13 Halloween Crafts & Recipes to Try with Your Kids
Halloween is just around the corner. If your family is anything like mine, anticipation for the spookiest night of the year is high. Not a day goes by without chatter about costumes, trick-or-treating, and classroom parties.
Switch off the screen, get out the googly eyes, and make Halloween 2016 one to remember with these easy, kid-friendly crafts that take just a couple of hours or less to complete.
I say go ahead and get in the Halloween spirit by having some hands-on fun with the family. Here are 13 fun and kid-friendly craft, recipe and activity ideas I have come across that will inspire you to switch off the screen, get out the googly eyes, and make Halloween 2016 in Fort Worth one to remember! All can be done in a few hours or less, although the fond memories of getting creative with your kids will last a lot longer.
Conjure up some creepy treats or healthy haunted snacks
It’s just not Halloween without the treats! Try a few of these kid-friendly Halloween recipes for a bit of holiday-themed snacking. To avoid a month-long candy fest, there are some healthy options as well.
Hint: many of these recipes call for edible googly eyes. Either make your own or buy them ready-made online or at a craft or cake decorating supplies store.
Cheese and pretzel broomsticks: These bewitching snacks are extremely easy to make, and require only two ingredients: pretzel sticks and string cheese. The chive broom ties are a nice touch, but optional.
Monster apple bites: I just love these adorable apple slices with eyes, sunflower seed teeth, and strawberry tongues! With no added sugar, and no gluten, soy, or other allergens, they are healthy and perfect for a classroom party. The recipe includes a vegan homemade googly eye option, but store-bought are okay if you do not have dietary restrictions. You can do the slicing, then let your kids spread the sunflower butter and make the faces. Get the recipe here.
Frozen boo-nana pops. All you need are popsicle sticks, bananas, white chocolate, and mini-chocolate chips for eyes to assemble these chilly ghost pops. They could not be easier and make the perfect after-school snack. Take a look at the instructions.
Bowl of worms. These look gross, but that is exactly why your kids will love making them. The trick is to use bendy straws as Jell-O molds, so you get a nice segmented worm look. Dislodging the worms from the straws takes a bit of patience, but it is not hard. When the worms are ready, you can add them to any food as a gruesome topping, or let your kids enjoy a 100% wormy dessert. Get the recipe & instructional video here.
Werewolf (or kitty-cat) cupcakes. Kids tend to love any craft that involves making a face, so these cupcakes are a sure to be a hit. The recipe envisions the cupcakes as werewolves, but if you leave off the furry texture and dog bone and add some white icing whiskers, you can easily convert them to kitty-cats if you prefer.
Ghostly graveyard pull-apart cupcakes. If you have an older child who loves to bake, try this masterpiece Halloween dessert. The recipe is a little more involved, so read it through before starting. Of course, you can take a few shortcuts by using cake mix for the cupcakes and canned frosting for the graveyard “ground.” When you are done, take a photo and then have fun watching the kids tear the yummy graveyard apart.
Turn your front yard into a graveyard with outdoor decor crafts.
Garden grave plots. We love this idea: create gravestones commemorating your dried up summer veggie garden! It is a great way to let the kids get creative with writing and make the yard festive without buying decorations. Just get some cardboard scraps, cut them into gravestone shapes, and paint gray or silver. When dry, give your kids a sharpie and let them go to town. Add a stake to the back with duct tape and place them in your garden.
Giant eyeballs to hide in your shrubs. Turn your landscape shrubs into a lair for a mysterious creature with giant peepers. These eyes are made from cheap pumpkin candy buckets (available at a dollar store). All you have to do is spray-paint the sides, and then let your kids decorate the eyeballs how they please: make them bloodshot, or glittery so they shine in the night.
Tomato cage ghosts. These adorable, glowing ghosts are festive both day and night. Plus, you probably have most of the materials already at home: tomato cages, white sheets, and Christmas lights. Pin on felt “eyes” and use a wadded-up towel or ball of yarn for a head, and you are done.
Make a monster front door. Decorating your door is a great (and cheap!) way to invite knocks on your door for trick-or-treaters and give the neighbors a smile when they drive by. The possibilities are endless, so use your creativity. Here is a great slideshow for inspiration.
Brew up a Few “Witch” Crafts
The best Halloween crafts for kids are easy, fast, and full of spooky fun. These ideas fit the bill.
DIY Slime. What kid would pass up the chance to play with slime? Try this 5-minute homemade slime recipe, which uses liquid starch and Elmer’s glue to create a gooey blob. You can even mix in glitter, googly eyes, or other fun bits and pieces to make your own Halloween themed slime. Note: this slime is not edible, so reserve it for older kids, and make sure they wash their hands after playing with it.
Turn toilet paper rolls into Halloween critters. With a little paint, some pipe cleaners and tissue paper, and of course googly eyes, ever-present toilet paper rolls can become pumpkins, Frankensteins, black cats, witches and more. You will have lots of fun making a family of Halloween characters, and when the holiday is over, you can simply toss them in the recycle bin. Here are 10 ideas to start with.
Make your home a Halloween Fun House. Make crafts even more fun by turning them into games! Check out these great game ideas from Frugal Ginger. Among my favorites are the “Feed the Monster” game, as well as the clever “Spider Web Walk,” which you can create using sidewalk chalk outdoors, or masking tape on the floor as shown.
I hope you have a chance to try some of these crafts and recipes with your kids before the 31st arrives. I would love to hear about your experiences with these or other Halloween activities; feel free to leave a comment below!
