
👶 Best for: All ages
💲 Cost: Free to enter; ride tickets or wristbands required for rides
⭐ Our Favorite? Absolutely!
Even if your kids are too small for the big roller coasters, there are still plenty of rides geared toward younger children.
Our boys especially loved the smaller rides and watching the Giant Dipper race overhead. Before your visit, be sure to check the current height requirements so you know which attractions your kids can ride.
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
📍 Location: 101 N Big Trees Park Rd, Felton, CA 95018
⏰ Time Needed: 1–2 hours
👶 Best for: Toddlers & Preschoolers
💲 Cost: California State Park day-use parking fee
⭐ Our Favorite? Yes!
Just a short drive from downtown Santa Cruz, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park was one of our favorite stops of the trip.
The Redwood Grove Loop Trail is flat, easy for little legs, and stroller-friendly. The giant redwood trees are impressive even for young kids.
Parent tip: Turn the hike into a scavenger hunt and see if your kids can spot a Banana Slug. Ours became completely determined to find one and it kept them engaged for the entire walk. We found several Banana Slugs around 10:00 a.m. while the forest was still cool and damp. Check around the bases of large redwood trees where it's shady and moist.
Roaring Camp Railroads train stop
Roaring Camp Railroads
📍 Location: 5401 Graham Hill Rd, Felton, CA 95018
⏰ Time Needed: 2–3 hours
👶 Best for: All ages
💲 Cost: Paid attraction
⭐ Our Favorite? Definitely!
Located right next to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Roaring Camp Railroads is a must for families with young train lovers.
The historic steam train winds through towering redwood forests, crossing bridges and climbing into the mountains. It was easily one of the highlights of our trip.
This was easily one of the highlights of our trip. If your kids love trains, don't skip this one.
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center
📍 Location: 35 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
⏰ Time Needed: 45–60 minutes
👶 Best for: Toddlers & Elementary-age kids
💲 Cost: Free
⭐ Our Favorite? Great rainy-day or break-from-the-beach activity!
Don't expect an aquarium—there aren't any live animals here—but don't let that stop you from visiting.
The Exploration Center is completely free and packed with hands-on exhibits designed for kids. Our boys loved creating waves, building a magnetic kelp forest, listening to underwater marine animal sounds, and using magnetic fishing poles to learn about recycling and ocean conservation.
It's a fun indoor stop if you need a break from the beach or are looking for something educational.
Parent Tip: The center closes at 4:00 p.m., so plan to visit earlier in the day.
Santa Cruz Wharf
📍 Location: 21 Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
⏰ Time Needed: 1–2 hours
👶 Best for: All ages
💲 Cost: Free to visit
⭐ Our Favorite? Yes—don't skip it!
Conveniently across from Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center, take a stroll down the wharf!
Even if you don't plan to eat here, the Wharf is worth visiting. The boys kept looking over the railings to watch the sea lions lounging and barking beneath the pier. There are also candy shops, souvenir stores, restaurants, and beautiful views of the beach and Boardwalk.
Santa Cruz Riverwalk Playground - Serpent Slide
Santa Cruz Riverwalk Playground
📍 Location: San Lorenzo Riverwalk, Santa Cruz, CA
⏰ Time Needed: 30–60 minutes
👶 Best for: Toddlers & Preschoolers
💲 Cost: Free
⭐ Our Favorite? Great energy burner before dinner!
If your kids still have energy to burn (ours always do!), the Santa Cruz Riverwalk Playground is a great stop.
Located near downtown, this neighborhood playground has plenty of room to climb, slide, and run around before heading to dinner or back to the hotel. It became the perfect late-afternoon reset for our family after a busy day of sightseeing.
Leo's Haven at Chanticleer County Park
📍 Location: 1935 Chanticleer Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
⏰ Time Needed: 1–2 hours
👶 Best for: Toddlers & Preschoolers
💲 Cost: Free
⭐ Our Favorite? One of the best playgrounds!
Leo's Haven is absolutely worth the short drive.
This massive farm-themed playground is fully fenced, making it perfect for little explorers. There are climbing structures, slides, swings, sensory play areas, and plenty of room for kids to burn off energy.
If you're traveling with young children, I'd put this near the top of your list.
Neary Lagoon
📍 Location: Bay St & California St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
⏰ Time Needed: 30–60 minutes
👶 Best for: All ages
💲 Cost: Free
⭐ Our Favorite? A peaceful hidden gem.
Neary Lagoon is one of Santa Cruz's hidden gems.
The floating boardwalk winds through a peaceful freshwater marsh where kids can look for ducks, turtles, fish, and birds. It's an easy walk for little legs and offers a nice change of pace from the busy Boardwalk.
If your kids enjoy spotting wildlife, this is a fun and relaxing stop.
Where to Eat with Kids in Santa Cruz
One thing we loved about Santa Cruz was how easy it was to find casual, family-friendly restaurants. With a toddler and preschooler, we usually prioritize quick service, outdoor seating, and kid-approved food over anything fancy.
El Hermoso Mar
📍 Location: 45 Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
⏰ Time Needed: 45–60 minutes
👨👩👧👦 Good For: Lunch or dinner with kids
💲 Price: $$
⭐ Our Favorite? Yes!
This was one of our favorite meals of the trip. Located near the harbor, El Hermoso Mar serves delicious Mexican food with plenty of options for kids. Our boys happily devoured tacos and quesadillas while we enjoyed a more flavorful meal than the typical kid-friendly chain restaurant.
