Category: Halloween

Halloween Countdown Day 9: Go Batty

Leave a comment

Halloween 9 Get Batty (3)

Today we got silly with our Halloween countdown with an activity that was equal parts imagination and learning. Halloween decor features so many creatures that we think of as scary, but that have fascinating science behind them. Think spiders, black cats, and in this case… bats!

To set the scene, we first watched a Wild Kratt’s bat episode. The kids thought they were just watching a cartoon, but there was lots to learn about echolocation! We also checked out a quick nature clip about the sounds that bats make to echolocate (navigate by bouncing sounds off the walls).

Halloween 9 Get Batty (7)

Now the question was, could the kids do it?

We dressed up in black gear (capes and hats!) and they closed their eyes in the middle of the living room.

Halloween 9 Get Batty (6)

I encouraged lots of chirpy baby bat noises. For Veronika, this was just silly fun, but Travis was so proud that he really could make it through our first floor without bumping into any walls.

Halloween 9 Get Batty (8)

For extra batty fun, I traced a bat template onto black construction paper, then cut these out and taped to craft sticks. Now each kid had a bat to fly around!

Halloween 9 Get Batty (2)

Travis loved hanging the bats upside down on walls and windows, and it led to lots more play throughout their evening.

Halloween 9 Get Batty alt

Now Halloween bats won’t seem quite so spooky!

No Carve Nature Pumpkins

Leave a comment

No-Carve Nature Pumpkins (10)

It was a brisk fall morning, perfect for one of our nature walks to collect treasures. This time, I specifically kept my eyes open for items that we would be able to later glue onto pumpkins. We came home with sticks, leaves, pine cones, and acorns. I had hoped to spot some maple keys, but didn’t see any.

No Carve Nature Pumpkin (1)

I arranged all of our treasures onto a craft tray, and Veronika loved sorting through the items.

No-Carve Nature Pumpkins (3)

As she simply explored with all her senses, I arranged the items with more purpose to see what would work where on each pumpkin as facial features.

No-Carve Nature Pumpkins (4)

Our first orange fellow soon had acorn eyes, a stick nose, a leaf mouth, and a big branch of multiple leaves for hair.

No-Carve Nature Pumpkins (6)

He was soon joined by a second orange friend, this one with acorns for eyes and nose, leaves for mouth and ears, and a fun little pine cone headdress. I tucked a few leaves behind the pine cone so it almost looked like one of those fancy fascinator hats!

No-Carve Nature Pumpkins (11)

Veronika was clearly delighted when she saw that our pumpkins now had eyes, noses, and more.

No-Carve Nature Pumpkins (7)

They look quite jolly and happy on our patio. As with our recent pumpkin mask craft, this is a great way to decorate pumpkins a ways out from Halloween, since they won’t rot before the big night.

No-Carve Nature Pumpkins (9)

Pumpkin Halloween Masks

Leave a comment

Pumpkin Halloween Masks (6)

We made a quick paper bag mask for Veronika today, which prompted the idea to make masks for our pumpkins, too! This is, incidentally, a great craft if your kids are constantly asking if it’s time to carve the pumpkins into jack o’ lanterns yet (ahem, like mine are). Adorn them with these mask faces now, and everyone is happy until carving day!

First, Travis helped me design a few masks for our biggest pumpkins. The lights were out from a storm (spooky!) so we drew by flashlight, which perfectly fit the mood. Let your kids design however they like, or provide examples like silly cheeks and big toothy grins.

Pumpkin Halloween Masks (1)

I repeated the activity with Veronika once the lights were on the next morning, drawing a brightly-colored jack o’ lantern face against an orange background while she scribbled on another piece of paper.

Pumpkin Halloween Masks (2)

She loved helping punch holes in the sides of each paper when we were done.

Pumpkin Halloween Masks (4)

I threaded bright yarn through the holes and then tied securely around each pumpkin.

Pumpkin Halloween Masks (5)

Our pumpkins have faces, and there’s no risk of rotting!

Halloween Countdown Day 8: No-Bake Pumpkin Pie

Leave a comment

Halloween 8 No Bake Pumpkin Pie (7)

What better way to wait out the anticipation before you can carve your pumpkins… than to eat them! This pie should successfully tide everybody over until jack o’ lantern time. Bonus points: the recipe is easy enough that even my two-year-old can help!

First, combine 1/2 cup non-dairy milk and 1 packet instant vanilla pudding mix in a container with a lid. Seal and shake. Fun!

