Halloween is such a fun time for kids of all ages. What is more fun than getting to put on a costume and collect bags of candy? Fortunately, Halloween festivities don’t have to be limited to one day – you can draw out the holiday and make it fun for the entire month.
There are so many cute and creative ways to celebrate Halloween season. These five easy crafts will help your kids develop their fine motor skills and will get them in the Halloween spirit leading up to the holiday.
1. Candy corn footprints
Not only is it fun because your kids get to paint their own feet, but you can also keep the finished product to use as Halloween decorations for years to come. To start, lay down a tarp in the play area. Using finger paints, color the toes and pad yellow, the arch of the foot orange, and the heel white. Next, have your kids stamp their foot on a piece of construction paper and let it dry on an art easel. Place the finished product on the fridge or in windows to show it off!
2. Glowing mason jar pumpkins
Summer firefly season might be over, but that doesn’t mean your toddler can’t still enjoy things that light up. For this creative craft, all you need is one mason jar for each child, about two to three glow sticks for each jar, black paper, and glue.
The first step is to cut the black paper into funny noses, eyes, and mouths of different shapes. Let each child choose a face and glue it onto the outside of the mason jar. Cut open two to three glow sticks, one at a time, and carefully squeeze the contents of it into the jar (this part is for grown ups to complete!). Once the liquid glow stick is inside, close the lid, secure with glue or duct tape, and give it to your kids to shake up. What you end with is a pumpkin jar that looks like it is lit up with a candle, without fire.
3. Pumpkin modeling clay
Not only is clay fun to play with and shape, but it can also smell just like fall and Halloween treats. All you need is one can of pumpkin puree, two tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice, and two to three cups of cornstarch. Have your child combine the pumpkin and spice in a bowl, then add in the cornstarch for a toxin-free play clay for them to shape and knead. Not just a great sensory toy for hand-eye coordination, it also smells good! Have them play with the clay on their craft table to keep the mess contained.
4. Pumpkin decorating
Generally, kids can only observe pumpkin decorating – creating a traditional jack ‘o lantern and handling a sharp knife isn’t a kid-friendly activity. However, your young kids can decorate their pumpkin knife-free – let them use paint, stickers, and pins to decorate their pumpkin. Lay out the craft materials and let them go at it with all the imagination they can dream up. Use a disposable tablecloth so clean up will be quick and easy.
5. Mummy hot dogs
Fun to make and to eat, mummy hot dog rolls are the perfect Halloween treat. Cut prepackaged crescent rolls lengthwise into strips, then let your toddler wrap it around the hot dogs. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake them in the oven for about 15 minutes. Once the mummies have cooled, use cooking spray to gel candy eyeballs the “face” of the hot dog. Excellent fresh out of the oven or at room temperature, they are as much fun to make as they are to eat.
Halloween may just be one day out of the year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate it all month long. These spooky and simple Halloween crafts for kids are a great way to occupy your kids’ time, let them get creative, build their fine motor skills, and create decor for many years of Halloween to come. Ready to get crafty? Step2 has all the art tables and easels necessary to bring out the inner artist in your young toddler.