If the weather is nice, grab your food and enjoy the harbor views nearby while the kids stretch their legs.
The Picnic Basket
📍 Location: 125 Beach St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
⏰ Time Needed: 30–45 minutes
👨👩👧👦 Good For: Breakfast or lunch before the beach
💲 Price: $$
⭐ Our Favorite? Great quick stop!
Located across from Main Beach, The Picnic Basket is perfect before or after a beach day.
They offer a dedicated kids menu and serve casual favorites like sandwiches, salads, and grilled cheese. The atmosphere is relaxed and family-friendly, making it an easy choice when everyone is hungry and ready for a quick meal.
Bonus: They also serve scoops from Penny Ice Creamery.
The Crow's Nest
📍 Location: 2218 E Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
⏰ Time Needed: 1–1½ hours
👨👩👧👦 Good For: Family dinner with harbor views
💲 Price: $$$
⭐ Our Favorite? Beautiful location!
If you're looking for a sit-down restaurant with a view, The Crow's Nest is a great family option.
Overlooking the harbor, it offers beautiful waterfront views while still being welcoming to families with young children. One of the highlights for kids is the treasure chest they can choose a prize from after their meal—a simple touch that our boys would absolutely love.
Penny Ice Creamery in Downtown Santa Cruz
Best Ice Cream in Santa Cruz
No family trip to Santa Cruz is complete without ice cream.
Penny Ice Creamery
📍 Location: Multiple locations (we visited the Downtown Santa Cruz location)
⏰ Time Needed: 20–30 minutes
🍦 Known For: House-made ice cream & toasted marshmallow fluff
💲 Price: $
⭐ Our Favorite? Absolutely!
If you only visit one ice cream shop in Santa Cruz, make it Penny Ice Creamery.
Their handcrafted ice cream is delicious, but the real star is the famous toasted marshmallow fluff they torch right on top of your scoop. Watching the marshmallow being toasted was almost as exciting for our boys as eating the ice cream itself.
There are multiple locations throughout Santa Cruz, but we especially liked the downtown location during our visit.
Marianne's Ice Cream
📍 Location: Multiple locations (we visited the Ocean Street location)
⏰ Time Needed: 20–30 minutes
🍦 Known For: Dozens of classic and unique ice cream flavors
💲 Price: $
⭐ Our Favorite? A Santa Cruz classic!
A Santa Cruz institution, Marianne's has been serving ice cream for generations.
They offer dozens of flavors ranging from classic favorites to more unique local specialties. If everyone in your family likes something different, Marianne's is a great choice because there are so many options to choose from.
It's one of those places that feels like a classic beach-town tradition.
Where to Stay in Santa Cruz with Young Kids
We stayed at the Hyatt Place Santa Cruz and it worked really well for our family.
The rooms were spacious enough for our two boys to play and unwind after a full day of activities, which is always a huge win when traveling with young kids. We also appreciated the heated pool, outdoor fire pits, and complimentary breakfast each morning.
The location made it easy to access both downtown Santa Cruz and the Boardwalk while still providing a comfortable place to recharge at the end of the day.
For families looking for a reliable hotel with plenty of space and family-friendly amenities, I would definitely consider staying here.
→ See our full review here: Hyatt Place Santa Cruz
Our boys are too big for cribs but not quite ready for regular hotel beds, so we brought our inflatable toddler beds. The room had plenty of floor space to comfortably fit both beds without feeling cramped.
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center
3-Day Itinerary in Santa Cruz with Kids
If you have active kids who need constant stimulation to avoid a meltdown, Santa Cruz is an absolute playground. Because our boys don't nap, we packed our schedule full of redwoods, roller coasters, and beach days. Here is our exact, tried-and-tested 3-day Santa Cruz itinerary for active families.
Day 1: Tacos, Tide Air, & Twilight Mini Golf
1:00 PM – Land at San Jose Airport (SJC): Grab your rental car or bags. The drive from SJC to Santa Cruz takes about 45 minutes winding through the scenic Highway 17.
2:00 PM – Check-In at Hyatt Place Santa Cruz: We chose this as our base camp because it’s centrally located and offers crucial perks for families (more on that in our hotel review!).
3:00 PM – Neptune’s Kingdom at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: Skip the big roller coasters on arrival day if the kids are tired from travel, and head straight for a 10-minute walk to the boardwalk. We played 18 holes of pirate-themed mini golf at Neptune’s Kingdom.
Tip for parents: A few of the holes glow in the dark, which is a massive hit for high-stimulation kids.
6:00 PM – Beachside Dinner at El Hermoso Mar: Instead of a formal sit-down restaurant, grab quick tacos and quesadillas here. Walk your food over to the Aloha Terrace Group Picnic Area. It’s the perfect spot to watch boats sail by and beach volleyball games while the kids burn off their remaining energy running in the sand.
7:00 PM – Walk Back & Wind Down: Walk back to the Hyatt Place to start the bedtime routine before day two.
Day 2: Redwoods, Steam Trains, & Marine Life
8:00 AM – Fuel Up: Take advantage of the free hot breakfast at the hotel to save time and money.
9:00 AM – Hike Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park: Head inland to the mountains (about a 15-20 minute drive). Do the Redwood Grove Loop Trail. It’s completely flat, stroller-friendly, and lets the kids climb inside massive, hollowed-out Redwood trees.