Halloween 8 No Bake Pumpkin Pie (1)

Pour the pudding mixture into a large bowl. Stir in 1 cup canned pumpkin pie filling. Fold in half a container of non-dairy whipped topping (such as So Delicious Coco Whip).

Halloween 8 No Bake Pumpkin Pie (3)

Spoon the mixture into a prepared graham cracker crust (such as Mi-Del), then spread the remaining whipped topping on top. Veronika was eager to hold the spatula and help smooth out the top!

Halloween 8 No Bake Pumpkin Pie (4)

But mostly, she wanted to taste-test every step of the way. She earns an A plus for making sure every step of the recipe was delicious.

Halloween 8 No Bake Pumpkin Pie (2)

Pop the pie in the freezer for at least 2 hours and voila, a pie that never needs to bake.

Halloween 8 No Bake Pumpkin Pie (6)

Your kids might think it’s Halloween magic!

Halloween 8 No Bake Pumpkin Pie (9)

Halloween Countdown Day 7: Make “Gourd-geous” Faces

Leave a comment

Halloween 7 Gourdgeous Faces (7)

One week into October, the kids are loving our daily countdown towards Halloween. Older kids can help put together this quirky craft, while younger ones will definitely need your assistance. That said, the materials turn the project into sensory play, with a little bit of learning and imagination thrown in!

To make each face, round up a collection of gourds from a local farm or market, and then use items from your craft bin to turn those bumpy silly shapes into little creatures.

Halloween 7 Gourdgeous Faces (1)

You can talk about the shapes of the gourds as you work, or ask your child to spot the biggest one, the smallest one, or the one with the most colors.

Halloween 7 Gourdgeous Faces (2)

I added wiggle eyes, bead noses, and red felt mouths to each of our gourd friends with hot glue.

Halloween 7 Gourdgeous Faces (3)

One had a decidedly lopsided look!

Halloween 7 Gourdgeous Faces (4)

Meanwhile, Veronika was busy with all those materials, and I could tell she was mimicking my motion of “gluing” the items on.

Halloween 7 Gourdgeous Faces (6)

When the gourds were done, Veronika immediately dubbed the smallest one the “baby”. She loved pretending to add cheeks to it with additional beads, and pointed out its features. “She has eyes!” she said with delight.

Then she tucked it into bed under a piece of extra red felt. “She’s warm and dry,” she told me.

Halloween 7 Gourdgeous Faces (8)

So there you have it: Halloween gourds are so much more than just decoration, but great for playing pretend, too!

Sensory Pumpkin Decorating

Leave a comment

Sensory Pumpkin Decorating (8)

This activity is half sensory bin, half a way to decorate a pumpkin with your toddler without pulling out the carving knives. Which adds up to 100% fun!

I wanted an assortment of items to decorate our pumpkins, aiming for a variety of textures. I also wanted to stick to a white and black color scheme for Halloween. So in a shallow craft tray, I lined up: dried corn, black feathers, uncooked white rice, black birdseed, and white sesame seeds.

Sensory Pumpkin Decorating (1)

You can mix and match based on what you have on hand, but aim for a nice variety of texture and size. Veronika immediately wanted to dig through the items in the tray with little plastic cups, so things didn’t stay in their “area” for long.

Sensory Pumpkin Decorating (2)

But I loved watching her explore all the texture. She especially seemed to like those fluffy craft feathers!

Sensory Pumpkin Decorating (5)

Meanwhile, I set to work making the first pumpkin for her. Add big dabs of glue to a pumpkin with a craft stick, working around the stem. I then sprinkled one of our sensory materials on each portion.

Sensory Pumpkin Decorating (3)

These made a neat ring around the stem once I had finished, and now she could feel along them for a great sensory experience.Sensory Pumpkin Decorating (4)

I left the decorating of the second pumpkin entirely up to her. She poured the glue around the top in a full ring, then used her little plastic cup to scoop and pour.

Sensory Pumpkin Decorating (7)

The end result was a neat mishmash of all the items.

Sensory Pumpkin Decorating (9)

I loved that the sensory play was part of both the decorating process and the final product.

Sensory Pumpkin Decorating (10)

Pumpkin Fun with Washi Tape

Leave a comment

Washi Tape Pumpkin (8)

Here’s a great for even little kids to help decorate pumpkins, since there are no carving knives required.

