Are you looking for something for the kids to be excited about besides candy this Halloween? Kids love to be included in themes, especially around holidays like Halloween. When parents and therapists think in themes, it’s easy to plan activities and keep kiddos busy with creepy crafting fun! Here are a few ideas for creating some Halloween-themed crafts on the Play Mat.

Spooky Night Light: When I was growing up my mom had a festive tradition - a night light for every holiday. She always placed it in our bathroom, and it was our beacon of light for those unplanned potty trips in the middle of the night. Seeing a themed night light was such a fun treat and a great childhood memory! You can create a simillar Halloween tradition with this wooden night light from Michaels. This craft (pictured) is inexpensive, easy to store and perfect to use year after year! Have your children decorate the wood pumpkin with sharpie markers or paint and just turn on the light (it already includes a battery and switch). So spooktacular!

DIY Decorations: Children want to be included when decorating the house for the holidays. Give them a specific area that they can own and decorate, such as the front door, their bedroom or the play room. Having a theme will keep them focused and be more cost effective too. Let them write down a few decoration themes, place them in a ‘Treat Pail’ (details below on making this craft) and have them choose one! We chose spiders (pictured) as our theme, but you can do zombies, spider webs, pumpkins, skulls, monsters, eyeballs, bats or ghosts – oh my! 

Ingredients:

Foam spiders

Pipe cleaners (chenille stems)

Wiggle eyes

Rhinestone stickers

Googly eyes

Glue

Treat Pails: Children like to have a candy jar that they can place some of their favorite treats in. Have them go through all their candy and select specific treats that they have access to once a day. They can design their own treat pail and use the pail to hold candy, crayons or use as a centerpiece in their room. They can also house fun Halloween activities like a Boo-Gram. A Boo-Gram is a mysterious note and tiny gift left on neighbor or friend's doorstep. It’s a great ‘trick’ for this trick-or-treat atmosphere!

Ingredients:

Orange or black pails

Crafting (washi) tape

Foam bat stickers

Adhesive ribbon

Candy or gift

Boo-gram Gifts: Having children make a gift, especially during a time where kids expect to receive treats, is a gracious theme! Host a festive kid-friendly gifting party for Halloween. An easy craft at the party is wrapping boxed snacks like raisins, nuts and trail mix. Changing a drab raisin box into a Halloween-themed present (e.g., an eye-catching monster or candy skulled gift) can really get kids into the holiday spirit. You can even add it to your kid’s Boo-gram. It will make their day Booutiful!

Ingredients:

Box of raisins

Tissue paper or Halloween wrapping paper

Tape

Pom poms

Foam eye stickers

Adhesive ribbon

What are some October themes your family engages in? Do you have a Halloween tradition or favorite craft to share? #ezpzfun #Halloween #playmat