Active Kid Challenge: Challenge your kids to spot a Banana Slug 🐌 on the forest floor. It kept our boys completely locked in and hunting along the trail!
10:30 AM – Roaring Camp Railroads: Right next door to the park is Roaring Camp. We hopped on the authentic steam train for a ride through the mountain forest. It’s loud, exciting, and highly engaging for kids who love trains
12:30 PM – Lunch at Georgie’s Cook House: Located right inside Roaring Camp. Expect theme-park pricing, but it's convenient: it cost us about $40 for a standard kid-friendly spread of chicken nuggets, hot dogs, hamburgers, and fries.
2:00 PM – Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center: Head back down to the beach. This center features interactive exhibits, and admission is completely free.
Note: They close at 4:00 PM, so make sure you don't arrive too late!
3:30 PM – Stroll the Santa Cruz Wharf: Walk right outside the exploration center onto the historic wharf to look for sunbathing sea lions barking under the pier.
4:00 PM – Hotel Recharge: A quick reset, snack, and outfit change back at the room.
5:00 PM – Santa Cruz Riverwalk Playground: If your kids still have energy to burn before dinner, walk over to this local playground to let them climb.
6:15 PM – Dinner: We kept it simple and ate back at the hotel to keep the mood relaxed.
7:00 PM – Dessert at The Penny Ice Creamery: You cannot leave Santa Cruz without trying this spot. They make everything from scratch, and getting a scoop topped with their famous toasted marshmallow fluff is the ultimate reward for a packed day.
Day 3: A Sweet Goodbye to Surf City
8:00 AM – Free Breakfast at Hyatt Place: One last round of free breakfast to fuel up for the road ahead.
9:30 AM – Hit the Road: Pack up the car and begin the scenic drive down the California coast!
Frequently Asked Questions About Visiting Santa Cruz with Kids
Is Santa Cruz good for toddlers and preschoolers?
Yes! Santa Cruz has a great mix of beaches, playgrounds, nature walks, trains, and family-friendly attractions. We visited with a 2- and 4-year-old and found plenty to keep them entertained for three full days.
How many days do you need in Santa Cruz with kids?
We found that three days was the perfect amount of time. It gave us enough time to visit the Boardwalk, ride the Roaring Camp train, explore the redwoods, enjoy the beach, and still have time for ice cream and playground stops.
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center
What are the best things to do in Santa Cruz with young kids?
Some of our favorite activities included:
Roaring Camp Railroads
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Neptune's Kingdom Mini Golf
Leo's Haven Playground
Santa Cruz Wharf
Penny Ice Creamery
Is the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk good for toddlers?
Yes, although many rides have height requirements. There are several rides designed specifically for younger children, plus arcade games, mini golf, and the beach right next door.
Where should families stay in Santa Cruz?
We stayed at the Hyatt Place Santa Cruz and found it to be a great option for families. The spacious rooms, heated pool, free breakfast, and convenient location worked well for our trip.
What is the best ice cream in Santa Cruz?
Two local favorites are Penny Ice Creamery and Marianne's Ice Cream. Penny is famous for its toasted marshmallow fluff topping, while Marianne's offers dozens of classic and unique flavors.
When is the best time to visit Santa Cruz with kids?
Spring, summer, and early fall are all great times to visit. We visited in spring and enjoyed mild temperatures, fewer crowds, and plenty of outdoor activities.
Can you visit Santa Cruz without riding the big roller coasters?
Absolutely. Our kids were far too young for most of the larger rides, and we still filled three days with family-friendly activities including mini golf, train rides, beaches, playgrounds, redwood hikes, and ice cream stops.
See all CALIFORNIA POSTS, or here are the latest:
Hyatt Place Santa Cruz Review: A Great Family Hotel Near the Boardwalk
Planning a Santa Cruz family vacation? See our Hyatt Place Santa Cruz review, including breakfast, pool, rooms, and nearby attractions.
We were looking for a family-friendly hotel in Santa Cruz and the Hyatt Place Santa Cruz ended up being a great fit for our trip.
Location: 407 Broadway, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
We used our annual free night certificate from our Hyatt credit card, which honestly felt like a pretty great redemption.
The hotel had spacious rooms, free breakfast, a heated pool, and was close to so many toddler-friendly activities around Santa Cruz.
➡️ CHECK ROOM RATES HERE: HYATT PLACE SANTA CRUZ
Hyatt Place Santa Cruz had a very nice lobby to lounge in
Why We Chose Hyatt Place Santa Cruz for Our Family Trip
Traveling with toddlers means our hotel checklist looks a little different these days.
We wanted:
✔ Space for toddler beds
✔ Free breakfast
✔ Pool for downtime
✔ Close to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
✔ Easy access to family activities
The Hyatt Place Santa Cruz checked all of those boxes.
🚂 See our full 3-Day Itinerary in Santa Cruz with Kids and (what we did that tired them out) here: https://www.thesweetestescapes.com/blog/santa-cruz-itinerary-with-young-kids
A fridge is always handy for leftovers or holding yogurts! The Hyatt Place Santa Cruz had a nice sized mini fridge.
My biggest complaint is the powdered milk for creamer in the room, but I just went downstairs and grabbed a freshly brewed coffee with cream in the morning.
