Halloween is one of my favorite times of year to surprise loved ones with something fun. A tradition that’s been growing in popularity is the boo basket. It’s a festive basket filled with goodies, treats, and surprises for spooky season.
This year, I’m putting a twist on the tradition and making boo baskets two ways: one designed for families, and another just for the adults. The family version is packed with toys and activities for the kids alongside cozy home items for parents. The adult version skips the toys and leans fully into seasonal home favorites and little luxuries.
Whether you’re looking to treat your neighbors, surprise your friends, or make a new tradition at home, these boo basket ideas for families and adults are a fun way to spread a little Halloween spirit.
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What is a Boo Basket?
A boo basket is a Halloween gift basket you secretly leave for friends, neighbors, or family members. Think of it as a spooky version of a gift basket. It’s playful for kids, cozy for adults, and always packed with festive things.
We like to make Halloween crafts and cards to leave in the baskets. It’s a sweet way to kick off spooky season and spread a little bit of joy.
Family Boo Basket: Fun for Kids and Parents
When you’re making a boo basket for the whole family, the goal is balance. Gift something playful for the kids and a few practical or cozy items for the adults. I like to stay on the side of curated and quality, rather than fill them with a bunch of nonsense.
Kid-friendly basket fillers:
- Bluey Halloween Figures. My kids are obsessed with Bluey. These Halloween figures were a PERFECT find.
- Sensory Pop Tube Toys. My nephew is obsessed with The Nightmare Before Christmas, so these toys were a no-brainer. This pack came with two characters from the movie and two skeletons I gave to my kids (they love skeletons).
- Shaplaboo Shadow Book. Our new favorite bedtime book is this shadow play book from Shaplaboo. We have a dinosaur story and now a Halloween story! These are so much fun and my kids love telling their own stories with the puppets.
- Halloween Coloring Book. This coloring book is simple enough for kids of all ages. There are even pages to draw your own jack-o-lantern faces!
- Sugar cookie mix and Halloween-shaped cookie cutters. A fun family activity where you get to make sugar cookies and decorate for spooky season.
- Halloween stickers. What kid doesn’t love stickers??
- More kids options here!
Adult Boo Basket: Cozy Home and Seasonal Favorites
Mix in some adult options or just focus on the grown-ups! An adult-only boo basket skips the toys and instead leans into home goods, self-care, and cozy seasonal touches.
- Fall-scented candles: Your local HomeGoods will have an amazing selection of scents.
- Seasonal mugs: my go-to seasonal mugs [mostly] hail from Pottery Barn.
- Hand towels: Geometry has quality hand and dish towels with designs for any space. Use BrianM15 for 15% off!
- Autumn scented soap: Mrs. Meyers has some of my favorite scents. Including Gingerbread for Christmas. I opted for Apple Cider for these baskets.
- Spooky nightlight: A bubble light for Halloween?? Sign me up. I snagged one for myself, too.
- Canned or homemade pumpkin purée: I was going to make pumpkin purée, but realized I would need to deliver these boo baskets the same day to keep it refrigerated.
- Homemade bottle toppers: Our friend, Lauren, got us hooked on making pens and keychains. In our most recent meetup, she introduced us to these bottle toppers.
How to Build the Perfect Boo Basket
For my boo baskets this year, I made a family-style boo basket filled with goodies for my nephew and useful items for my sister. I made a kids-only basket for my kids and an adult-only basket for my parents, mixing and matching all the items above.
- Start with a base that can be reused: Instead of a flimsy container that gets tossed after Halloween, think about options your gift recipient can enjoy again and again: a reusable tote bag, Halloween bucket, or basket. The idea is that the basket itself becomes part of the gift. Once the Halloween goodies are gone, your recipient still has something useful, whether it’s holding blankets, hauling groceries, or being brought back out year after year for seasonal decorating. It’s a small way to make your boo basket feel more intentional, while also reducing waste.
- Bogg Bag and Halloween bags
- Halloween buckets
- The ghost bags pictured are from HomeGoods
- Choose a mix of items: Balance fun, practical, and festive. I try to make the kids stuff engaging, entertaining, but not filled with crap that will just end up in landfills. For the adults, I try to find personal and useful items to use during and after spooky season is over.
- Personalize: Add a handwritten or crafted note for a finishing festive touch.
Boo Basket Ideas for Every Household
Whether you’re building a family-friendly boo basket filled with toys and home goodies or an adult boo basket filled with cozy seasonal finds, the idea is the same: to spread a little joy and Halloween spirit.
The best part? You can make these baskets as simple or as elaborate as you’d like. Add one or two thoughtful items, or fill it to the brim with fall favorites. Either way, the recipient is sure to feel special.
Boo Basket FAQs
What is a boo basket?
A boo basket is a Halloween gift basket filled with festive treats, toys, or home items. It’s usually delivered secretly to friends, neighbors, or family with a note that says, “You’ve Been Booed!” to spread spooky season joy.
What do you put in a family boo basket?
A family boo basket should include something for everyone. Try kid-friendly toys, activity books, stickers, or seasonal treats for the kids, plus cozy candles, mugs, or kitchen towels for the adults. Balance playful with practical so everyone enjoys it.
What do you put in an adult boo basket?
Adult boo baskets are a fun way to skip the toys and focus on cozy, useful items. Include fall-scented candles, seasonal mugs, hand towels, soaps, or even a bottle of wine or cider. Think of it as a mix between a care package and seasonal home basket.
How do you make a boo basket reusable?
Start with a base that can be reused—like a tote bag, sturdy basket, or Halloween bucket. This way, the container itself becomes part of the gift and can be enjoyed long after the goodies are gone.
Who do you give a boo basket to?
Boo baskets are perfect for neighbors, friends, family, teachers, or coworkers. They work for kids, adults, and households—you just tailor what goes inside to the recipient.
When do you give a boo basket?
Boo baskets are usually delivered in early to mid-October to kick off Halloween season. They’re meant to be a surprise, so leaving them on a doorstep or porch with a note is a fun way to spread the tradition.