Imagination, Fear, And Nightmares In Young Children During Halloween

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Halloween is just around the corner and many of the autumn seasonal festivities have already started. Many of you have already gone to pumpkin patches or apple picking. You might have gone leaf peeping and started sipping cider. Perhaps you’ve also gone to haunted houses or watched a few spooky movies.

You might have also started to notice an uptick in toddler and preschool nightmares.

That is not just a coincidence.

Halloween and associated activities can get the adrenaline pumping in any of us but it can be especially scary and real to young children. Kids between the ages of two and four are still learning to distinguish between what is pretend and what is real. They have not yet developed the cognitive capacity to differentiate that on their own. Everything that enters their brains is treated equally at this age. And that can spill over into their dreams.

Let’s learn more about how toddler and preschool imagination develops and how that can impact their dreams, especially around Halloween time.

Developmental Timeline of Imagination in Toddlers and Preschoolers

Between the ages of two and four, children’s imaginations are skyrocketing. A young two-year-old will generally show signs of simple pretend play such as using a block for a phone or kissing boo-boos on their stuffed toys. As the year progresses, so will their ability to imagine that one thing is something else and to bring entirely invisible (but real to them) elements into their play such as eating up “food” off an empty plate. By age three, children are masters of this and by age four will have elaborate play schemes and stories they’re acting out.

During this explosive time of development these children “often cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality” (Child Mind Institute, 2021) and “haven’t yet learned that there are boundaries between real and pretend, public and private” (Taylor, 2021). This is the age group that will be worried about monsters in the closet and be afraid of the dark. It is also the age group most likely to believe that their nightmares are real, carrying that fear into the days following their dream.

Nightmares in Toddlers and Preschoolers

“Nightmares can start when the child is about two years old, and reach a peak between the ages of three and six years….

Some of the possible causes of nightmares include:

• The ordinary stresses and strains of growing up
• A traumatic event, such as an accident or surgery
• Fever
• An active imagination” (Better Health Channel, 2014).

Additionally, at “two, children are active participants in the world around them and are taking in so much all the time. We can’t know how they are processing all that they are exposed to. Naturally some of what they see and experience is hard for them to make sense of and this can be scary…. These [fears] sometimes get expressed through dreams” (Zero to Three).

By around age 5, children are starting to distinguish between their imagination and reality, between dreams and real-life. They might continue to experience nightmares (as adults sometimes occasionally do as well) but the dreams’ hold on their imagination will be less intense after the preschool years and associated cognitive growth.

Halloween’s Impact on Imagination and Nightmares in Toddlers and Preschoolers

With these concepts in mind, let’s see how Halloween adds another layer (or more!) onto the average youngster’s imagination and propensity for nightmares.

There are lots of spooky decorations and events going on around Halloween. There are spooky seasonal books and shows you might enjoy. You might have an eerie Halloween soundtrack playing on repeat. And, of course, there are the haunted events of all levels of horror.

Even if you avoid taking your young children to spooky pumpkin patches or haunted mazes, the average house call to friends or family can be scary at this time of year. For example, my son was afraid of the roaring and flashing dragon door knocker at my brother’s house. He refused to go in my brother’s front door for a little while after that-even when Halloween was over. We had to go in through the garage door.

And all of that goes up a notch on Halloween night when out trick-or-treating. Many houses include intimidating decorations, spooky music, flashing lights, fog, and people or decorations that jump out at passer-byers.

Your ten-year-old might be nervous for a minute but get through it by holding your hand tighter.

Your three-year-old might be terrified and have nightmares for a week.

The active imaginations and inability to separate reality from fantasy of this age group make Halloween extra scary. (And, as a side-note, these same factors conversely make holidays like Christmas more magical). Those fearsome Halloween encounters can become a “traumatic event” and the child’s actively firing imagination can make it a double whammy for inducing nightmares.

What can you do about it?

Be extra cognizant that your two-to-four-year-old’s might be extra sensitive to all the decorations and activity during Halloween and be careful what exposures they get to head off nightmares and fear. Maybe walk waaaaay far around the Halloween decorations at Lowe’s. Or, be like us and go through your brother’s garage for a month. Go trick-or-tricking while it’s still light out. Stick to the houses with cheery decorations and avoid those with spookier themes. And save the traditional eerie films for your older kids.

Additionally, if you notice your child’s fright increasing, you can use the very thing that makes Halloween extra scary to your advantage. Use their imagination and the power of pretend to help bring them back to center. “With preschoolers and young school-age kids who have vivid imaginations, the magical powers of your love and protection can work wonders…. [For example, you] might be able to make the pretend monsters disappear with a dose of pretend monster spray” (Ben-Joseph, 2018). Or you can whip out a “wand” and tell the ghosts at the porch to disappear (while getting the home owner’s attention to tone it down for a minute). Or you can create any other soothing story you want as you’re going along.

Just use your imagination. 😉

Happy Halloween!

Hello! I’m Briana!

As an Amazon Affiliate, I may receive a commission, at no additional cost to you, if you use one of the provided Amazon links. All opinions shared are my own. You can review my full privacy policy here. Thank you for supporting Parenting on a Rollercoaster through your purchases.