Open mini fridge (empty) in Hyatt Place Santa Cruz
Hyatt Place Santa Cruz Amenities for Families
Free Breakfast that is included with Hyatt Santa Cruz room - eggs, French toast, sausage, potatoes
Free Breakfast Included
The hotel includes complimentary breakfast in the lobby area every morning.
When you have toddlers, quick food options are a lifesaver and while this wasn’t the best hotel breakfast we’ve ever had, it absolutely worked for busy mornings.
Breakfast options during our stay included:
Fruit Loops and Cheerios for the kids
Eggs
Breakfast potatoes (hash browns or diced potatoes depending on the day)
Sausage or bacon
French toast, waffles, or pancakes
Donut holes
Bagels and toast
Yogurt and granola
Fresh fruit
Sometimes you just need food immediately with little ones and this definitely made mornings easier.
Pool at the Hyatt Place in Santa Cruz is perfect for kids
Heated Pool, Spa & Fire Pits
The pool area was another big hit for families.
Amenities included:
Heated pool
Spa / hot tub
Outdoor rinse shower before heading back to your room
Evening fire pits
S’mores kits available for purchase
One note for families with little swimmers: the pool appeared to be under 5 feet deep, which felt very kid-friendly.
Large rooms at the Hyatt Place Santa Cruz - perfect for families
Spacious Rooms Make a Huge Difference with Toddlers
One thing we loved most was how spacious our room felt.
Our boys are in that awkward phase where they’re too big for cribs but we don’t trust them on tall hotel beds yet, so we travel with our Rigalo Toddler Inflatable beds.
Sometimes hotel rooms feel cramped once we set them up, but our room at Hyatt Place Santa Cruz felt huge.
We stayed in Room 331, which had a wider layout (some rooms appear longer and narrower).
The extra width gave us room for:
Two toddler beds
Walking space around them
Storage space when not in use
Enough open floor area that the boys could literally do cartwheels
We also had a slight view of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and even a small peek of the ocean in the distance.
My favorite part of the room was the cozy couch nook! there is an “L” shaped pull out couch sofa with a lamp overhead creating a cute little nook where we sat and read bedtime stories. I had the boys snuggle up and we read a few of our favorite books we packed including The Trucks that Saved the Park!
Cozy nook at the Hyatt Place Santa Cruz - perfect for reading books to kids
Bathroom in hotel room at Hyatt Place Santa Cruz did not have a bath tub for kids
Hyatt Place Santa Cruz is a great central location
We loved the location of the Hyatt Place Santa Cruz because it was close to the boardwalk while also being within easy driving distance of several toddler activities.
Serpent Slide at San Lorenzo Park - walking distance from Hyatt Place Santa Cruz
Things to Do Near Hyatt Place Santa Cruz with Kids
San Lorenzo Park
Location: 137 Dakota Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
We walked less than 10 mins to the San Lorenzo Park that had a cute playground! It had lots of structures to climb and burn out some kid afternoon energy. There was
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Location: 400 Beach St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
The hotel is about a 15-minute walk to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
That said, personally I’m not sure I would choose to walk back after dark with little kids.
We drove and found parking by the boardwalk for $5 midweek in May 2026.
The valet mentioned nearby lots can reach around $30, especially on weekends.
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Location: 101 N Big Trees Park Rd, Felton, CA 95018
One of our favorite stops was the flat Redwood Grove Loop Trail at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.
It was only about 15 minutes from the hotel and perfect for toddlers.
The loop is approximately one mile, mostly flat, and stroller friendly.
Roaring Camp Train in Santa Cruz - fun thing to do with toddlers
Ride the Roaring Camp Train Through the Redwoods
Location: 5401 Graham Hill Rd, Felton, CA 95018
Right next to the redwoods is Roaring Camp Railroads.
They offer train rides through the redwoods (we saw departures twice daily during our visit).
We were also told the Beach Train connecting the boardwalk and redwoods is beautiful, though it can be slower because it travels through town and stops frequently at crossings and intersections.
Final Thoughts: Is Hyatt Place Santa Cruz Worth It for Families?
For families traveling with toddlers and young kids, Hyatt Place Santa Cruz worked really well for us.
The highlights were definitely:
✔ Spacious rooms
✔ Free breakfast
✔ Heated pool and fire pits
✔ Close to the Boardwalk
✔ Easy access to toddler activities like Henry Cowell and Roaring Camp
If you travel with inflatable toddler beds like we do, the room size alone was a huge win.
➡️ CHECK ROOM RATES HERE: HYATT PLACE SANTA CRUZ
Disneyland With Toddlers: 10 Tips We Learned Visiting With Two Little Boys
Planning Disneyland with toddlers? Here are our favorite Disneyland tips, Rider Swap hacks, toddler rides, hotel recommendations, and California Adventure favorites from visiting with our two boys.
One of my favorite parts of Disneyland with toddlers isn’t even the rides — it’s watching them take it all in. ✨
Disneyland with toddlers is one of those trips that feels equally magical and slightly chaotic at the same time.
We’ve now visited Disneyland multiple times with our two boys and every trip we learn something new. We’ve learned where to start, which rides are actually worth it for little kids, when Rider Swap saves the day, and which waits are absolutely not worth it with toddlers. Don’t miss our Southern California ticket hack too!
If you’re heading to Disneyland with little ones, these are the tips that have worked best for our family.
Look closely - Mary Poppins and Bert are often found in Fantasyland!
1. Bring ALL the Snacks (and Don’t Feel Like You Have to Take the Tram)
My number one Disneyland tip for toddlers? Snacks. So many snacks. Don’t forget to bring some for you too.
