Tag Archives: parenting

11 Simple Halloween Activities.

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Halloween is almost here!

Mila and I have done a lot of fun activities to celebrate this month. I wanted to share Simple Halloween Activities you can easily put together before the big day.

All of these can have a version put together quickly at home, but they’re all fun for kids.

1. Potion Making

Mila has loved the idea of making potions this year. As always, water is a HUGE hit with kids.

Witch’s (or Warlock’s) potions help with gross motor skills and amps up pretend play. I always provide multiple bowls, jars, and spoons for her to use. Mila will sit at the island and play for a long time, especially if I keep filling up the water jar.

I won this particular potion making kit from an Instagram giveaway from Little October House.

Emily, the shop owner, is a fellow Ohioan and does an amazing job putting together seasonal sensory kits. I’ve been wanting to order and was so happy that I was able to win this kit.

It came with everything I needed, I just needed to set up the bowls and give Mila water!

Not only was it fun for Mila, it smelled so good.

I’ve also set up DIY potion kits for Mila to play with too. All I used was jars, bowls, spoons, food coloring, and dish soap.

It definitely gives the potion making vibes and she had fun with that too!

One thing I want to try to make it a little more special is grinding up one of her bath bombs too. I think it would give off more bubbles.

The resin creatures, bubbles, and elixir in Little October House is just too cute to pass up! We’ll probably be doing more DIY potions the q few days since it’s been Mila’s favorite way to unwind after preschool.

2. Play Doh Monsters

If you’re looking for an easy activity to set up and only need two to Inca, look no further.

All you need for this simple Halloween activity is Play-Doh and googly eyes! If you’re really feeling fun, you could add pipe cleaners too.

To get Mila started on this one, I just told her to make monsters with a lot of eyes. That seemed to do the trick. She dove right in and made all different kids of monsters.

She even started singing her latest song she learned at preschool.

Watch out for my big scary eyes. Watch out for a big surprise… BOO!

One way to make it more educational is to have kids count the number of eyes or tell them how many eyes to put on each monster.

But, they’re learning SO many skills by just picking up the eyes and playing with the play-doh too.

3. Boolage (Halloween Collage)

As we all know, Mila LOVES stickers. To prevent her from covering any surfaces in our home, having her create a collage on a piece of scrapbook paper was a way better option.

She was so happy to see a little bowl full of Halloween stickers. I told her to create a picture with them on the page a she went to work.

This is a great simple activity that kids can really take charge! Plus, they get to be creative.

Hello more Halloween art!

4. Halloween Letter Recognition

This activity is probably the most educational in this list. We love doing letter recognition in our house, especially with our Beags and Bubs resin letters.

But when I saw this printable coloring page from The Letter Vee, I knew I had a perfect match.

Not only can the duo be used to letter recognition, I’ve had Mila color the page with her matching the colors too.

I love all the possibilities you can use with these fun Halloween learning tools. Mila has used them both so much to talk about what she’s learned this month, spelling her name, and just having a little Halloween fun!

5. Threading a Witch’s Broom

We technically did these for Mila’s Ghoul Gang Party, but I wanted to share them here.

Threading activities are so helpful for kids this age. It really can teach them patience, how to use their hands, and (again) show their creativity.

Out of all the easy activities, this was one with a little more prep. All I used was pipe cleaners and yarn to make the broom. If you only have a couple to make, it doesn’t take that long!

Then, I set out the color beads and lined up the letter beads for their names.

I had a lot of help at the Ghoul Gang Party, but Mila’s made multiple ones of these in the week since. It could be used to make a fun gift tag or just a kids present to their favorite adults around Halloween time.

All of these Simple Halloween Activities have been a hit in our house. I’m sure they would be in yours too.

I’ve also shared other activities we did this year too. Here’s the list to get some more inspiration.

If you try any of these activities out, let me know in the comments or tag me on Instagram (@greyskies.rainbowhighs). I can’t wait to see how much you and your kids love them!

What are some last minute Halloween activities you do with your kids?

Ghoul Power Boo Basket

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There’s no better time to celebrate Halloween and little girls than with a Ghoul Power Boo Basket. This yearly tradition is a fun way to get your child ready and excited for Halloween.

Boo baskets were originally secretly left for neighbors and friends, but they’re fun for kids too!

Another amazing part of Boo Baskets is supporting small businesses. There have been so many things from Instagram and Etsy that I’ve been eyeing. Gifting them to Mila in such a fun way made them even more special for her!

