Halloween is right around the corner and being caught without décor would be a true horror! Whether you want to give a scare, put pumpkins everywhere, or simply set an autumnal ambiance, we’ve rounded up a few crafts to get your little ones involved in setting that seasonal vibe (alongside not-so-spooky reads from our friends at Sourcebooks Kids!)
LEAF CRAFTS
Choosing to decorate with beautifully colored autumn leaves can be an activity and craft combined! Take your little one out and about to collect fallen foliage from nearby trees. Stroll around the block, explore the park, or wander wherever together until you have enough leaves. Good news - you can always run right outside your door for more if you need!
Count them, sort them, put them into groups for additional play, and then decide which of these crunchy crafts you want to create.
1. Fall Leaf Wreath - Create a colorful, simple wreath with a paper plate, scissors, glue, twine/ribbon, and leaves.
2. Accordion Paper Fall Leaves - If you’d rather keep the leaves outside, but want that colorful foliage feel – grab some colored paper and get ready to do a simple fold!
3. Fall Leaf Garland - A leaf garland is a simple and beautiful way to add color to your home! The sweet additional step of writing why you're thankful on each leaf? Next level!
SUGGESTED READING: The Leaf Thief
Team up with Squirrel and his best buddy, Bird, to track down the creature stealing his beloved autumn leaves in this beautifully illustrated story that explores change - both seasonal, and the anxiety that it can bring.
[Amazon] [Barnes & Noble] [IndieBound] [Sourcebooks]
PUMPKIN CRAFTS
Much like leaf themed crafts, pumpkin decorations can tie into a fun family activity by getting out and about to visit a local pumpkin patch! Letting kids select their own small pumpkin or gourd to decorate can get them engaged and excited about the fun to come.
1. Pumpkin Decorating - While carving a jack-o-lantern is always popular, it requires a lot of careful planning and adult supervision to carve with kids. So why not keep their pumpkins whole and let them decorate the outside instead? We love these 5 Toddler Friendly Ways to Decorate a Pumpkin (paint, stickers, glitter!) and the Non-Toy Gifts blog with 25 Painted Pumpkins for Kids as inspiration!
2. Pumpkin/Jack-O-Lantern Water Bottle - Reduce, reuse, and recycle, we always say - and transforming an old plastic bottle is one way! If you've got plastic bottles waiting to be recycled, grab a few for this super simple, but super cute craft.
3. Pumpkin Paper Plate Craft - Ultra-easy pumpkin creation that can be hung up as decor or double as a mask by using a simple paper plate and paint!
SUGGESTED READING: Happy Meow-loween Little Pumpkin
Make spooktacular memories with your special little pumpkin this Halloween reading this unboolievably cute, punderfully hilarious rhyming text together. This adorably illustrated board book features jack-o'-lanterns, ghosts, witches, and more, plus a heartwarming message families will want to treat themselves to again and again.
[Amazon] [Barnes & Noble] [IndieBound] [Sourcebooks]
GHOST CRAFTS
A more specifically Halloween-related aesthetic, ghosts are easy to emulate due to their super simple design! Remove the spookiness around these haunting creatures and get kids involved in making friendly ghost creations.
1. Wind Sock Ghost - A simple paper cup, some white streamer, and pipe cleaner can create a dynamic wind sock ghost. That same post from That’s What Che Said has several other easy activities to check out, too!
2. Puffy Ghost - The idea of petting a ghost may sound kind of spooky, but with a few well-placed cotton balls in this super simple craft, you might want to add that to your list of Halloween activities! Plus, Thriving Home has a downloadable ghost template to make this even easier.
3. Salt Ghost - Sure, painting a white blob would be simple enough, but with just salt, glue, and black paint, you can elevate your little one's ghost into a more exciting project.
SUGGESTED READING: A Halloween Scare at My House
This Halloween, the monsters are coming out for a furry, fanged fest - and some are even right outside your front door! But what's the scariest creature of all? Sink your fangs into this oh-so-delightful (and not-too-frightful) tale to find out... and you can add an element of personalization by finding YOUR STATE on read.sourcebooks.com!
[Amazon] [Barnes & Noble] [IndieBound] [Find YOUR STATE on Sourcebooks]
We tend to repeat this a lot of the time, but we always want to take a moment to remind everyone that the time spent together reading and crafting is what matters most. Even if your ghost looks more like a ghoul and you break or misplace your crafting tool, the memories you're making are what will truly last a lifetime.
Have fun pumpkin spicing up your space together,
Your Friends at Put Me in the Story