More than 65 ideas for all ages! Pre-K thru School-Age! More art/crafts and poems and songs on Page 2 !
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MAKE TISSUE PAPER JACK-O-LANTERNS
1. For each project, bend a wire coat hanger into a circular shape. You could also have each child bring a pre-shaped hanger from home.
2. Lay the hangers on a large sheet of orange tissue paper. Trace the hanger with glue--so that the glue runs onto the tissue paper.
3. Top each hanger with a second sheet of tissue paper. Allow the glue to dry and then use scissor to remove the excess paper--creating an orange circle.
Have children use paper scraps, markers, scissors and glue to add facial features to their Jack-o-lanterns.
4. Last, wrap the hooks of the hangers with green crepe paper streamers, securing the paper with tape to create a stem.
You can make smaller jack-o-lanterns by shaping a smaller circle and hook out of sturdy wire.
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HALLOWEEN TEA LIGHTS/Votive Candles #1
Material:
Tissue paper or streamers in Halloween colors
Scissors
Liquid starch
Small galss jar
Paintbrushes
Tear the tissue paper/streamers into tiny pieces.
Paint the liquid starch onto the jar; arrange pieces of paper so they completely cover the jar.
Add another coat of liquid starch on top.
Place the jar on something such as aluminum foil to dry.
Drop in a votive candle and let the mood-lighting begin!
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VOTIVE CANDLES #2
Materials:
Baby food jars or jam jars, Scraps of tissue paper, Diluted paste or glue, Votive candles
Clean the jars well and let dry. You can use small jars...but check the size of the votive candle to make sure it will fit. Have the children brush glue onto the jar and place different colors of tissue paper over the glue, overlapping so the entire jar is covered on the outside. When brushing the tissue with glue be sure to do so gently so it doesn't tear. If it tear, remove or leave wrinkled. The glue will appear to be white but will dry clear and when a candle is lit inside will give off a pretty color and design.
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TEA LIGHTS #3
Materials:
Canning jar, baby food jar or drinking glass
Orange and Black Paint (acrylic enamel or glass paint)
Sea Sponge, Votive or tea light candle, Paint Brush
1. Using the sea sponge, paint the jar by patting orange paint over the entire outside surface. A regular sponge will work but the effect will not be the same as the sea sponge.
2. Allow paint to dry; be sure to follow paint the manufacturer's instructions- if heat setting the paint is required.
3. Practice drawing a few faces on paper until you create a design you like and then paint a face on the jar with black paint 4. Insert a tea light or votive candle into the glass jar or glass.
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SCARY WITCHES HANDS/FINGERS
- Fill a clear plastic food handler's glove by placing one or two pieces of candy corn or raspberry shaped candy in the tip of each finger.
- Fill the remainder of the glove with popcorn, or cereal.
- Tie with yarn or raffia.
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POPCORN GHOSTS
Material: cardboard ghost shapes, popped popcorn, glue with small container from which to dip popcorn, hole punch, string or thread, black construction paper eyes and mouth shapes
1. Cut shapes of ghosts from cardboard. Cereal box cardboard works well.
2. Make a hole at the top of the ghost. Put string or yarn in the hole for hanging.
3. have kids dip each piece of popped corn in glue and stick onto one of the ghost-shape sides. Completely cover the cardboard.
4. When the glue is dry, cover the other side of the cardboard.
5. Cut eye and mouth shapes from the black paper and glue on ghost.
Either hang the ghosts from the ceiling or bring in a small branch from outside. These would make great ornaments for a Halloween tree!
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MAKE BONEY KNOCKER HANGINGS
First make Play Clay (Recipes from Play Dough Category)
3/4 cp salt (175ml)
3/3 cup water (175 ml)
1 tsp. (ml) vegetable oil
2 cups (500 ml) flour
Large mixing bowl
1. Mix the salt, water, and vegetable oil in bowl.
2. Add the flour a little at a time--amd mix until it forms a ball.
3. Knead the ball of dough for about 10 minutes,
4. Store the clay in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
TO MAKE...