Now it’s time to unpack all the ghoul power items inside Mila’s Boo Basket this year.

Activities

All Boo Baskets need some fun activities for kids to get excited for Halloween. Mila’s is packed with some of her favorite things:

Halloween Seek and Find by Beags and Bubs

Sticker Sheet from Walmart

Bubbles from Target

The best part of these activities are they can be done inside. Halloween is a weird transition time for kids from being outside in summer to staying inside more from the cooler weather. These are all great options for kids to play safely inside and have fun. Mila is obsessed with all of these. The bubbles are so much fun for her. The seek and find makes for great scavenger hunts. Stickers are always a hit too.

Accessories

Girls love accessories, even at three!

Our favorite shop right now is Sloane and Daisy. Both of the bracelet and pin are from there. They fit so many outfits and Mila has worn both of them multiple times since she’s gotten them. If you’re interested in a bracelet or a pin set from Sloane and Daisy, use GreySkies15 for 15% off!

Mila also got plastic spider rings, which are always so much fun during spooky season.

Bow and Wand

Mila loves playing with wands. This month she used this one to pretend she was a witch. Of course, her wand has to have pretty pink on it! I also topped it off with one of her Halloween bows from ACT Crafts and Creations.

You can easily make one of these wands that your child will definitely love.

Halloween Pajamas

My favorite part of Mila’s Boo Basket is her new Halloween pajamas from Harlee Bee and Co. I love the rainbow print on it and Mila loves the flower crown on the ghost. The fabric feels so nice and it’s well made. I wish they came in my size!

This year’s Ghoul Power Boo Basket was so much fun to make for Mila. I hope she loved it as much as I did putting it together.

Do you give your child a Boo Basket? If so, what’s something you’d suggest adding in one.

Preschool Book Pairing Activity: Room on the Broom Handprint Art

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The best way to learn is through books! To introduce Mila to Halloween concepts, we’ve been reading a ton of different ones. Lately, Mila’s favorite has been Room on the Broom. We extended her learning by pairing the book with an activity to make handprint art.

Again, it’s another decoration that Mila and I will be able to look at in the future and remember our times when she was little!

All we used for this craft was…

I want to start off by saying, I most definitely helped Mila with this craft. Older kids could probably do this alone. But, I used hot glue, cut out the hat, and made the broom. Everything else she had a hand in making… literally.

First, I painted her hand with green paint. Then let her press it on the canvas to make the witch.

While it was drying, I assembled the broom and hat. For the broom I used this cute gold pipe cleaner for the base. Then I cut up ribbon to make the straw part of the broom. I combined them by making a loop with the pipe cleaner and twisting it off.

The hat was easy to make. All I did was cut out a witches hat on black paper and hot glued leftover pipe cleaner for the base of the hat.

When the green paint was dried, I hot glued down the broom and the eyes.

Next, we made the hair. I took a few pieces of orange yarn and braided it to look like the witch in the book. Mila loved helping cut out the pieces and was very impressed with how much it looked like the original witch. She’s finally impressed by my skills!

After that, we glued down the hat and added facial details and the night sky with a permanent marker.

Mila absolutely insisted on drawing the witch’s nose and the moon.

I absolutely love how this turned out… with all of Mila and I’s crafts. It’s festive and we put a lot of hard work into it. Doing a book pairing activity with her also underlines the importance of reading and teaching her that reading is fun and valuable.

Hopefully she’ll want to continue reading and extending upon those lessons in the future.

What’s your favorite Halloween book that we need to get next year?

DIY Halloween Costume: Minnie Mouse

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It’s not secret, Mila and I LOVE Halloween. The one year, we went to a ton of trick or treats and had to be creative with different costumes every time. One of my favorites that we did was this DIY Halloween Costume of Minnie Mouse.

The best part about this DIY Halloween Costume was we had everything at home. BUT if you want to duplicate it, everything can be found on Amazon… which you can get in before Halloween!

SCORE!

We did this costume mostly because Mila was OBSESSED with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. When she figured out what she looked like, she was so happy. I’d love to dress her up as Daisy one year because she has the attitude to accompany it.

There’s only five key pieces you really need to transform your little into Minnie or Mickey Mouse.

We didn’t buy any ears because I did space buns on Mila. I think it made it extra cute. PLUS… she couldn’t rip them off. That’s so important on Halloween nights, when you don’t really want to loose anything. Bows are easy enough to lose!

