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This year, many of us find ourselves wondering how to make Halloween special. Parents are on the hunt for safe things to do on Halloween and low-risk ways to spend the holiday. One easy way to do this is to extend the celebration with fun Halloween crafts and activities all month long.
In an article about Halloween safety in 2020, Christopher Grindlesperger — the spokesman for the National Confectioners Association — talked about celebrating during the pandemic. “Beyond doubt, this Halloween will be different than years past,” Grindlesperger told the New York Times. For safe alternatives, he suggests families celebrate by doing things such as, “decorating the house, working on their [sic] coordinated family costumes, streaming ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' and carving pumpkins.”
The entire holiday season will be different this year and while it may not be time for paper snowflakes yet, this Halloween paper spider web is the perfect start. If you're looking for easy art projects to do with your kids , the following Halloween crafts and activities are sure to make Halloween 2020 a little brighter.
Fun Halloween crafts and activities to do with preschoolers and toddlers
Use coffee filters and markers to make adorable tie-dyed bats
These tie-dyed coffee filter bats above from Darcy Zalewski are the perfect craft for little hands. Just have kids color coffee filters with markers, make a few simple cuts for them, paint a clothespin and add googley eyes and you've got adorable bats to display.
Halloween egg carton craft: Spiders with black paint and pipe cleaners
Upcycle those paper egg cartons to make fun spiders with your kids. This is a quick, easy, and simple Halloween craft that your little ones are sure to love. This Halloween decor craft comes together quickly with black paint, pipe cleaners, egg cartons, and some googley eyes. Another spider craft: make this easy DIY Halloween spider with minimal supplies.
Keep the learning going on Halloween
If you find yourself struggling to keep little hands busy while homeschool or work with older kids on their virtual school assignments, consider giving your younger kids some school work of their own. These Halloween-themed count and trace number printables are fun and educational when you just need to keep your preschooler occupied for a while. You could also reserve a few Halloween pumpkin-themed books from the library to read aloud throughout the month.
Easy kids' Halloween crafts they can do on their own
Popsicle sticks and paper plates make a great starting point for big kid Halloween crafts
Supply your older kids with glue, googley eyes, paint, popsicle sticks, offer a few suggestions, and step out of the way. Watch their creativity come to life as they create fun Halloween decor items like this craft stick haunted house from Michael's Stores. Paper plates can also be used to make pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns as well. Let your kids take over and use their imaginations to come up with fun Halloween craft ideas.
Toilet paper rolls can also be a source of Halloween craft inspiration
If you were fortunate enough to score a stockpile of toilet paper from March and April, you likely have a large supply of toilet paper rolls on hand by now. Have your kids paint and decorate paper towel rolls to make ghosts and witches or wrap in crepe paper to make a spooky Halloween mummy.
Finally decorate that pumpkin you've had on your Pinterest board for years
Most of us have so many things pinned to our Pinterest boards for our kids that we've not even attempted. This may just be the year to let them finally execute all of those abandoned pins. Mom of two, Karen Heffren said "We always decorate a few pumpkins, usually themed like this Baby Yoda pumpkin." she told Mom.com.
Listen to a Halloween podcast while participating in Halloween craft activities
Sarah Miller-Snyder is a working mom using online homeschooling for her three children. She suggests adding Halloween podcasts to your spooky celebrations. "Podcasts are completely free and contain unique content that you and your family will love listening to. They are screen-free and easily accessible entertainment. Play a podcast when on the go, while folding laundry, or while taking the puppy for a walk," she suggested to Mom.com.
Halloween craft ideas that make great DIY gifts
Mason jar Halloween crafts make great gifts
Older kids will enjoy creating gifts to give to family and friends. Halloween mason jar gifts — filled with ingredients for a batch of cookies — are the perfect option. Measuring and portioning out the flour, sugar and decorations to determine how much is needed for a given number of mason jar gifts, incorporates an educational element to your kids' Halloween crafting.
Lois Behr Christensen shares a fun Halloween recipe. "Put together a few of these Halloween Cookies in mason jars to give as gifts to your neighbors," she suggested to Mom.com.
Make a Halloween candy craft for friends and neighbors
Older kids will enjoy assembling fun Halloween candy crafts to give away. Chances are you already have some extra latex glove in your COVID-19 first aid kit. Have your kids stuff them with wrapped candy then tie off the ends for a creepy-looking zombie hand candy craft. These work great as trick-or-treat goodie bags.
