LOOK at us with an extended Halloween break with the kids. Let’s not call it another lockdown, even though it looks a little like one. We all have to pull together to get through this, so we’ll all do our best. A few weeks of having our activities curtailed is nothing if it gets our staggering virus rates back under control and helps save lives.
For those of us who find ourselves at home with the kids this could be a trying time, particularly if we’re trying to work from home with a few extra helpers around the home office.
The world outside looks a bit like a horror show at the moment, strange and surreal, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to embrace the equally terrifying season of Halloween, – for the sake of the kids, you understand, not just because you need a little fun escapism yourself.
Here are a few fun things we can all fashion and create from home, and also, keep the kids occupied if you’re working.
:: Spooky milk carton lanterns
These are so simple to make and look fantastic lit up on your doorstep.
Take off the label and wash out the milk carton. Create a hole in the base of the carton so you can slot your lights and battery pack through. The hole will be hidden so don’t worry too much about making it neat.
Hand the markers over to your little ones and let me draw faces on the cartons. There are some fantastic face ideas online – ones where you can draw a face on the flat side, or use the handle as a nose for a face on the other side.
Kids will spend hours perfecting their spooky faces – the more the merrier. When they are done just push the fairy lights – which you can pick up at the pound shop – and their battery pack through the slot at the bottom of the carton. Place them outside, lighting up your front door or lining the path to your door.
:: Crashed witch display
This is a really fun, eye-catching and easy garden display to make which will make passers-by imagine a passing witch has crash landed upside down in your garden.
All you need for this is some chicken wire, newspaper, some tights, two bits of wood and an old pair of shoes and maybe a little paint.
To fashion the witches legs, mould the chicken wire into the shape of legs, making sure you put a little bend in at the knee. Soak some strips of newspaper in water and flour - like a paper maché type of thing – and wrap it around the chicken wire. Get your old pair of shoes and paint of spray them a bright colour. Leave everything to dry overnight.
The next day put the tights and shoes on the legs. Get your pieces of wood – long and thin – and lodge them in the garden. Slot the leg shapes in there, making sure everything is secure, and watch the eyes of passers-by light up.
:: Googly eye wreath
This is a project for a day when you have a long Zoom meeting scheduled or you need to keep the kids occupied for a long period of time.
Get your hands on a bag of ping pong balls – you can buy them in packs of 50 from Amazon – and a packet of stick-on eyes. You can get these in any craft shop or again on Amazon. Set the kids the task of sticking the googly eyes on the ping pong balls. This will occupy them for a long time.
Create a ring base with chicken wire – form a circle and wrap it with cloth or paper maché. Start sticking on the googly eyed ping pong balls on the wreath with super glue.
It’s a time-consuming and fun task that will result in a fantastically creative front door wreath.
:: Halloween food
These amazing Silly Apple Bites from the Fork and Beans website are simple, easy to make and the kids will love them. They are just green apples, a strawberry tongue and sunflower seeds for the crooked teeth and homemade googly eyes.
You can get the recipe and lots more over at https://www.forkandbeans.com/2015/08/06/silly-apple-bites/
Whatever you do in the run up to this Halloween season, stay safe, stay happy and have fun.
