Lots of great kids’ podcasts make one special episode every October, and for little kids they’re some of the most fun listening of the year. They’re also easy to miss, tucked between a show’s regular stories. This list pulls them out for you, from a two-minute picture book to a half-hour bedtime adventure.
Every show here is one we’ve reviewed and added to Once Upon a Pod. Tap an episode’s title to go straight to it and listen in your browser, or tap the show’s name to see everything else it makes.
Have an older kid too? See our Halloween episodes for big kids, and for the kid who wants to know why we do any of this, Halloween history and science episodes.
Toddlers and preschoolers (ages 2–4)
At this age Halloween is mostly pumpkins, costumes and candy, and these episodes keep it right there. Nothing here is scary.
Little Blue Truck’s Halloween
A read-aloud of Alice Schertle’s picture book about everyone’s favorite little truck. At two minutes it’s the shortest pick here, and an easy one to play while you hunt for a missing costume shoe.
Play this episodePumpkin Day, Pumpkin Night
Anne Rockwell’s book follows a family through the whole pumpkin ritual: choosing one at the patch, drawing a face and carving it. If you’re heading to a pumpkin patch this weekend, play it in the car on the way there.
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Spook-tacular Halloween Songs
A playlist for the costume parade. It opens with a Halloween twist on “Wheels on the Bus,” moves on to counting ten happy pumpkins, and finishes with songs about cauldrons, broomsticks and other not-so-scary things. Don’t be surprised if your toddler is still requesting it in March.
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Happy Halloween
Elmo is dressing up as a sea captain, and Telly is going as a super wedge of cheese. The episode ends by asking your child what they’re going to be, which is a great way to start the costume conversation.
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Roo’s Snuggleween Adventure
Roo the golden doodle has started noticing the spooky decorations going up around his neighborhood. Instead of getting scared, he comes up with an idea: what if Halloween could be cozy? He gathers his favorite stuffies and sets up a snuggly celebration of his own.
This is the one to reach for if your child is a little unsettled by the skeletons on the neighbors’ lawns. Cozy Corner makes stories meant to help children feel safe and brave, and this episode turns that worry into something warm.
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Percy and the Enormous Pumpkin
It’s Halloween on the Island of Sodor, and Sir Topham Hatt is hoping his giant pumpkin will win first prize. All Percy has to do is deliver it to the fair, which turns out to be a much bigger job than it sounds. A sure hit with train fans.
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We’re Going to the Pumpkin Patch
An imagination adventure to a pumpkin patch, where your child picks a pumpkin and designs a jack-o’-lantern face entirely in their head. It’s based on a Super Simple song, and it works well for quiet time when you need a few calm minutes.
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The Crayons Trick or Treat
A read-aloud of Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers’ book, in which the crayons from The Day the Crayons Quit try to pick costumes and stick together for a night of trick-or-treating. Kids who already know the crayons will love this one.
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Halloween Hide & Seek With Koko
The friends of Sleepy Forest play hide and seek under the autumn moon. It’s shorter than Koala Moon’s usual bedtime stories, which makes it a gentle way to wind down after a big night out, ideally once everyone is already in pajamas.
Play this episodeSilly, sweet and a little spooky (ages 4–7)
Kids this age love being almost scared. These stories have ghosts, monsters and mysteries, and every one of them lands on a happy ending.
What if Halloween was canceled?
Every What If World episode starts from a question a real kid sent in, and this one came from a listener named Evelyn. Cthunkle and an evil book called the Fictionary are out to cancel Halloween, and it’s up to Zach and Zizi to stop them.
The story is goofy all the way through, and it sneaks in two good ideas along the way. There are lots of different ways to trick-or-treat and have costumed fun with your neighbors, and just because something is written in a book doesn’t make it true. If your child has ever worried about missing Halloween because of a cold or bad weather, this one’s for them.
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The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin
Spookley is the square pumpkin in a patch full of round ones, and this is the classic story of how being different saves the day. It’s read by Eliana, a young reader who loved it so much after her teacher read it to her class that she watched the movie and then recorded the book herself. Hearing it from another kid makes it extra special.
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Bubba Goes Trick or Treating
Bubba, Bebe and their new monster friend Parker head out trick-or-treating, complete with floating candy and overflowing treat bags. Along the way there’s a lesson about sharing with people who have less, which makes it a nice one to talk about afterward.
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Bobby and the Halloween Candy Machine
Bobby the bear is building a machine to hand out spooky treats on Halloween night, and his friend Bernice can’t help wondering whether it’s a little too spooky. Between costumes, candy and Bobby’s wild imagination, things get out of hand in a fun way.
Play this episodeJake and the Halloween Ghosts
Jake is known for his big imagination (he once decided his neighbors were vampires), and now he keeps hearing strange sounds around the house. On Halloween night he finds out what’s really going on. The show suggests it for ages 5 and up, and it’s a good step up for kids who liked Bobby’s candy machine.
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Little Hedgehog’s Halloween
Little Hedgehog and Bebe realize at the very last minute that it’s Halloween. Now they need costumes, fast, and they’re not even sure there will be a parade. Then, out trick-or-treating, they come up to a spooky-looking tree.
Play this episodeThe Spooky Sleep Train
After a long Halloween day, Lambden is looking forward to a peaceful ride on his beloved Sleep Train. This year, though, the Sleep Crew has planned something a little different from their usual low-key Halloween run. At 35 minutes, it’s one of the longer stories here and a lovely one to fall asleep to.
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Halloween at the Cafe
The mice who live in a café by the sea hear that ghost pirates are on their way. Should they run? Jimmy, a very reluctant hero, gets sent to find out.
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The Pumpkin Cat
The animals at Maggie’s Farm are getting ready for their annual Halloween pageant, until the star of the show makes a decision that could change everything. Listening Pond’s stories are written for kids “and their adults,” and this is a good one to listen to together.
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The Pumpkin Patch Mystery
Story Pirates turns stories written by real kids into full productions with songs and a cast of comedians. This episode pairs two of them: a hockey player who plays the ukulele, and a pumpkin patch mystery where Lee sets up a showdown with a garden thief. Save it for pumpkin-carving night.
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Saving Halloween
The Spooky Creature Alliance has one mission: stop Halloween from becoming too cute. The show warns that it “may result in smiles, snorts, and possibly some LOLs,” and that’s a fair warning.
Play this episodeHappy Halloween from all of us at Once Upon a Pod. If your child has a favorite Halloween episode that isn’t here, we’d love to hear about it. You can suggest a show any time.
