Paper Mache Pumpkins: These are fun to make, albeit messy, and can be done, with some assistance by children as young as 3. Blow up a small balloon. (We used small water balloons so that each child could have their own.) Cut newpaper into small thin strips. You can use either plaster of paris (which will make it stronger) or a flour and water mixture (to a little thicker than a cake batter consistancy) which is better for small children who make end up getting some in their mouths. Cover each strip of newspaper with a thick coat of your plaster or flour mixture and apply it firmly and flat to the balloon. Cover the balloon entirely, leaving only a small space where the tie is. For best results, do several layers.
Plater will usually dry over night. The flour mixture may take a couple of days. Tie some string to the end of the balloon and hang them so they dry evenly and don't stick.
Once they are dry, pop the balloon inside and remove it. The children can then paint them or glue tissue paper on them.
I filled them all with some halloween candy and the kids used them as pinatas, although they make great decorations too.
Trick or Treat Sacks: This activity can be done with brown paper bags or with small canvas bags that can be purchased at most craft stores.
For the brown bags, have children draw or glue halloween pictures on their sacks. For the canvas bags, fabric paints or fabric markers are best.
Paper Chain Skeletons: Children are really creative with this activity. Cut plain white paper into strips. You will probably need many strips. Older children can help with this as well as cutting out their own skulls. Have the children glue the strips together into chains. As each chain is made the children can have it attached to their skull to make a skeleton. Older children may be more accurate with where the cahin goes. If you look closely in the pictures, you may see a skeleton with an arm coming from it's head!
Pumpkins: Pumpkins are great for science and discovery. Children love to scoop out the "goo" on the insides. The seeds can be used in many ways. Use measuring cups and scales to see how many seeds are in there.
Weigh the pumpkin before it's carved and again after. Ask the children why there is a difference.
Sensory Experiences: To fit right in with the haunted house you can have some "halloween horror" bowls. Have the children blind folded and put their hands in bowls with various things in it, such as peeled grapes (eye balls), cold cooked spaghetti, (intenstines, worms or maggots)
mixed up jello (guts)
Not only will the children enjoy this, but it will get them really thinking when you ask them what they think is in the bowl.
Graveyard Cake: Make a rectangular chocolate cake as directed on the box. Ice with chocolate frosting. Give each child one (or more) arrowroot biscuits and some small tubes of decorator icing. The children can create tombstones on their cookies. Place upright into the cake. Add some gummy worms or ice on some ghosts with decorator icing.
Chocolate Treats: In small sealable baggies, melt some molding chocolate (in brown, orange and white) in the microwave. Seal the baggies tight and cut small piece off of one corner. Give each child a piece of wax paper and the children can create their own halloween chocolates using the baggies as icing pipes.
Halloween Punch: Mix together in a large punch bowl, 3 cups of orange juice, 3 cups of fruit punch and 3 cups of cranberry juice. Add one litre of ginger ale. Peel some grapes and put them in (eyeballs) Fill a rubber glove with juice and freeze. RIght before the punch is served remove the rubber glove from the ice hand and add to the punch. (Jello Jiggler hands work great for this too!)