Materials: Play clay, drinking straws, pencils, paintbrushes, black and white acrylic paint, black shoe laces or elasticized thread
1. Work on a flour-dusted work surface a handful of clay for each child.
2. Knead the clay until it is warm and pliable.
3. Roll the clay into 3/4" (2cm) thick tubes--and then divide them into small bone sized pieces.
4. Shape the pieces to look like bones by rolling the middle to be thinned than the ends of the piece.
5. Press a pencil into each end of the roll to form indentations (see image)
6. Use a spatula to place the bones on a cookie sheet for drying.
7. Push a straw top into one end of the bone and pull it out to make a hole for threading the string through.
8. Allow 48 hours to dry--and then paint the dry bones with a light coat of white-gray acrylic paint.
9. Thread black string through the bones.. Tie each bone in place to form a string of bones to hang from a door or ceiling. (Image -but not project-from Todaysparent)
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MAKE A SHRUNKEN APPLE HEAD
• Choose the largest, firmest apples you can find. The apples shrink a lot when they dry so you want to be sure that they are big enough to begin with. Firm apples will be easier to carve and will dry out much better.
• The first step in making your shrunken apple heads is to peel the apples. You can core them if you would like, although it is not necessary. Next, brush a mixture of lemon juice and salt onto the peeled apple. The lemon juice and salt mixture will help to keeping the apples from turning as brown as usually when they dry.
• Next, you will want to take a paring knife and carve out the basic features of a face from one side of the apple. Don't go into too much detail since when the apple dries any small details will be lost. Focus on creating large features like the eye sockets, a nose and a mouth. Example: To make a shrunken apple for a witch's head you would most likely carve a large nose, two deep holes for the eye sockets and a sneering hole for the mouth. Keep the shapes that you carve simple and larger than you think you need them to be since they will shrink as they dry.
• Place the carved apples somewhere dry and out of the way. Turn them every couple of days in within about 2 weeks they will have shriveled up into ghoulish little faces. You can speed up the drying time if you would like by setting them on a cookie sheet in the oven on the lowest setting or by using a food dehydrator, although it will still take some time for them to dry and shrivel.
• YOU CAN MAKE A BODY by putting the heads on small bottles (shampoo, dish soap etc.) Make a dress out of a piece of fabric. You can even use a small paper clip to make glasses.
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EGG CARTON SPIDERS
Materials:
Cardboard egg carton
Pipe cleaners
Poster paint
Elastic thread
Something to poke small holes
1. Cut the egg cups out of a cardboard egg carton.
2. Cut pipe cleaners into 3 inch sections.
3. To make each spider, poke four pipe cleaners through each cup sideways. Bend the ends to look like eight spider legs.
4. Paint the spiders black or in any creative way you want!
5. After the paint has dried, attach a length of elastic thread to the middle of each spider.
6. Hold the thread and bounce the spider up and down as you take it for a walk!
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COFFEE FILTER PUMPKINS
Using white coffee filters and a eye dropper...take red and yellow food coloring. Drop on the two colors to make orange.
For jack-o-lantern features, older children can cut and paste construction paper eyes, nose, mouth.
For young children, add features using permanent marker before they begin.
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BLOW ART MONSTERS
Sqirt of paint on a plain piece of black (optional) paper.
Cut a fat straw in half and have kids blow the paint. It will cause the paint to spread. Most will be roundish formations with pointy and squiggled edges.
After the paint dries, glue or paint on eyes and facial features.
Add other decoration of choice.
MONSTER BLOW ART will be similar to this image taken from the Art Category. (Contributed by Mona Kawra at Display Photos)-- however, add details to look more 'monsterish'...
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WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE... by Maurice Sendak
Good for Halloween Time! Read the book...discuss it...and then challenge children to come up with their own "Wild Things" Magical Monsters.
Put put a variety of paper plates, strips of paper, construction paper, markers, paints, yarn, Easter grass, Egg Carton bumps, etc. Let the fun begin!
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GHOST POPS
All you need is tootsie or blow pops, Kleenex, orange or purple colored yarn and a black marker.
Take your sucker and put a Kleenex over it.
Next tie the yarn on the sucker and make a face using the black marker. You're done.
This craft has been made by most every child at one time or another. You can take it up a notch by making it A GHOST TREAT NECKLACE! Just cut the yarn longer and wear..
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TINY PUMPKINS
Supplies: Acorns, orange paint and green paint
Lay acorns on a sheet of newspaper.
Paint the bottom of the acorns with orange paint.
Let orange paint dry. To make pumpkin stems, paint the top of the acorns green.
Allow to dry thoroughly.
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CONDENSED MILK FINGER PAINT PUMPKINS
Materials:
Fingerpaint paper, orange food coloring, condensed milk
Draw a pumpkin shape on fingerpaint paper.
Mix the orange food coloring with the condensed milk.
Have children get creative and finger paint the pumpkin on their paper.
The finished results of this is great. The condensed mild gies the paint a shiny texture.
