Halloween is a fun holiday for everyone, but especially for children. Children love the opportunity to channel their fantasy and imagination, whether it’s picking out a clever costume or helping design the theme and scope of home decorations.
Parents, guardians, and educators can channel Halloween-inspired creativity into a variety of craft projects. Not only can crafts keep kids busy when the “I’m bored” wails inevitably present themselves, but crafts are also a way to get kids away from screens. In addition, objects created by children can be used to decorate rooms in the house, which helps reduce additional expenses associated with commercial decoration.
Here are some Halloween crafts kids can do on their own or with help from older siblings and parents.
Jack’s slime
Jack-o’-lanterns’ toothy smiles can be seen everywhere on Halloween, and the bright orange color of pumpkins heralds the onset of fall. What better way to say “Halloween is here” than with a craft that can be displayed and also played with? Slime is something that is always a big hit with kids. Here’s a slime recipe, courtesy of The Best Ideas for Kids.
- 6 ounces of Elmer’s glue (substituting with another brand of glue may not produce the same results)
- Orange food coloring to create desired shade
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 tablespoons contact lens solution (the one that has boric acid in the ingredient list because that’s what causes the chemical reaction to form sludge)
- Optional: 2 tablespoons of water added to the glue before the baking soda if you want a stretchier slime
- Black felt or black construction paper, cut into the eyes and mouth of a jack-o’-lantern
- Small mason jar with lid
Decorate the mason jar by using a little glue to stick the black paper or felt pieces to the outside of the jar. Combine all the slime ingredients in a small bowl and pour into the decorated jar.
forest spider
Take a trip to a nearby forest or wooded trail and collect round pine cones that have fallen. Buy brown pipe cleaners and cut four of the pipe cleaners in half to form eight legs. Glue the legs to the pine cone and attach several small googly eyes and two larger ones to form the spider’s eyes.
Paper Roll Treat Holders
Rather than tossing the tubes inside paper towels or toilet paper rolls, let kids turn them into monster treat holders. They will be perfect for party favors or even to give away to cheaters in the neighborhood. Cover the bottom of the rolls with tape so the treats don’t fall out. Paint the outside of the cardboard rolls and let dry. An alternative is to line the rolls with colored paper for less messy fun. Then use markers or paper cutouts to form the faces of the monsters. Fill the rolls with treats, then place a piece of tissue paper in each top to add even more personality to the creations and hide the treats inside.
ghostly leaves
Make a truly eco-friendly Halloween craft with leaf ghosts, eliminating the need for extra paper. Paint the large leaves with white paint. On the narrowest point above the leaves, paint the eyes and mouth black. When completely dry, scatter it on a table or sideboard for spooky fun, or use double-sided tape to stick to windows and doors.