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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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Melted Crayon Art with Dinosaur Stencils

Have you ever experimented with crayons beyond just coloring with them? An internet search produces some pretty amazing artwork, from melted crayon art to carved crayon sculptures. This particular art project was inspired by a lone red crayon that was left behind to melt in my vehicle. Good times, for sure, but THIS melted crayon activity is actually fun, with minimal cleanup. Read on to learn how to make easy melted crayon dinosaur art using crayon shavings.

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