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SPOOKY SPIDERS
Supplies: black construction paper, cotton balls or cotton stuffing, black pipe cleaners, small bowl or saucer, stapler
Directions:
Using black construction paper, trace around a small bowl or saucer. (Cut out two circles per spider.)
Place stuffing or cotton balls on first circle.
Lay second circle on top of cotton stuffing and staple half-way around.
Insert 3-4" pipe cleaners on each side, then staple the second half of the circles together.
Bend pipe cleaners to make the "legs" of the spider.
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PLASTIC BAG GHOSTS
Materials:
White plastic trash bags
Black marker
Balloons
String
Scissors
Masking tape
Directions:
Blow up/inflate the balloons and cover each one with a trash bag. With the string, gather and tie each bag under the balloon to make a head. Using markers, draw a spooky face on the trash bag. Be creative and make your face scary or funny!
Attach a piece of string to the top of your ghosts and display them around your program room, yard or house. You can also use helium to have them 'float'.
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GLOWING GHOSTS
Materials:
Round, white balloons, cheesecloth cut to lengths of about a yard, and glow sticks. This sample used green, 4-inch glow sticks, found in party supply stores or on-line.
1. Activate a glow stick and insert it into a balloon.
2. Position the knot at the top of the balloon, and use an indelible black marker to draw the eyes and a mouth.
3. Drape the cheesecloth over the balloon, cut a small hole and push the knot through the fabric. Secure with string and hang in the breeze. Source: Readers Digest
YOU COULD ALSO... tie small glow sticks to string attached to helium balloons and let them sail over your house for spooky lights in the sky. Make sure to tie off the strings to something solid so they don 't get away!
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MAKE A PUMPKIN PAPER CHAIN
Take a strip of orange construction paper about 3 inches wide
fold into an accordion about 3 inches square.
When all folded-- cut the shape of a pumpkin leaving the side with the fold NOT cut.
When you open you will have a chain of pumpkins.
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MAKING 'TREAT BAGS' for a party goodies...
Supplies: Small brown paper bags, Halloween stickers, markers, treats (candy, pencils, erasers, bubble gum, etc.)
Decorate paper bags in Halloween theme using art supplies.
Put treats inside bags.
Fold the top of the bag down and tape shut with a Halloween sticker.
#2 Idea...TRICK OR TREAT BAG
All you'll need is 1 white gift bag that is big enough to fit all the collected Halloween goodies. (Check out a dollar store; they usually have them)
Put out an assortment of decorations such as: shapes cut out from orange and black construction paper, markers, stickers, yarn, etc.
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MACARONI SKELETON
- Need: Black construction paper (approximately 6" x 11.5")
- Glue that will dry clear
- Lima beans (head, thorax, hips)
- Short, small macaroni in a tube (spine)
- Thin twisted macaroni (arms, legs)
- Elbow noodles (ribs)
- Small shells (joints)
- Spaghetti (fingers, toes)
- Black permanent marker
Directions:
1. Build a sample skeleton for the children to copy from. Review the key features with them.
2. Guide children to build their skeleton working from the head down (i.e., head, neck/trunk, ribs, etc.), gluing the macaroni and beans to the paper as they go.
3. When they glue and macaroni has set, have them draw a smile and eyes on the "head".
TIPS:
As preparation for this project, study the human skeleton. Talk about symmetry between the two sides of the body, and how many ribs, fingers and toes we have. (Also good at Halloween!)
Source: Kaboose.com
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Q-TIP SKELETONS
Basic Directions
Materials for each basic project:1 sheet black construction paper, 5 full length Q-tips, 6 Q-tips cut in half, white glue
Make a skeleton head
Glue and place Q-tips in the following order...
•Place one whole swab vertically from the neck down (forms spine)
•Five half swabs on either side of the spine make the ribs...
•Two more whole swabs then make the legs, with the other half swabs for the feet.
•Add the other two whole swabs for the arms.
Challenge kids to design their own creative skeletons!
Having the skeletons engaged in movement (As the two images show) make a fun project! Cut off cotton tips and various lengths and create! Images Sources: crafts-for-all-seasons and busybeekids
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CHEESE CLOTH GHOST
Material:
Cheese cloth
Liqid starch... or... 2 cups white glue (I personally prefer the starch-Barb)
16 oz plastic cups
1. If using glue, dilute the white glue with 1/2 to 3/4 cups of water. (You should use about 3 parts glue to one part water) If using liquid starch-just use as is and dip.
