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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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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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