We usually load up before heading into the parks because little kids seem to become hungry approximately every 17 minutes at Disneyland.
We always bring a stroller because it ends up carrying everything — snacks, water bottles, jackets, souvenirs, and occasionally tired children. Also, you might want to put an Airtag in the stroller in case you forget where it is!
One thing to know though: if you take the tram from the parking garage, you have to fold the stroller. Our stroller is a pain to fold so we usually skip the tram entirely and walk through Downtown Disney to the parks instead. It’s an easy walk and saves us the stroller fold-up process.
Sleeping Beauty's castle decorated for the 70th Anniversary celebration at Disneyland.
2. Get There Right When the Park Opens
If you only take one piece of advice from this post, let it be this:
Get there early!
The first few hours of the day are magic at Disneyland with toddlers.
Wait times are shorter, it’s cooler outside, kids still have energy, and you can knock out several rides before the crowds build.
Rope drop is absolutely worth it for families. Besides, aren’t you up at the crack of dawn anyway?!
3. Start in Toontown
If you have toddlers, Toontown is our favorite place to start.
Our boys love:
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Gadget’s Go Coaster
Exploring Toontown
Meeting Mickey in his house
Meeting Mickey first thing in the morning has usually meant shorter waits for us too.
Toontown just feels made for little kids and is such a fun way to start the day.
There is a stationary Dumbo when you get off the ride so you can get that picture perfect shot!
4. Keep an Eye on Fantasyland Wait Times (or Head to Big Thunder!)
Fantasyland is obviously classic Disneyland toddler territory, but don’t forget to watch the wait times. Don’t wait more than 40 mins for anything. Dumbo is great but only when the line is 20 mins or less.
And if you happen to have a little thrill seeker…
Big Thunder Mountain might surprise you.
Our son LOVES Big Thunder.
A 20–30 minute wait for Big Thunder is pretty good in our book, and it has become one of his favorite rides. There is a 40 inches height requirement for this one! Check before you go!
We also LOVE Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters.
5. Learn Rider Swap — It Is the Parent Hack Nobody Told Us About
Rider Swap is one of the best things Disneyland offers for families with little kids.
Here’s how it works:
If one child is too small (or doesn’t want to ride), one parent rides first while the other waits with the younger child.
Then the second parent gets to ride without waiting in the full line again.
You just need to talk to the Cast Member at the ride entrance before anyone gets in line.
We’ve used Rider Swap on so many attractions and it makes a huge difference.
It’s especially helpful if you have one toddler who loves bigger rides and one who isn’t ready yet.
Galaxy’s Edge ended up being way more toddler-friendly than we expected. Meeting Chewbacca was a huge hit for our little Star Wars fan. ✨
6. Don’t Skip Galaxy’s Edge if Your Kids Love Star Wars
Our boys are huge Star Wars fans and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run was a massive hit.
Honestly, Galaxy’s Edge ended up being way more toddler-friendly than I expected.
Even walking around the land was fun for them. Give Chewbacca a high five and say hi to Han Solo!
If you have little Star Wars fans, definitely add this to your Disneyland day.
Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree is the best toddler ride and relatively short line!
7. California Adventure Has Some Great Toddler Rides Too
We love Disneyland, but California Adventure has become one of our boys’ favorites too.
Our must-do rides are:
WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure
Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
The Little Mermaid
Mater is always a hit.
And The Little Mermaid is such a nice break when you need air conditioning and a slower ride.
Eat at Flo’s and catch Lightning McQueen an Mater roll by!
8. Don’t Wait in the Radiator Springs Racers Line
This may be my slightly controversial Disneyland opinion…
Don’t wait in the regular Radiator Springs Racers line.
We have almost never seen it under an hour and it breaks down fairly often.
If it fits your budget, this is the ride I would consider buying Lightning Lane for.
And if you can combine it with Rider Swap? Even better.
Pro Tip: Our favorite place to eat is Flo’s Cafe. If you sit in the back patio area, Lightning and Mater drive by! Chicken nuggets and fries for the kiddos is one of our favorite meals there.
Meeting Mater and Lighting McQueen was DEFINITELY a highlight for our little Cars fan!
9. Pixar Pier Is Great for Toy Story Fans
If your kids love Toy Story, don’t miss Pixar Pier.
Toy Story Midway Mania is one of our family favorites and is always a hit.
There’s just something about competing for points that keeps everyone happy — kids and adults included. I will beat Josh one day… I swear!
10. Don’t Miss the Spider-Man Show in California Adventure
One thing that surprised us was how much our boys loved the Spider-Man training show near the entrance of California Adventure.
The show runs pretty frequently (about every 50 minutes or so) and lasts around 10 minutes.
You don’t need a huge strategy here.
We usually just walk over when it’s about to start.
Bonus: you can often meet Spider-Man nearby too.
Buzz Lightyear greeting our toddler at the beginning of the ride.
What We Pack for Disneyland With Toddlers
A few things we always bring:
✔ Snacks (LOTS!)
✔ Refillable water bottles
✔ Stroller
✔ Portable charger
✔ Change of clothes
✔ Hats + sunscreen
✔ Small toys for line waiting (always Hot Wheels cars - we have them everywhere)
✔ Extra wipes (always)
For quieter moments back at the hotel, we also usually pack a few screen-free activities.