2. Have children dip a piece of cheese cloth into the liquid starch or diluted glue-- and then drape the wet cheese cloth over the 16 oz cups.
3. The "ghosts" should dry for about two days.
4. Carefully remove the cup from the hardened cheese cloth. Children can decorate their ghosts.
5. Hang the completed ghosts from the ceiling.
You can also make larger versions by draping cheesse cloth over a blown-up balloon. When dry--carefully pull cloth of off balloon and glue on eyes. Slip a string through the top and float from the ceiling!
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PUFFY PAINT COBWEBS
Mix equal parts of flour, salt, and water in a large bowl.
Pour the mixture into squeeze bottles.
Give each child a black paper plate or a piece of black construction paper.
Have children squeeze the white puffy paint onto the black paper.
There are also three other puffy paint recipes in the Painting Recipes Category!
When the paint dries, it will look like glittery cobwebs. You can add a plastic or black pom-pom spider to the art.
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SPOOKY SPIDERWEB MARBLE PAINTING...Nice to hang and display...
1. Give children BLACK construction paper and WHITE thick tempera paint in shallow dishes.
2. Put paper in a box with sides at least 2" high.
3. Either put a small puddle of paint in the center and corners of the paper and drop a marble or two in the box...OR dip a marble in the the dish of white paint and use a spoon to scoop it out and onto the paper.
3. Hold the box tilting it gently back and forth as the marble moves across. If using the 'dipping the marble method' and there is no more paint, dip the marble again.
4. Continue until children see a white spider web!
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HALLOWEEN/AUTUMN CANDLE HOLDERS...
Anchor pillar candles in a bed of candy corn or black and orange jelly beans for seasonal touches. Mix in with fall follage, ghourds and pumpkins! This can also be done on a smaller level using baby food jar and tea lights. Set the tea lights on a bed of candy corn.
You can also place small votive candle holders in larger holders. Next fill the outer votives with freshly squeezed BLOOD (2 teaspoons corn syrup mixed with 3 teaspoons water and several drops red food coloring). Center smaller votives in this...
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HALLOWEEN OPEN ART TABLE
Just set out Halloween themed materials, and see what the kids come up with!
Choose from:
Black, orange, and yellow construction paper, cardboard pumpkin-pattern templates, pieces of foam/felt, markers, glitter, seasonal stickers, yarn, large and small paper plates, crafts sticks, thick orange, black, and white tempera paint in shallow dishes, shallow boxes and lids, orange and black pom-poms, pasta shapes, scissors, and glue, etc. Nature treasures from outdoors could also be provided--such as straw, twigs, and seeds.
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HAUNTED GINGERBREAD HOUSE
Who says gingerbread houses are only for Christmas?
Ingredients: Graham crackers, store bought or homemade frosting (try to find orange and black or pre-dye), Halloween candy and sprinkles (candy corn, black licorice, orange, purple and black variety) Make bats, ghosts, tombstones, and other ghouls out of icing, fondant, or gum paste.
Build your gingerbread house cute or spooky. Anything that's a little off-kilter or asymmetrical works great!
PUTTING THE HOUSE TOGETHER...
Help kids assemble their house using frosting to glue the graham crackers together into a house. Do this by placing one graham cracker flat on the table, squeeze a little frosting around all edges. (You may need an extra pair of hands.)
Place one cracker on each side standing up. It now looks like a box without a top.
Carefully squeeze more frosting on all outside corners from top to bottom and around the bottom of the box. Let it stand for a short while to let frosting harden a little. This will make working with the roof a little easier.
Now squeeze frosting on two of the top edges of the box and place the last two graham crackers in a V shape on as the roof. It looks like a triangle on a box now from the side. It may overhang if you can get the frosting to hold for you.
Squeeze frosting along the top of the roof where crackers join. Let stand again until frosting hardens a little.
Squeeze/put small amounts or frosting on candy. Place candy on the house to decorate. You can use the frosting to add things like doors and windows. Just use your imagination.
Embellish with Halloween craft items.
Image by "EdibleArt" on Flickr.com
AN EASIER GINGERBREAD HOUSE...
Need: Single serving milk cartons, empty and washed
White frosting/icing store bought or recipe
Graham Cracker Squares
Decorations, candies, sprinkles or other Halloween treats
Prepare white icing/frosting if you are not using store bought.
Each person should have their own single serving milk carton.
Place your carton on a sheet of waxed paper on top of heavy cardboard or a paper plate.