If we were to do this specific costume this year, I’d definitely do the black nose and maybe red lips too.

I love doing DIY costumes and finding cheaper options than just buying a specific one. For Mila’s costume this year, I bought EVERYTHING from Amazon. It turned out cuter than other options and she’s obsessed. Plus, we can reuse specific aspects of the costume too.

If you’re interested in more DIY or last minute costumes, let me know and I’ll do a few more.

What is your favorite DIY costume you’ve made? Let me know in the comments.

Halloween Craft: Fluffy Ghost Bow Holder

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We’re back with another Halloween Craft. Since Mila has a ton of Halloween bows, I thought it’d be fun to make a Fluffy Ghost Bow Holder! Not only is it a festive craft, it’s useful too.

Mila and I both made one of these. Mine became the bow holder and Mila’s became a cute, green ghost. Each of them are so cute and they make me smile each time I see them. This is just a reminder to parents that their kid’s crafts do not need to be ‘perfect.’ They’re so creative as is and what they create is them doing their best!

Without any more introductions, here’s what you’ll need:

First, get a ghost cut out. I found a pack of four ghosts at the dollar store for one dollar. You could also easily find one of these online to print out or with a Cricut. That’s completely up to you.

Or you can order them here from Amazon.

Then, glue cotton balls down with regular glue. Mila was able to do this, so just use your discretions of your child’s ability. The best part is… it doesn’t have to be perfect.

After it’s completely filled, cut out eyes and a mouth with the black construction paper. You can show whatever kind of expression you want your ghost to have. Mine and Mila’s ghosts have completely different expressions. They’re both so cute though!

At this point, Mila was done with this craft. She decorated the rest of hers with green glitter. It makes me smile to see. We’ll eventually add some ribbon on to hers too.

If you continue on with this craft to make it a bow holder, you need to first make sure the front is dried.

While it’s drying, cut out different pieces of yarn and ribbon. I used both and chose neutral colors, but you can obviously use whatever works best for your space. Mila has asked to use pink for her when we get to it!

Once everything on the front is secure, flip it over and hot glue the ribbons on the ghost. Even though I measured all the ribbons before I glued them down, I had to trim them up since they were on an uneven surface. It didn’t take too long, but I think it made it more clean looking.

To be able to hang the ghost, I also hot glued a piece of ribbon at the top to make a hanger.

I absolutely LOVE how this turned out. All her Halloween bows look so cute on here too. They haven’t pulled any of the ribbons off, so it withstands them too. We’re hanging it on her bedroom door to make our morning bow grab easier. Plus it spooks up our little hallway.

This will be another craft (both Mila and I’s) that we’ll hang up year after year!

Do you decorate your entire house for Halloween or just small places? I feel like we’ll end up decorating every room in the next few years with all our crafts!

Fall Charcuterie Board

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One of my favorite fall activities are watching scary movies under a ton of blankets on the couch with a fall charcuterie board. It makes for a perfect date night or just a fun night with Mila.

I mean, who doesn’t love a charcuterie board?

To amp up our normal grazing boards, I incorporated fall colors and tastes. It turned out so moody and tasted delicious too.

Here’s everything I added to this Fall Charcuterie Board:

  • Apple Cider
  • Munster cheese
  • Ritz Crackers
  • Mini cupcakes
  • Chocolate covered pretzels (that tasted like pumpkin spice)

Not pictured were raspberry jalapeño jam to put with the crackers and cheese. Jams are the best addition to charcuterie boards. I also usually try to add some type of meat like salami, but I didn’t have room to add it on here either.

To make it a little more festive, I added the white pumpkin and the extras from my DIY Fall Wreath.

Of course, I took a video to show you all the whole process.

I can’t wait to make a more Halloween inspired charcuterie board for Mila’s Halloween party. Stay tuned to check it out!

What’s your go to items for charcuterie boards? Let me know in the comments.

Halloween Craft: Googly Eyed Monsters

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Halloween crafts and activities do not have to be complex. My preschooler’s favorite Halloween Craft are these Googly Eyed Monsters! Not only did she have a spook-tacular time making them, she loves making sure everyone sees them when they come in our home.

The best part about these monsters, you only really need to go buy googly eyes. Everything else are pretty common household items.

It looks pretty simple right? Here’s all we used:

To set up this craft for Mila, I cut some squares from old cardboard boxes. We love to upcycle and reuse items. If we can make memories by doing that, I’m all for it!

