Easy Spider Web Craft

This craft is done with two paper plates (for sturdiness), black paint, white yarn, black pipe cleaners, black paper, glue, and googly eyes.

Spider: Cut two black circles from black paper. Put a huge glob of glue on one circle and lay your pipecleaner legs in the glue. Add a little more glue and then put your other black circle on top. Glue on eyes. This will seem like its not working but just leave it to dry and it will be fine - trust me!

Web: Paint paper plate black. Let dry. Make small cuts around the edge of plate. Wrap your yarn around and around the plate to resemble a web. Tie a hanging loop and then tie your spider (hole punch a hole in the spider to tie yarn on through) dangling from your web.

Healthy Halloween Snacks

Various healthy snacks with a Halloween theme

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Strawberry-Ghosts


http://naturalcounselor.com/blog/holistic-recipes/healthy-halloween-treats-for-kids/


http://www.anotherlunch.com/2010/10/bento-lunch-high-on-creepy-scale.html

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000002012848

http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/halloween-recipes-and-appetizers#slide_1

http://www.fabfrugalfood.com/desserts/sugar-free-healthy-halloween-treats-carrot-rice-ball-mini-jack-o-lanterns-recipe/

http://www.familycorner.com/family/kids/recipes/tombstone-sandwiches.shtml

http://www.shockinglydelicious.com/halloween-deviled-spider-eggs/

http://www.parents.com/holiday/halloween/decorating/spooky-decorations/?page=13

http://feedingfourlittlemonkeys.blogspot.com/2008/10/veggie-skeleton.html

CHEESE SKELETONS


http://www.cutefoodforkids.com/2011/09/cheese-pops-for-halloween.html

FRANKENSTEIN PIZZA

http://www.munchkinmunchies.com/2011/09/halloween-pizzas.html

MUMMY BURGER

http://kitchenfunwithmy3sons.blogspot.com/2011/09/yummy-mummy-lunch.html

lots of different recipes that use canned Pumpkin for a Halloween theme : Loaves, Cookies, Cakes, etc. Check out Allrecipes.com or other recipe websites

Easy Toddler Kleenex / Tissue Box Craft

* Tissue Box (full - not empty!)
* Various papers, stickers, colouring pages, previously done artwork, buttons, ribbons, Christmas or Birthday Cards etc.

Cover the sides of the box with blank construction paper, previous artwork or coloured colouring pages. Further embellish with whatever! It is now a festive tissue box. :0)

(sometimes I dont want EVERY craft we do to last forever! just want something for an afternoon activity that will be on display short term.)

This can be done for any holiday or as an every day item.

Halloween Suncatcher

Create Halloween Suncatchers using black paper, tissue paper, and tape.

Cut black paper into Halloween shapes - Jack o Lanterns, Cats, Bats. Be sure your shape has some holes cut in it and then tape tissue paper to the back. Hang or tape to window to let the sun shine through the tissue paper.

Apple or Thumb Pumpkin Prints

An apple sliced in half and dipped in orange paint will print a terrific pumpkin shape! Let them go crazy making the pumpkin shapes and then have fun giving them different expressions!


Could also make pumpkins using orange THUMBPRINTS! Place your child's thumb in orange paint and then print three or four thumbprints in a row to make a pumpkin. Do several sets on one page and it is a PUMPKIN PATCH!


Expressions could be made using a Marker, Crayons, Paint or a Potato could be cut into small triangle shapes to be dipped in black paint to create the pumpkin features.

Have Fun!

Halloween Spiders, Ghosts & Jack o Lanterns

Some Halloween Crafts for your Toddler


your typical egg carton cube, painted black, eyes glued on and pipe cleaners poked through. We tied string on the inside of the spider and dangled them from a ceiling fan. Very cute.


I LOVE these! Foot prints with white paint on black paper. Little Eyes & Mouth made with a black marker (or paint). Make it a keepsake by doing on artist canvas or do on construction paper and then frame them to bring out every year with your decorations!

I did these on a thick cardstock that came with some curtains I had purchased. The top footprints are by my 5m old and the bottom ones by my 3yr old.

Could also make these adorable ghosts using handprints (upside down).




Paintings

My daughter loves to make smiley faces so here is the Halloween version :-). I framed this one to be able to keep.


Orange paintings cut into pumpkin shapes - great way to reuse or recycle her previous artwork!

YARN PUMPKIN


So cute from the blog below!


http://themagiconions.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-to-make-yarn-pumpkin.html



Can't wait to give these a try, but instead of a little stick stem, I think I will use brown felt or brown yarn so it can be baby & toddler friendly.

Halloween

Starting to give some thought to Halloween and the weeks leading up to it!

Orange Themed Snacks - perhaps a daily orange snack or an entire day of Orange / Black snacks.

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Orange Jello

Christie Cheese Bits Crackers

Peach Slices

Orange Wedges

Cheddar Cheese

Crackers / Toast with Cheese Whiz

Orange Juice or Kool Aid

Cupcakes with Halloween theme or Orange tinted frosting

Raisens on Celery Sticks w/ Cheese Whiz

Tiger Stripe Ice Cream

Kraft Dinner

Goldfish Crackers

Ice Cubes made with Orange Juice used in 7Up or Apple Juice (or other clear drink)

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

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Toddler Pumpkins & Jack O Lanterns

With a toddler, carving a pumpkin is not something they can help with. However, there are alternatives!


