Of all the Halloween words like ghouls, monsters and jack-o-lantern the search term that has been most common this month for us is ” Ghost Craft” . I aim to please so here are  our ghost crafts, treats and even my failed ghost cookies that tasted really really good. If you weren’t one of the many people searching for ”Ghost Craft” I hope you find something fun to do anyway!

Texture Ghost

I think I may re-do this craft with my daughter in the coming days, it’s a fun craft to do with toddlers and preschoolers alike!

Puffy Paint Ghost

Seriously messy, seriously fun and the way the homemade puffy paint dries is seriously awesome!

Flying Ghosts

Great use of cookie cutters and a fun and easy craft for preschoolers.

Ghost Cookies

I was so excited when I thought these cookies up and when they flopped I was so sad I ate way too many .

Ghost Bananas

This is the perfect lesson in great minds think alike. I thought I thought this great idea up…only to find out FamilyFun Magazine posted it well before me, and moms everywhere had probably been doing this for ages. AgainI was so sad I ate way too many .

Marshmallow Ghost

We love marshmallow crafts, me because it’s math and fine motor skill practice, my son because he gets to eat the craft supplies!

This is one of my favorite Christmas party crafts we did ages ago adapted for Halloween. As my son pointed out it would also be fun for a Harry Potter party as it makes a great sorting hat craft. It’s a fun way to make something edible without baking.

1. Gather your materials. You will need some one sugar cone, some black icing, halloween sprinkles ( ours are just orange and back non pareils), some gummy worms or other gross candy, a cupcake liner and spoon.  I normally have my son help mix the food coloring if we are using it but black food color is notoriously stubborn to get out of anything ( like my hands… hours later) but by premixing it the mess with my son was minimal.
2. Start by using the icing to “glue” the cone to the liner.
3. Now cover the cone and liner with black icing. Have diaper wipes on hand I swear they have magic food coloring erasers, nothing wipes it up like wipes!  Oh and see his lips… if you are doing this with a group give them individial cups of icing or there will be a lot of germ sharing.
4. Add the sparkles.. I mean sprinkles, it’s habit to type sparkles !
5. Add worms… eat one more than you were supposed to.  See that little hand ? Baby girl was aching to have some sugar but she will have to wait til next year. Bummer.
6. That’s it – super easy right?! It’s perfect for a fun Halloween party where kids are busy running around and don’t want to sit for too long to make something.

Halloween Books

I was going to link to some books I have previously reviewed since we have not made it to the library lately but my friend Amy Kraft from Media Macaroni just posted a wonderful post about new Halloween Books - so run over there and see what’s new. I was giddy to see a new Todd Parr book!

Craving a pumpkin with a toddler is not my idea of fun , especially without another adult handy for supervising the littles when you are doing the actual carving. I will leave the slimy insides ( that make my son gag – also not fun) and sharp knives for the weekend when my husband is handy, but that doesn’t mean we can’t decorate a pumpkin! I was just going to do this with my daughter who is 16 months old but my son came running to the playroom asking to join in. They had a great time and my foyer is all blinged out for halloween now!

1. Gather your materials. You will want a drop cloth for this, white glue, glitter, paint brushes, a plate and a small stool, box or something else you don’t mind getting glitter on to hold the pumpkin at your toddler’s level so they can stand and move around as they create.
2. Pour the glue onto a plate.
3. Paint on the glue.
4. “Wait for me I want to do it too Mom!” <— music to my ears!
5. Shake the glitter on.
6. Change glitter colors and keep shaking.
7. Let dry overnight, gently shake any loose glitter off.
8. Display!

My husband loves math the way that I love art . When he talks about numbers his voices changes just a little bit the same way mine does when I start telling someone about the first time I saw a favorite painting in person. Well my son seems to be gearing more towards that side of things so I have been trying to come up with math activities that fit themes , have an art element if he wants to help me make them and most importantly are fun.

1. Gather your materials. You will need a paper towel roll or two, some green painters tape , a black markers( one permenant and a regular washable one), drinking straws, stationary labels and scissors.
2. Start by cutting your paper towel rolls into smaller tubes.
3. Next color the top of the roll black.  Just use a regular old marker.
4. Next wrap green painters tape around the bottom of the rolls. Add faces with permenant marker, regular marker will smudge.
5. Now cut the drinking straws into smaller pieces. Make sure they are long enough to be seen and grabbed above the rolls.
6. Write numbers on the stationary labels. Make sure you write some numbers that are “easy” and many that are a challenge for them too. The balance of challenge and success builds their self confidence.
7. Place the Frankensteins on the table with the labels infront. This do not stick to my table but I don’t want to be responsible for wrecking yours, so if you are worried pop down a placemat before the labels. If it’s too late try goo-gone that stuff is a preschool teacher’s secret weapon.
8. Give your child the straws and let them count and fill! My son loved that he was putting brains into Frankenstein… nice eh?
9. It was during this lesson that I introduced my son to double checking his work. Here he is counting a 2nd time.
10. Peel the stickers off and put new ones on. Count and re-fill .

Halloween Counting Book

10 Trick-or-Treaters by Janet Schulman is one of my favorite Halloween books and both my children love it. We’ve been reading it daily for a few weeks. The premise is simple, a group of trick or treaters are pegged off one by one as they are scared by some Halloween creature.  Readers count down from 10 – 0 and  enjoy the bright detailed illustrations as they do. I particularly like the cute costumes and the final page which has another countdown with candy – always fun to count candy right?

If you are a long time reader you know I love these marshmallow crafts. For good reason, my son who you may know has done a lot of crafts is still very enthusiastic to do these.  I like them because I add in drawing, counting and fine motor skills while he just thinks he’s having fun.  Last year we made a ghost, this year we got a little more complicated because he’s older and able! Always make sure that you are in that sweet spot where a project interests and offers some challenge but doesn’t frustrate because it’s too hard.

1. Gather your materials. You will need some mini marshmallows, white glue and a white crayon.
2. Start by drawing an outline of the skull. I did this for my son but if your child wants to have them do it.
3. I did encourage him to draw the eyes nose and mouth and was happy that he was eagerly doing it. I am glad I started it off for him by doing the outline, I am not sure he’d be as eager to draw the face if I’d given him a blank page and said draw your skull. Your child might so do what works for yours.
4. Time to add glue. This is great for hand eye coordination.
5. Marshmallow Time! Before you ask, yes my son ate marshmallows but we have a system.
6. He has to count to a certain number before he gets to eat one from the bowl.
7. More counting…a little more eating and then let dry.

Books About Bones!

Dem Bones by Bob Barner is sort of two books in one. The superficial layer uses the words of the ever popular old time spiritual with fun Halloween inspired skelleton illustrations. There is also a second layer that has longer text for older children that goes into the anatomy of the bones the song sings about. Great way to keep a Halloween theme strong while teaching about the human body!

Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler is a silly book about a skelleton who can not get rid of the hiccups. He tries all the old tricks , which probably won’t be old to your kids… I spent a lot of time explaining them to my son while we read . The story is simple and parents will find it predictable but kids find it silly and fun, and that is what matters.