Then, I put out the colors of paint she wanted to use. I tried to persuade her to use more Halloween colors. She insisted on blue though, but I think it turned out super cute even though it’s not a traditional color.

I let her free paint and do whatever she wanted. They didn’t start off as monsters, just as big blobs.

If you have older kids, they’ll be able to do this next part on their own. I went in and drew outlines of monsters with her blobs. She might be able to do it now, but I just follow her interest and patience level with these types of activities. There’s no right or wrong ways to outline them. Just let their artwork speak to you!

When the monsters were finished and dried, Mila put the eyes where she wanted them to be. Let your child pick out how many eyes and the eye color they think they need. It’s so cute to see how they end up seeing their monsters.

Then, you can hot glue a pipe cleaner on the back of the cardboard pieces to hand them. This is an optional step, but I love it.

I love this little progression picture. This activity came out so adorable and I’ll definitely be hanging these up throughout future Halloweens. At first, Mila was afraid of some of her pictures. Now she thinks they’re cute. She’s really getting in the spooky mood!

Which is your favorite monster that she made?

Halloween DIY: Skeleton Animal Glow Ups

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My entire house is fully prepped for Halloween! It’s been so fun to see the transformation. Our latest spooky DIY are these Skeleton Animal Glow Ups.

I have been back and forth with sharing these. They’re so creepy, but Mila loves them. Honestly, they’re sort of like a creepy Elf on a Shelf.

They were so easy to make and they fit our Halloween aesthetic. I found them at the Dollar Store for a dollar a piece. Not a bad price in my eyes; especially because it was a craft for both of us and they look so cute.

Cute as in… creepy. They can be both, right?

I will say, Mila had fun painting them, but it was a little tricky. She did them for a while, but I ended up finishing them.

If you do paint them and your kiddo wants to carry them around, I would suggest spraying them with a clear coat. It just helps the paint hold up a little longer. If you’re keeping them out of their hands, it should be okay!

Originally, I had them all on our dining room table. Like I said though, they’ve become our unofficial Halloween Elves on a Shelf.

I actually love how they turned out and will keep them for the years ahead.

Somehow they mesh really well with the white pumpkins and the general feel of my house. We like random things, so they make me smile.

Your Halloween decorations don’t have to be grand to make a statement. Sometimes all it takes is a little paint and a animal skeletons from the dollar store!

What’s your favorite way to decorate for this holiday: scary or pretty? Let me know in the comments.

Pumpkin Washing Sensory Bin.

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Another day, another fall activity! Today’s play is a Pumpkin Washing Sensory Bin.

We love sensory play for so many reasons. To summarize all of its benefits, it helps children’s brains in a ton of ways! It also gives me a minute to do a chore or task that needs done around the house too.

Now that it’s spooky season, I’m finally letting Mila pick pumpkins from our pumpkin patch on the side of our house. It led straight to this activity.

Before we paint or decorate these pumpkins, I thought they needed to be cleaned off. Instead of me just doing it, I thought it would be so much fun for Mila… and I was right. All I had to do was set up this station.

The only materials I used were:

The only thing I told Mila was that the pumpkins needed cleaning and she could use more water and soap if she needed.

Let’s just say… she went to work right away!

This activity is so simple and Mila had came up with a big story of why they needed washed. She pretended they came from a different farm and not just outside our home. I always love listening to how her mind works.

That’s what makes sensory play so fun for everyone.

I actually left this activity out for the next day and she kept on playing. Lets hope painting or carving pumpkins goes this smoothly too.

Do you paint or carve pumpkins?

I’ve done both, but I’m thinking Mila may like painting more than carving this year. I’ll keep you all updated when it happens!

DIY Halloween Paper Chain Countdown Calendar

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Looking for a fun way to count the days until Halloween? Try this cute Halloween Paper Chain Countdown Calendar.

Mila is SO excited for Halloween and keeps asking when it’s going to be. To show her how many days we have to wait to dress up, I thought this paper chain would be an amazing visual representation for her.

It’s filled with spooky and cute Halloween colors that would be perfect in any home. The graphics aren’t too scary either!

All you have to do is print the countdown, cut it out, and then staple it together.

Our little Halloween station is right by our front door. The Halloween Paper Chain Countdown Calendar made a boo-tiful addition to our spot.

I hope you like this little freebie. Make sure to take a picture and tag me in it on Instagram (@greyskies.rainbowhighs). It’d make me so happy to see it in your spot!

Again, click this for the Halloween Paper Chain Countdown Calendar.