Lately our boys have loved bringing books from The Trucks That Saved series and truck activities for downtime between park days.
Disney days are amazing, but having a little quiet hotel reset time has helped us a lot.
More Disneyland Posts You Might Like
Planning a holiday Disney trip?
→ Read our Disneyland at Halloween guide or Disneyland at Christmas guide
Need a sweet break between rides?
→ Check out our favorite Disneyland desserts
Disney fan?
→ Check out Walt Disney’s Office
Southern California Parent Hack: Use the 3-Day Resident Ticket
If you live in Southern California, this is one of our favorite Disneyland hacks.
Disneyland often offers a Southern California resident 3-day ticket between January and mid-May, and one of the best parts is that the days typically do not have to be consecutive.
We love this because it makes Disneyland feel so much more manageable with toddlers.
Instead of trying to squeeze everything into one long weekend, we can spread visits out and move at toddler pace.
Just make sure to check Disneyland’s current offers because they change year to year. Costco also sometimes offers a 3-day pass!
Our Favorite Family Hotel Near Disneyland
We almost always stay at Hyatt House Anaheim Resort / Convention Center and honestly… I think it might actually feel closer to walk from there than the parking structure.
It has become one of our favorite family hotel stays because it checks so many boxes for traveling with kids.
What we love:
✔ Walking distance to Disneyland
✔ Large rooms for families
✔ Small kitchen area
✔ Sitting space to spread out
✔ Free breakfast
✔ Hyatt free night certificates or points can work here
The breakfast isn’t the most amazing hotel breakfast we’ve ever had, but not paying for one extra Disney meal is a win in my book.
I’m planning a full review because this has honestly become our go-to Disneyland hotel.
Hyatt House Anahiem Resort Convention Center
1800 S Harbor Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92802, United States of America
Final Thoughts: Disneyland With Toddlers Is So Worth It
Disneyland with toddlers definitely looks different than pre-kid Disney trips.
There are more snack breaks, slower mornings, stroller parking, and bathroom stops…
But there’s also seeing Mickey through their eyes for the first time, watching them light up on their favorite ride, and hearing them talk about the trip for weeks afterward. 🥹
And honestly? That magic is pretty hard to beat.
More Disneyland Posts:
Free Truck Scavenger Hunt for Kids (Galactic Theme!) | Screen-Free Activity
Download a FREE truck scavenger hunt for kids! This fun, screen-free “Galactic Truck Mission” is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers who love trucks. 🚧✨
Free truck scavenger hunt - Galactic themed!
May the Fourth be with you! 🚧✨
Looking for a fun, screen-free activity for your truck-loving kids? We created this FREE Galactic Truck Mission to turn a simple walk into an adventure! My kids LOVE trucks and they love Star Wars, this was the perfect activity to play in the car together!
Kids can search for:
🔴 a red truck
🚧 a BIG truck
💡 a truck with lights
💨 a FAST truck
…and more!
It’s perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and early elementary kids.
Make it extra fun for May the Fourth by calling it a “truck mission!” 🚀
Download your free printable HERE:
Free Truck Scavenger Hunt for Kids (Galactic Theme!) | Screen-Free Activity
🚧 How to use it:
Take it on a walk, in the car, or even around your neighborhood. Let your kids point, spot, and get excited when they find each truck!
💛 If your kids love trucks, they’ll also love our book:
The Trucks That Saved the Park
✨ Want more easy activities like this?
Grab more free printables here
🌎 Earth Day with Kids: Simple, Sweet & (Mostly) Mess-Free Ideas
Looking for simple Earth Day ideas for kids? These fun, screen-free activities are perfect for toddlers and young children—easy, meaningful, and mom-approved.
Earth Day is coming up (April 22nd), and if you’re anything like me… you love the idea of doing something meaningful and engaging with your kids—but it also needs to be simple, doable, and not turn your house into a full construction zone! 😅
The good news? Celebrating Earth Day with little ones doesn’t have to be complicated. A few small activities can go a long way—and honestly, kids think it’s all pretty tree-mendous 🌳 (I had to, haha)
GRAB OUR FREE DOWNLOAD: Free Earth Day Activity Pack for Kids 🌿
Here are a few of our favorite easy ways to celebrate Earth Day with kids!
Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22nd and is all about taking care of our planet. It’s a day to slow down, get outside, and teach kids simple ways to help—like picking up trash, planting something new, or just appreciating nature. Even the smallest actions can make a big difference!
Saving the yard one load at a time 🌱🚧 our tiny clean-up crew reporting for duty
🌱 1. Backyard “Clean-Up Crew” Mission
Turn your kids into an official clean-up crew for the day (bonus points if you bring out toy trucks 👷♂️).
Grab:
A small bucket or bag
Gloves (or just brave little hands)
A “mission” mindset
Let them collect sticks, leaves, or any little bits around the yard or park.
👉 You can even say:
“Today we’re helping save the park!”
Suddenly it’s not cleaning… it’s a full-blown adventure. I need to apply this method inside too.
🌼 2. Plant Something (Anything Counts!)
No garden? No problem.
Plant flowers in a pot
Start herbs on a windowsill
Even tossing seeds in dirt = success
Let your kids water it and check on it each day. It’s a tiny reminder that big things grow from small beginnings 🌿
(Also a great lesson in patience… for all of us 😅)
A little Earth Day quiet time 🌎🎨 (screen-free and yes… trucks are involved, obviously 🚧💛)
🎨 3. Earth Day Coloring + Activity Time
This is my go-to when I want something calm, screen-free, and actually engaging.