Attach graham cracker squares to sides of carton by spreading icing/frosting on carton and pressing cracker firmly onto carton.
Do the same for the roof using two graham cracker squares. For area between sides and roof - cut a graham cracker in half on diagonal to form a triangle and attach the same way.
Once you have your sides and roof attached use icing/frosting to attach decorations and candies to your house. You can pipe icing/frosting into the cracks with a cake decorator or with a plastic bag filled with icing/frosting.
Use your imagination to create windows and doors with different shaped and colored candies. Add other elements as you wish.
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GHOST DECORATIONS
Materials:
White paper napkins or tissues
Yarn or string
Black paper or a black felt-tip pen
Glue
1. Start with the ghost's head, by making a ball with one napkin or tissue.
2. Place the ball in the center of an opened-out napkin tissue, and then close your hand tightly around the "head".
3. Tie a piece of yarn around the napkin / tissue under the "head". Be sure that the length of yarn is long enough to hang the ghost.
4) To make the eyes, cut out 2 small triangles of black paper and glue them on the ghosts head or draw them with the felt-tip pen) to make the eyes. You can also add a mouth and a nose...
5. Hang the small ghosts around the room.
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FOOTPRINT GHOST (Feet in Paint)
Materials: black construction paper, black marker, white poster paint, a large ice cream bucket lid or flat container, sponge paintbrush, and bare FEET!
1. To make the footprint ghost, put a piece of dark paper down on the floor. Spread white paint in a thin layer on the ice cream lid or flat container.
2. Have children put their foot in it. Make sure the entire bottom of their foot is covered in paint.
3. Use the sponge paintbrush to spread more paint on the child's foot if you need to.
Have child step on the dark paper. Again, make sure that the entire foot makes a mark on the paper.
4. After paint dries, have kids put two eyes and a mouth on the ghost with a black marker.
If you fold the construction paper in half beforehand, you can make wonderful
Halloween cards...
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FOOTPRINT BATS
Material:
Construction paper in Halloween 'bat' colors
Trace child's foot on three pieces of paper the same color.
Cut them out.
With one footprint, cut off the toes in a curved shape.
Next glue the other two footprints on each side of the footprint with no toes.
When dry--glue two googly eyes or white paper circles (eyes) on the bats head.
To hang bats up, either use clothespins or glue magnets on the back and display them on a refrigerator.
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FOOTPRINT WITCHES
Trace and cut feet out of black paper. The toes are the bottom of the witches dress and the heel is the head. Glue this to a sheet of construction paper for the background.
Glue on Q-tips for arm and legs.
Draw a face... and add a pointed witch's hat.
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HALLOWEEN PAINTED HANDPRINTS
Create Halloween art projects that parents can keep to remember their child's little hands!
HANDPRINT GHOSTS
Paint child's hand with white tempera paint.
Have
child place their hand (with fingers close together and pointing down) on a sheet of black paper. Do this once or several times to have scary ghosts floating through the air. When paint dries, add eyes and a mouth using black permanent marker, google eyes or bits of black paper.
HANDPRINT BAT
Paint both hands black with washable paint. Have child put their thumbs together with the fingers spread out. Carefully place them on the paper. (For a younger child you may want to do one hand at a time.)
HANDPRINT SPIDER
1. Have children make a fist. Paint the palm side of the fist paint black and have child stamp their painted fist onto a piece of white paper.
2. Open the fist up. Paint all the fingers black but NOT the thumbs!
3. To make the legs--have child put their finger prints on either side of the fist print.
Variation: Paint the spiders individually; laminate them or make them using fun foam. Cut out the spiders--tape a string to the back-- and hang them from the string.
Idea and image: cereschildcare...
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HANDPRINT SPIDER AND GHOST TOGETHER...
Use a full sheet of orange paper.
Paint one white, upside-down handprint for a ghost. When dry-using a black marker-add two black eyes and mouth.
Make two black handprints palm to palm (no thumbs) to make a spider. When the spider is dry-- paint two white dots for eyes. When eys are dry- make two black dots inside the white dots for eyeballs.
Make a black line up to the top of the paper to form a web coming down to the spider.
Optional: Write 'Trick or Treat!'
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COOKIE MONSTERPIECE...
A craft and snack in one!
Have a table set up with plenty of sugar cookies cut out in different Halloween shapes. Put out a variety of frosting, candy corn, chocolate chips, sprinkles, etc. Great for pre-school through grade school. Photo Source: pinchmyself
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Lots more on Page 2 of Art & Crafts!
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