Halloween is the perfect time to get creative with your kids
by Samantha Conner
Since I am a ‘crafty person’, it was only a matter of time before my girls joined in on the fun. My first grader learned to scrapbook at age 3. I remember her preschool teachers being so impressed with her ‘scissor skills’. Over the years, as my passion for creating has grown, the girls have always been right there with me. Whether it is being thrifty at Goodwill or making modpodge frames, my girls aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty!
In the midst of my ‘home décor- type’ crafting, I always like to do some crafts that are just for kids too. And Halloween is the perfect time to get creative with your kids. For inspiration, we found this great book at the library, “Fun to Make Crafts for Halloween”. You would be surprised at the number of ‘crafty’ books you can find in the youth section. And better yet—they are free!
Afton went through the book and made a list of her favorite ideas for Halloween crafts. And on a gloomy Sunday, we set to work. First up- the silly spiders. We had the pipe cleaner legs, googly eyes, and paint already. A quick trip to JoAnn’s later, we had the foam balls too.
Let me point out, that crafts are not ‘just for girls’! Boys like to create and build too. Crafting teaches problem solving, patience, and creativity. If you haven’t had much success with crafting in the past, let you child take the lead and choose the activity. Sometimes that makes all the difference in the world.
While the spiders were drying, we decided to tackle another task- a painted pumpkin. We had several ‘pie sized’ pumpkins around the house that she had picked out at the farm. Like most school aged kids, she is starting to like the ‘spooky’ parts of Halloween. So she chose to turn her pumpkin into a witch. She used the party hat template from my two year old’s birthday party to make a hat and then stuck on letters from our scrapbook stash.
The best part of crafting, is displaying what you made! So we decided that the dresser in the entry would be the perfect place. I cleared off the top and added a framed printable that I found here.
Beyond crafting for Halloween, we have also been reading a ton of Halloween books, also checked out from our library. My girls’ favorite books this year are “The Hallowiener”, “The Ugly Pumpkin”, and “The Halloween Queen”.
Halloween is such a fun time of year! What are your kids up to for Halloween?
Looking for more Halloween ideas? See my tutorial for creating a fun Haunted House here:
http://www.craftytexasgirls.com/2011/10/crafting-with-elmers-and-giveaway.html
Lots of fall home décor ideas can be found on my blog here: http://www.craftytexasgirls.com/p/diy-tutorials.html
In my “past life” I earned a degree in Education at TCU and taught elementary school. But these days, I am working as a super stay-at-home-mom with a serious craft addiction. During naptime, I am an avid blogger, runner, and nester. My blog is the place where I chronicle my journey in homemaking and sell my fabulous handmade bows, tutus, and hair accessories. Follow my crafting journey at craftytexasgirls.com