Think:
Mazes
Simple “look & find” activities
It’s the perfect mix of fun + learning—and a great reset moment in the day.
👉 If your kids love trucks, you already know how this goes…
suddenly the dump truck is helping clean the park and the ice cream truck shows up at the end 🍦 (as it should)
🌿 Free Earth Day Activity Pack for Kids
If you’re looking for a simple way to celebrate Earth Day with your kids (without overcomplicating it 🙃), I put together a free printable Earth Day activity pack that makes it easy and fun.
It includes a mix of screen-free activities that little kids actually enjoy:
A cute Earth Day coloring page with our favorite truck friends
A nature scavenger hunt you can take outside
Easy Earth Day ideas you can do together
These are the kinds of activities we do with our boys — simple, hands-on, and just enough structure to keep them engaged without feeling like “work.”
👉 Perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and early learners
💛 Why we love this
Earth Day doesn’t have to be a big production to be meaningful.
Even small things — like going on a nature walk, planting something tiny, or picking up a few pieces of trash — help kids start to understand how to care for the world around them.
And honestly… adding a fun printable just makes it feel a little more special ✨
📥 Download your free pack
👉 Grab your free Earth Day Activity Pack here
(Print it at home, bring it outside, or save it for a rainy day — it’s one of those easy wins you’ll come back to every year.)
🌼 Pro tip
If you want to stretch this into a full afternoon activity:
Do the scavenger hunt first
Come back and color
Read The Trucks That Saved the Park together
Then talk about one small way your family can help the Earth
Simple, meaningful, and zero stress 🤍
The tiniest Earth Day discovery 🐞🌿 (and suddenly the walk became very important)
🚶♀️ 4. Take a “Nature Walk”… But Make It Fun
Instead of just walking, turn it into a game:
Can you find:
Something green 🌿
A flower 🌼
A rock 🪨
A bug 🐞
Little scavenger hunts = instant engagement.
And if snacks are involved? Even better.
♻️ 5. Talk About “Helping the Earth” (Kid Version)
My kids love to help and always ask if we can recycle anything we throw away. For our talk, we kept it super simple:
Throw trash away
Reuse what you can
Take care of nature
No big lectures needed—just small, everyday habits. The kids took it to heart, the hardest thing for us now is that our bath tub is full of reusable containers!
We love reading The Trucks That Saved the Park—
it follows Dump Truck, Crane Truck, Excavator, Cement Truck, and their hardworking friends as they come together to rebuild a park for everyone to enjoy.
From clearing debris and planting trees to building safe paths and playground spaces, the trucks show that even the biggest changes start with small acts of helping.
And along the way, they learn something really important— that caring for a community isn’t just about building… it’s about listening, helping, and making space for everyone!
💛 The Sweetest Part
At the end of the day, Earth Day doesn’t have to be perfect.
If your kids:
picked up a few sticks
colored a page (maybe from our Earth Day Activity Pack)
planted one tiny seed
…you’re doing it right!!
Because raising kind, curious little humans who care about the world around them?
That’s what really matters 🌎
✨ And if you’re looking for an easy, screen-free activity to add to your day, you can find our printable truck activity pack —perfect for quiet time, travel, or just a little break in between adventures.
Pin this for later 📌 so you have a few easy Earth Day ideas ready to go!
Earth Day Activities Kids Love - Easy and low prep
More fun family posts!
🐣 Best Easter Basket Stuffers for Truck-Loving Kids (2026 Guide)
Build the perfect truck-themed Easter basket with these fun, non-candy ideas for toddlers and preschoolers who love dump trucks and construction vehicles.
Our truck-themed Easter basket this year — mini construction toys, colorful eggs, and a cozy bedtime story we’ll be reading together on Easter night.
If your child sleeps with a dump truck, insists on pointing out every excavator at a construction site, and corrects you when you call a bulldozer a “tractor”… this Easter basket guide is for you.
Instead of loading up on candy that disappears in a day (and leads to the inevitable sugar crash), this list is filled with fun, practical, and creative Easter basket stuffers for truck-loving kids. These are items they’ll actually use long after the chocolate bunny is gone.
Whether you're building an Easter basket for a toddler obsessed with construction vehicles or a preschooler who knows the difference between a crane and a cement mixer, these ideas work for ages 2–8 and fit a variety of budgets.
Let’s build the ultimate truck-themed Easter basket. 🚜🐣
Shop all truck Easter basket finds here → Amazon Easter List
Truck-Shaped Easter Baskets (So Cute & Reusable)
Truck-shaped Easter baskets for toddlers and preschoolers who love construction vehicles.
First things first, If you’re building an Easter basket for a truck-loving kid… why not make the basket itself a truck!?
Instead of a regular basket, we’re using a construction truck plush basket that doubles as part of the gift. It makes Easter morning feel extra themed — and it doesn’t just get packed away after.
What I love about it:
It becomes toy storage after Easter (we store our Number Blocks and Hot Wheels in similar ones)
It’s part of pretend play
It actually gets used year-round
It instantly makes the whole basket feel cohesive
There’s something so fun about seeing little trucks peeking out of a bigger truck basket.
If you already know your child is truck-obsessed, this is such an easy win.