CARVING:
If you only believe Jack o Lanterns should be carved, cut out the top hole, loosen the seeds & muck from the insides and then give the toddler various spoons or containers to scoop it out. Gross yet Fun!



OTHER VARIATIONS on Pumpkin Decorating:

Painting
- let the kids paint their pumpkins with faces or some abstract design that only they understand.

Stickers

Markers

Push Pins & Yarn
- Saw one post where they had put various coloured push pins spread all over the pumpkin and then took lengths of yarn and wrapped them from pin to pin to create unique geometrical designs.

Mr. Potato Parts
- Put a few strategically placed holes in the pumpkin and then let the child use their accessories from their Mr. Potato Head toy.



Child's Creation:

Another option is to let the child draw the face and then the adult carve exactly where the lines are.

Easy Halloween Costume - No Sew

My daughter is a Ballerina for her indoor Halloween Parties.

* Dressing her in a white onesie & stockings from her closet.
* Putting her hair up in a bun/ponytail
* Tieing ribbons around her ankles like those on ballet slippers.
* Wearing ribbons around her ponytail
* Complete outfit with a homemade tutu
* A Tiara would be a nice addition (my daughter wouldn't let it stay in)
* A wand or wings would transform into a great Fairy Costume!

* There are so many online tutorials on how to make a tutu. I bought tulle (sometimes called nettings) for quite cheap. I cut into strips about 2" wide. The length depends on how long you want it - keep in mind that the strips will be folded. For the waistband, I used one of my stretchy hairbands. Also saw online people that used a piece of purchased elastic or a length of ribbon. Using two strips, double over so they are now half the length. Loop over the elastic and pull through your loop. Continue with as many as you like until it has the desired fullness. *

The tutu would also be great to make as a Birthday or Christmas present for the child's dress up box!

Halloween Crafts

Ive been searching for some ideas on Halloween Crafts to occupy my 2 year old. These will also be used to decorate the house.

Collage: I copied clip art from http://www.office.microsoft.com/ onto a Word document and printed out. I cut out the various pictures and will let her glue them onto some orange paper.

Hanging Decorations: Some of the above clip art I enlarged and cut out. I cut large squares of cardstock (a bit bigger than the clip art) and let her glue the pictures on the front and back. Create a hole in top and hang with string.

Puzzle: One piece of clip art I enlarged to the size of a full sheet of paper. I printed out and cut into six equal squares for her to reassemble.

Colouring Pages: There is lots available to print. Google "printable colouring pages" or draw your own simple picture for them to colour.

Jack o Lantern Candle Holder: Using bits of orange tissue paper, let child glue onto small jar or votive holder. (Reuse old jars from salsa, pickles, etc.) Apply a layer of glue on top. Use a black marker or glue pieces of black felt for jack-o-lantern face.

*I let her do the glueing & sticking orange paper on and then I obviously did the face*

Jack o Lantern on a Stick: Let them paint a paper plate with orange paint. Give them shapes cut from black construction paper to glue on. Glue a popsicle stick to the back of the bottom part of plate. Or forgo the stick and hang with string.

*Make five varied sizes & expressions of Jack o Lantern on a stick and use to recite the commonly known poem (see below)

Terra Cotta Pumpkins: Use any desired size of terracotta pot and let child paint orange. Then draw on a face.

PUMPKIN POEM:

FIVE LITTLE PUMPKINS

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.

The first one said, "Oh my it's getting late!"

The second one said, "There are witches in the air."

The third one said, "But we don't care."

The fourth one said, "Let's run, let's run!"

The fifth one said, "Isn't Halloween fun!"

Then Woooooooo went the wind

And OUT went the lights.

And five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

Egg Carton Spiders: Using cardboard egg carton, cut out a few individual cups. Let child paint black. Poke holes in cup for child to stick black pipecleaners through for legs. Glue on googly eyes. Poke hole in top to hang. (Do several and hang at various lengths)

Salt Dough: Create pumpkins and ghosts for decorations or magnets.

COOKIES! Going to find a yummy sugar cookie recipe, add some red/yellow food colouring and make pumpkin shaped cookies.

Halloween Garland: Cut out several halloween shapes (Ghosts, Bats, Pumpkins, etc) either by drawing the shape or using clip art or downloading various templates available on the internet. Punch a hole in the top of each. Let the toddler help thread them onto string or yarn and hang in entranceways, windows, etc. *Using cardstock may help this be reusable*

Halloween Gingerbread House: A mini version using one square graham cracker per wall, one for the floor and two for the roof. Decorate with candy corn shingles and other various candies. Yum!

Pumpking Carving: I'll cut out the top lid and loosen all the innards from the sides. Then give her a spoon and let her scoop!

* She was quite grossed out by the feel of all the seeds & goo and seemed to enjoy touching in & cringing *

Loot Bags

I made these mini drawstring bags this weekend for the loot bags at my daughter's upcoming birthday party. Im doing a 'green' theme so these are more environmentally friendly than the tradional plastic dollar store variety.

I used scraps of fabric that I have saved over the years and found instructions on the internet.

It was so super easy (I am not an advanced sewer). The instructions were for a certain sized bag but I just 'winged it' with my own sizes depending on the size of scraps I had.

Im hoping the kids (& Moms) will enjoy these and use them for storing little cars, snacks, doll accessories, whatever!

I enjoyed making them (since they were so quick & easy) and made extras of various sizes for myself. Im thinking that perhaps future gifts will be encased in a homemade drawstring bag as well!