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Small World Halloween Graveyard for Imaginative Play

“Are we going Halloween!?” said my 3-year old for the eighth time today.

“Yes, but Halloween is still 13 days away, remember?”

“Yay! Halloween!” *hops from foot to foot excitedly*

She’s so darn cute.

In our family, the first sparks of Halloween excitement begin around midsummer, and by October 1st my kids are bursting with anticipation. My 5-year-old already knows what her costume will be for the next three years in a row. With nearly two weeks left until the BIG DAY, I’ve been putting together Halloween-themed activities to tide them over. That’s why I set up this small world Halloween graveyard for some spooky imaginative play. Check it out.

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Creepy Spider Art

Spiders.

I don’t love them. But I don’t hate them nearly as much as I used to. You see, living out in the country has forced me to undergo some major exposure therapy. I once found a HUGE BLACK spider crawling mere inches from where my baby sat on the living room floor.

“Along came a spider, who sat down beside her…”

I panicked. I may have screamed some obscenities. Commanding my two toddlers to STAND BACK, I pounced on the thing with the largest container within reach.

I’m not a spider-killer. But I wasn’t about to let this one go on its merry way either. I pressed the container into the carpet with all my strength, lest the spider try to escape through the carpet fibers, and I waited for my heart to stop pounding. Meanwhile, my then-3-year-old was asking for a closer look because, for some crazy reason, she LOVES spiders. How is she even related to me!?

So for this Halloween season, to celebrate my switched-at-birth daughter’s love of spiders, we decided to make some creepy spider art using marbles, pipettes, and Sharpies.

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Ink Blot Monsters

How is everyone’s Halloween planning coming along? In years past, I would’ve had my costume determined by July and my house completely decorated on October 1st (because any sooner would be tacky, right?). Six years and four babies later…this mom doesn’t have time for anything elaborate! And so, my fellow time- and energy-strapped parents, I present to you: an incredibly simple Halloween craft, using the barest minimum of supplies, that little kids AND big kids will enjoy. Ink Blot Monsters!

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Silly Shape Monster Preschool Craft

We tried to make these shape monsters scary-looking for Halloween. We really did. Do you see the spikes? The fangs? The creepy goatee? But try as we might, our monsters just looked silly. It was still a lot of fun, though! And now my 5-year-old can say with confidence, “Do you have any more of those trapezoids, Mom?” and my heart swells with pride. Because even if our monsters did end up looking goofy, at least she learned a new shape!

If you’re in the mood for a fun monster/creature/robot(?) craft – and you want to sneak some math learning in there – try this silly shape monster activity. See if you can make your monsters scarier than ours.

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Spooky Ghost Resist Art for Halloween

I love Halloween. LOVE IT. I begin planning for the World’s Greatest Holiday months in advance. How will we decorate the house this year? What spooky treats can I bake? Will I be able to convince all four of my children to go along with the costume theme I’ve chosen? (Admittedly, this is getting harder and harder to pull off.) And what spooky-fun activities can I set up for my kids?

If you’re not like me, however, and Halloween snuck up on you this year, this spooky ghost resist art is the perfect Halloween activity for your little goblins. It is super easy to set up, not very messy, and pulls doubly-duty as both an art project and Halloween decoration that you can hang on your wall. Your children will love that the ghost “magically” appears out of nowhere. Spooky…

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Seashell Memory Game for Preschool Math and Literacy

It’s the middle of August and summer is in full swing. Here in southern California, we won’t see cooler temperatures until mid-October. And yet, though we do live in the Golden State, our home is far enough inland that frequent beach trips are out of the question. So what does this mom do? She brings the beach home! This seashell memory game is super easy to set up, and it’s so versatile. You can customize the game to whatever topic your child is currently learning. It’s suitable for letters, numbers, early phonics – I have a whole list of ideas for you and your child.

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Small World Beach Scene for Sensory and Imaginative Play

It is incredibly hot in southern California as the region suffers through a record-breaking heat wave. The heat advisory urges us to strictly limit time outdoors – which means even a trip to the beach is out of the question. If your children are begging for some fun in the sun, but it’s too dang hot – if you live in Montana and the drive is a little too far – or if you’re reading this in the dead of winter – have no fear! Tell your kids that Beach Day is here! Set up this small world beach scene and give them some beachy fun right in the comfort of your (hopefully) air-conditioned home!

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Dinosaur Dig Fine Motor Activity

If your kids are anything like mine, they can break things merely by thinking about them. The idea for this activity was inspired by yet another broken toy. Somebody managed to rip the head off a plastic dinosaur skeleton. How they managed to do this with their tiny tot fingers is beyond me, because that sucker was TOUGH. But it occurred to me that this would be a great opportunity to create a mini dinosaur dig site. It was so simple to put together, and my kids loved being little paleontologists. Picking away at the dirt with tools of various sizes is great for those fine motor skills. So if you have a dino-enthusiast in your home, give this dinosaur dig activity a try!

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