There are tons of people out there that love Halloween – my brother and I were always excited to dress up and decorate our house by ourselves, which left my poor Mom shaking her head at our cotton ball and scotch tape spiderwebs. But she smiled anyway and let us go about it. Ty and I were always so happy. As I’ve grown up, I’ve become and absolute Christmas nut, so Halloween and Thanksgiving haven’t really had too much of a chance.
With Red becoming a toddler, I’ve remembered how important it is to give him some rich experiences, to have new surprises and crafts to celebrate all holidays. It’s for him that I drug out my Mom’s old snacks and crafts to celebrate the Eve of the Dead! (If you’re tuning in from Atlanta Plugged In, WELCOME! I’m so glad you’re here! Be sure to catch my Mom Squad segments, too!)
These kid friendly crafts and snacks will have your toddlers and even older children excited for the upcoming holiday. Be sure to try one or two out in your house!
A roll of scotch tape (washi or painter’s tape will do just fine on delicate surfaces) and a 99 cent bag of spider webbing meets even the strictest Halloween budgets. Let your child string this soft cotton through chairs, on stair banisters, over doorways and maybe on the mantle. It’s soft, easy to tape and is super fun to add spiders too. Let your children experiment with this craft!
Mummy dogs have been around for years, but with the advent of Pinterest, are becoming popular again! Using all beef (nitrate free!) hot dogs, roll long, thin pieces of croissant rolls around each of them, wrapping your “mummy” however you see fit. Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes (or as directed on your croissant package) and decorate the faces with some glowing yellow mustard.
Shrieking Pretzels are my new favorite! Take yogurt or white chocolate covered pretzels, and fill the “eyes” with melted white baking chocolate. Then, layer in some candies like Skittles, M&Ms or Reese’s pieces and top with a mini chocolate chip. Vary the eyes looking up, down or to the side to create some shocking faces! Try not to get caught up in the “perfectionist look” of the shrieking pretzel. Have FUN and make them your own!
Ghost Pops are a blast from my past. Take a Kleenex or facial tissue and fold in a tootsie roll pop (a great gluten free treat) and secure with a pipe cleaner or rubber band. Use a marker to draw on some extra spooky faces!
What is your favorite Halloween food? Maybe you have a tradition like carving pumpkins with your family on the 30th, or taking a trip to the orchard. What really makes your holiday spooky?
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