I have been in survival mode for so long that I don't feel like I've enjoyed a lot of the holidays over the last couple of years. But on the bright side I feel like I'm coming out of the other end of that horrible place now and I'm getting into a good rhythm with my millions of young kids. Hopefully this means I will be able to enjoy the events coming up... October kicks off our "birthday season" with 4 kids and Ian all crowded into the next few months and of course Halloween, Christmas and New Year to top it all off!
I do feel I'll be able to enjoy myself and level up my Mama game at least a little bit this year - so bring it on!
So to kick things off let's start with Halloween! Here is some spooky, fun things I've done with the kids so far, starting with the toddlers. Hopefully you see something you enjoy and want to recreate the Halloween Fun with the Kids too!
Strawberry Ghosts - Halloween Fun with the Kids
How cute are these little guys?
This is such an easy, fun activity to do with the kids. I made these with the babies so it got a little messy but it's all part of the fun. I even broke my diet to eat a heap of melted chocolate which was so delish!
This is how we did them:
Melt white chocolate - I used my microwave and just made sure to check it every 15 seconds so it didn't crystallise.
Dry strawberries with paper towels and dip them into the white chocolate.
Transfer them to greaseproof paper to set. Wait until they are completely cooled before moving onto the next step.
Melt milk or dark chocolate for the wee faces. I used a chopstick to dot the eyes and mouths on but it didn't work very well. You would be better putting it into a wee piping bag to do it properly.
We really loved doing these together and they were so simple. All the kids loved eating them up 🤎
Hot Dog Mummies - Halloween Fun with the Kids
I can't decide which are cuter - these or the strawberry ghosts?!
Take ready to use puff pastry and cut into thin stripes
Let the kids go wild wrapping up individual hotdogs
Leave a wee space in the ”bandages“ near the top for a face later
Pop them in the oven on some grease proof paper at until the pastry is browned. (FollowI followed the guidelines on the pastry wrapper.) You can also use the air fryer for 5-6 minutes!
This is another fun food related activity. Both these and the ghostly strawberries would be a great easy and fun idea for a halloween party!
Cotton Ball Ghosts - Halloween Fun with the Kids
All the crafts I picked this month were easy ones to ensure the wee babies could join in on all the fun. We made ghosts out of cotton wool balls that we can use to decorate the house after we are done!
Cut out ghost shapes on A4 card
Put out a plate of PVA glue - I watered ours down slightly
Let the kids loose sticking them wherever they want
Add three black circles for eyes and shocked mouth!
I put out our tuff tray for this one because I didn't want glue all over my kitchen table, it's had a hard enough time lately and has many stains I can't seem to get off!
Paper Plate Pumpkins - Halloween Fun with the Kids
These are so so simple and we put them up in our windows for the passers by to see in the lead up to Halloween.
Let the kids loose with orange paint and pop up high to dry
I cut out the black eyes and mouth in a few different shapes
Let them choose which eyes and mouth they wanted for their pumpkins
Have the kids stick their chosen eyes and stalk/leaves onto their pumpkin with PVA glue
I added green vines by curling green card around a pencil and stuck on using PVA
Another great and simple tuff tray activity for Halloween!
All of these things are so simple and yet the kids just loved spending that quality time with us making these silly little things. It really is something for everyone to think about - certain crafts may seem easy and simple but it‘s actually more about making the memories doing them with the kids than anything else. It doesn’t need to be elaborate or expensive, it just needs to be quality, focussed time with the wee ones to make their holidays extra special.
Another important point to remember is that if you find crafts stressful rather than magical that is TOTALLY FINE! You are normal. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't cringing and giving secret eye rolls throughout these experiences. Just look at it like this - you did the thing you dread for the happiness of your kids and that makes you awesome 🖤
Hope you enjoy our photos and find some inspiration, let us know below if you try any of these out!
🎃
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