Hi Mamas - My son just turned 3 in August and I'm so excited that he can now really participate in crafts for the upcoming holidays. I know there are a ton of resources on the web but I just wanted to ask - what are your favorite Halloween arts & crafts for a preschooler? And what are your favorite websites for such things? Thanks = )
This is not really halloween, but have you ever made applesauce in the microwave? Peel and cut apples, put with a little water in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave till soft, then add a little cinnamon and sugar to taste and mash them up with a potato masher (the most fun part of all!). Now it is ready to eat. Kids love to mash things up, and even more fun when it is edible.
check out Oriental Trading Co.....you can adapt what they have to your son's age....& just buy the supplies locally. & you're right, 3 is the perfect age to start.
Right now, in my daycare, we're working on observing "what's around us". This week we did a gluing project with green & yellow leaves - because that's what's on my trees. Then we added apples into the mix... making a collage. This teaches the colors red, yellow, green.....& teaches about stems & leaves. AND then we count each category & sub-category! Lots of learning from one little project! Next week, the leaves will be changing colors....leading our group into a whole new direction! What fun!
My favorite web site is familyfun and I also like to look at project ideas in oriental trading co. Sometimes we just go to Micheals and get ideas there too.
Last I bought my kids a couple of those small pumpkins, I think the ones that are used to make pumpkin pie, and let them color and put stickers all over it. Both my 5 yo son and 3 yo daughter had fun doing that. I let them go crazy with markers, pens, pencils, crayons, washable paint on the dining room table. They had a blast!
Family Fun and DTLK are two sites I have used for arts and crafts. Sometimes I get ideas from Oriental Trading catalogs and jsut recreate them on my own.
One craft I just saw that I am going to do with my kids is a spider web craft. Take a small orange paper plate. Use a hole punch to punch holes in it - randomly placed. Use white ribbon or yarn to lace a random web pattern. Glue a spider ring (or make a spider) onto it. I thought I would also hang a few spiders from it with the yarn. I don't remember what site I found it at but it was cute and looked easy for my 5 and 6 year old to do.
Well I don't have any websites. I just have whats in my head from from working in schools with Children. We used to make Haunted gingerbread houses for halloween. Get graham crackers, make royal icing, get the halloween themed candies, and make yourself a house. The little kids made what looked more like a haunted shed, but they were always excited.
If you don't want to do it in food I saw at wal-mart the other day they have a "build your own haunted house" kit with foam boards and stuff. Have fun!!!