I had a pack of decorative washi tape that’s been sitting around forever, so I pulled out all the rolls and broke off pieces of the various colors, arranging them around the sides of a craft tray.

Washi Tape Pumpkin (1)

In this way, I figured Veronika would be able to grab a piece and stick on a pumpkin (we used white ones!) without constantly needing me to rip a new piece for her.

Washi Tape Pumpkin (2)

Sure enough, she set to work right away.

Washi Tape Pumpkin (3)

Through trial and error, we determined tricks for how best to washi tape a pumpkin. At first, the pumpkins were a little wet from having rinsed the dirt off, which meant the tape didn’t stick well. So make sure your pumpkins are dry!

Washi Tape Pumpkin (4)

We also discovered that the edges of small tape pieces would curl up; long strips wrapped from stem to bottom worked best. At a certain point, I took over, but Veronika was an eager helper!

Washi Tape Pumpkin (6)

This was a great even-a-toddler-can-do-it way to decorate pumpkins.

Washi Tape Pumpkin (7)

Halloween Countdown Day 5: Giant Chalk Pumpkin

Leave a comment

Halloween 5 chalk pumpkin (5)

In today’s run-up to Halloween anticipation, tell your kids they’re about to grow the biggest pumpkin in the world. Yes, bigger than the county fair winners; yes, bigger than the Great Pumpkin. How, you ask?

With chalk!

Head to your driveway or any similar large surface and pull out the orange and green chalk. Really the only limit was how much space we could color in with our one stick of orange. But we got nearly a patio-sized pumpkin.

Halloween 5 chalk pumpkin (3)

Bigger kids can help with the actual pumpkin; younger siblings will love scribbling with chalk alongside you.

Halloween 5 chalk pumpkin (1)

There was a sort of nostalgia to this project, too, since it’s likely a farewell to sidewalk chalk until spring.

Halloween 5 chalk pumpkin (2)

We’ll love looking out at our “pumpkin patch” for the next few days, until rain washes it away.

Halloween Countdown Day 4: Crepe Paper Mummy Wraps

Leave a comment

Halloween 4 Crepe Paper Mummies (6)

Here’s another classic Halloween game that your children are sure to love as much as you did as a kid! Wrapping people up in crepe paper will always elicit giggles and get everyone in the Halloween spirit (heh).

Just grab a roll of crepe paper and start wrapping. Both my kids were eager little mummies, standing still with such curiosity while I wound around them. Travis went first…

Halloween 4 Crepe Paper Mummies (1)

…and Veronika immediately needed a turn!

Halloween 4 Crepe Paper Mummies (3)

They loved trying to walk with their legs tightly bound.

Halloween 4 Crepe Paper Mummies (4)

And to break free from the grave, of course!

Halloween 4 Crepe Paper Mummies (2)

And then they thought it was hilarious to wrap up mommy, and watch me stumble about.

Halloween 4 Crepe Paper Mummies (7)

As a bonus, all that leftover crepe paper is sure to be a hit with the kids, too! No crepe paper? No problem! Grab a roll of toilet paper to do this activity instead.

Halloween 4 Crepe Paper Mummies (8)

Interpretive Pumpkin Painting

Leave a comment

Pumpkin Art for Toddlers (8)

Veronika and I did a quick abstract art project today to help her paint her first “pumpkin”!

I love art at around age 2, because toddlers are just beginning to tell you what they’re drawing, even if you can’t always see it. So I thought it would be fun to guide Veronika through a jack o’ lantern painting. I set out watercolor paper along with orange and black paint.

Pumpkin Art for Toddlers (1)

“A pumpkin starts as an orange circle,” I told her. Of course her pumpkin was going to be “abstract”, but she loved dabbing the orange on the paper.

Pumpkin Art for Toddlers (2)

She quickly was more interested in black paint, pressing the brush firmly onto the paper, which almost made black triangles. So I showed black triangle eyes on my pumpkin!

Pumpkin Art for Toddlers (5)

As she worked on her “pumpkin”, I worked on mine. Often, I find myself jumping in with my kids’ artwork, and this project was the perfect reminder to let her take ownership of her work.

Pumpkin Art for Toddlers (6)

She told me she was drawing a black square, and we talked lots about shapes and colors as we worked.

Pumpkin Art for Toddlers (7)

In the end, we had a perfect toddler pumpkin painting, and a mommy one to boot!

Pumpkin Art for Toddlers (9)