The other option is to get a big dump truck and fill it up with Easter grass, eggs, and chocolate bunny! We’re adding a small truck toy, a few stickers, and a copy of The Trucks That Saved the Park inside ours this year.
FREE Easter Truck Activity Page
Looking for a free printable to tuck inside your truck-themed Easter basket?
Download our FREE Easter Truck Activity Page and Easter Basket tags here → Easter Park Download
Small & Affordable Easter Truck Basket Fillers (Under $15)
These are the little items that make the basket feel full — without blowing your budget.
Small construction truck sets that are perfect for Easter basket stuffers and egg hunt prizes.
1. Mini Construction Vehicle Sets
Why they’re perfect:
Fit easily in baskets
Great for sensory bins
Easy outdoor play
We actually have multiple sets — a few for indoors, one for the bath, and one that lives in our park bag.
Pro tip: Through imaginative play, encourage the trucks to “work” on a construction site and use plastic Easter eggs as boulders. 🥚🚜🚧
This might buy you five whole minutes to run to the bathroom or take a sip of hot coffee. ☕️
Truck-themed stickers and temporary tattoos are easy, non-candy Easter basket fillers that kids actually get excited about.
2. Construction-Themed Stickers
Perfect for:
Water bottles
Sticker collection books
Easter egg stuffing
Pro tip: Grab a sticker collection book like this one to prevent stickers ending up on walls and furniture! We even color around the stickers to turn it into a full activity.
3. Truck Temporary Tattoos
Cheap
Fun
Zero sugar crash
Need I say more?
Slip a few into plastic eggs and call it a win.
Truck LEGO & Magnetic Tile Building Sets
Truck-themed LEGO sets and magnetic tile building kits are perfect for little builders who love construction vehicles.
These are played with EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. in our house.
Truck LEGO sets and magnetic tile building kits are the perfect combination of two things they already love: trucks and building.
These are perfect for:
Rainy spring afternoons
Quiet time activities
STEM-style play
Kids who love to build and rebuild
For younger toddlers, DUPLO-style truck sets are easier to assemble and great for developing fine motor skills. For older kids, construction-themed LEGO sets and magnetic tile building kits add more creativity and problem-solving.
My two-year-old loves building… but I think he actually loves destroying them even more.
I love including something like this in an Easter basket because it stretches the fun beyond Easter morning. Instead of candy that’s gone in a day, you’re giving something they’ll build with again and again.
Pro tip: I’ll help build a base structure and then let their creativity take over… or start dinner. 😉
Things we’ve built recently:
Dog houses
Spidey’s hideout
Jurassic Park
Costco 🤣
Bigger “Wow” Easter Basket Add-Ons
This year’s Easter basket: a big yellow dump truck, a few mini construction toys, and a story we’ll be reading together that night.
Tonka-Style Dump Truck
Always a crowd pleaser and trust me, you can never have too many dump trucks.
You can even fill the bed of the truck with Easter grass and hide eggs!
Construction-Themed Clothes, Pajamas, and Socks!
We love wearing trucks any chance we get — and Easter morning is no exception.
A pair of truck pajamas or construction socks adds height to the basket and gets worn immediately.
Practical and exciting? Yes please.
Easter-themed truck books that make the sweetest non-candy basket additions for little construction lovers.
Best Truck Books for Easter Baskets
If you’re trying to reduce candy and add something meaningful, a book is one of the best Easter basket additions.
Some of our favorites include:
Popular truck board books
Interactive lift-the-flap construction books
And of course, The Trucks That Saved the Park
If your child loves construction vehicles working together, you might also love The Trucks That Saved the Park — a story about teamwork, problem-solving, and helping your community.
Also grab The Trucks that Saved the Park Coloring Book to pair an activity with it.
There’s something extra sweet about ending Easter night with a cozy story after a full day of egg hunts.
The Trucks that Saved the Park, a perfect story book to add to your toddler’s 2026 Spring library.
A construction-themed coloring book for kids who love dump trucks, excavators, and big machines. Based on the story, The Trucks that Saved the Park.
Non-Candy Easter Basket Fillers That Still Feel Fun
Here are a few other fun truck themed ideas to stuff your Easter baskets with:
Construction bath bombs
Truck-shaped crayons
Play-Doh + mini trucks
Chalk + toy dump truck
Truck LIGHT UP Bath Toys <— OUR FAVORITE RIGHT NOW!!!
Take Apart Construction Trucks
Shop all truck Easter basket finds here → Amazon Easter List
Looking for a fun Easter activity and fun tradition to do with kids?
Try building a Sugar Cookie Easter house! See our Easter Cottage Sugar Cookie House post for a template, recipe, and step-by-step instructions!
Easter Bunny Cottage not made from Gingerbread but with Sugar cookie dough!
Easter baskets don’t have to be complicated to feel special. A few mini trucks, a fun activity, and a cozy story can turn Easter morning into something kids remember long after the candy is gone.
If you’re planning an Easter basket for a truck-loving kid this year, I hope these ideas help you build something fun and meaningful.
📌 Save this post on Pinterest or share it with a friend so you can find these truck-themed Easter basket ideas again later!
Easter Basket ideas for kids that love trucks
More Holiday posts:
Inspired by Cars Land at Disneyland Halloween Time, we turned our Radiator Springs playset into a mini Halloween town with pumpkins, lights, trees and spiderwebs — for less than $10. This easy Halloween activity took about 10 minutes to set up and gave an old favorite toy new life.