Halloween is the perfect time for the creation of some spooktacular craft items. As this creepy-crawly holiday approaches once again, engage your child in the creation of craft items as a way to celebrate the season and get them in the mood for the upcoming fright night. Along with providing an enjoyable way to pass some pre-Halloween time, these projects also allow your child to practice his eye-hand coordination and continue to hone his creativity.
Flapping Bats
Create movable bats to add some fright to your Halloween evening. To prepare for this simple craft, clip an oval bat’s body out of a sheet of black card stock or construction paper. Clip out two wings from the same material, sizing them to fit the body. Punch holes in the wings and where the wings would rest on the body. Attach the wings to the body using brads. Tape or tie a translucent string onto each wing, and tie them together. Attach another string to the body. By holding the central body string and pulling on the tied-together ones, your child can make the bat flap his wings. Create an assortment of these puppet-esque toys, and engage your children in the creation of a batty Halloween puppet show as a Halloween night treat for the family.
Felt Pumpkin Game
Create an interactive jack-o’-lantern activity for your children using felt. To craft this playful piece, cut a pumpkin shape out of orange felt, and attach it to a sheet of green felt. Clip different potential pumpkin-face pieces out of black felt. Place your felt creation on your refrigerator for the weeks leading up to Halloween. Each day, encourage your child to select new face parts and place them on the pumpkin to change his expression and enhance the Halloween atmosphere of your home.
Spider Candy Hanger
Allow your children to leave their marks on trick-or-treat by creating a creepy-crawly candy distribution tool. To craft your spider candy holder, take a standard paper plate and cut it in half. Use staples to attach the two half-circles together, stapling them along the curved edge. Spray- or hand-paint your creation black. After the paint has dried, attach googly eyes near the top to give your spider a face. Attach eight pipe cleaners, approximately equal distances apart, around the circular portion of the spider, bending them so that they resemble legs. Bend your plate halves so that they pull apart and form a cavity in which you can place candy. Finish your creation by attaching a loop of string to the top and hanging it from your door. As you take your children around the neighborhood, fellow trick-or-treaters can help themselves to candy from your carefully crafted distribution container.