Happy November! We’re celebrating this month and Thanksgiving with another fun sensory bin. You all know how much we love them! This time Mila did a Make a Turkey Sensory Bin.
Not only did she have fun playing with the different materials, she made Thanksgiving art.
This bin looks like a random grouping of items, but it all came together so perfectly. Here’s all that we used:
Like with all sensory activities, I let Mila explore the different materials. She was familiar with everything, but the beads threw her off. We usually only use beads for threading activities… or making bracelets.
It was fun to watch her interact with these materials with the thought of making a turkey too.
Obviously, she pointed out the feathers and eyes for the turkey, but everything else she made up on her own. I had a canvas with a brown circle glued down on it. This became the base of the turkey.
Then, I let her glue down everything else and put the items where ever she wanted.
This is how it turned out:
She says the beads were the turkey’s necklace, the candy corn it’s ears, and everything else is normal.
I just love her quirky turkey.
To extend this activity, you can have your child describe the texture and feeling of the items. You could also do a fun counting game with them too.
No matter what, it’s a great way to make memories with your child.
I have a few Thanksgiving and turkey activities lined up. As always, I’d love to hear about your traditions or activities you do too!
This week was my first time ever sending in a preschool snack with Mila. It was an exciting mom moment for me! Of course, I made sure it was a nut free mix that everyone would enjoy. Then we came up with the Fall Scarecrow Snack Mix.
Here’s everything I used to make this nut free Scarecrow Snack Mix:
Pretzels
Chex Cereal
Caramel Corn
m&m’s
Candy Corn
Candy Pumpkins
Rollos
The best part of this mix is it’s super easy to put together. All you have to do is find a big bowl and pour everything in.
Unfortunately, my big bowls weren’t big enough, so I had to keep making the mix over and over again. Good thing it’s easy and doesn’t take a lot of time to do it!
One thing I wish I would have gotten more of was the caramel corn. When I went to Target, they were almost sold out of the ‘monster mix.’ The monster mix just have chocolate drizzle and sprinkles. Some of the other caramel corn had pecans and other nuts. Obviously, I didn’t want to send any type of nuts to a preschool classroom in case of allergies.
Mila loved this mix, but she was definitely picking out all of the chocolate and Chex cereal!
I loved making this Fall Scarecrow Mix for Mila’s preschool party… and keeping the extras at home for us to share too. Here’s the little Tik Tok video I made to show how I made it all. Even though it’s pretty self explanatory, I loved how it all came together.
The end result is beautiful too!
What is your favorite snack or food item to share at classroom parties? I’d love some Christmas suggestions.
Mila and my’s favorite part about this October was her Tiny Ghoul Gang Party. It was a fun way to get all of her friends together and celebrate Halloween!
She had been asking me for weeks about having a party. For some reason she was convinced that her birthday was this month… and not six months away. Instead of fighting that battle for six more months, we invited her preschool and dance friends over and had a Tiny Ghoul Gang Party.
When I first decided to throw this party for Mila, I came up with a pumpkin painting party idea. She loves painting and crafts and I figured her friends would too.
I had a ton of Halloween activity ideas pinned and saved on Instagram. There’s so many creative people in the world, I’m so thankful they share their ideas! It was easy to find things for the kids to do.
Thankfully it was minimal prep too!
The Activities
Pumpkin Painting:
The main party activity was pumpkin painting. We literally laid down an old blanket and table clothes, set out paint and brushes, then let the kids have at it. Honestly, they went right to wanting to paint pumpkins which took me by surprise. If I would have known that, I would’ve got the paint out beforehand. Thankfully, there was a great group of parents who immediately jumped in and helped out!
Besides paint, we also let the kiddos put googly eyes on their pumpkins to decorate too! They all turned out adorable.
This activity is messy. Obviously. If I were to do this again, I’d have found more tables or gotten pallets for the kids to use. Just to stabilize the pumpkins and keep the brushes and paint upright.
Witch’s Brooms:
I just talked about these in another blog post. They’re one of my favorite Halloween activities and went pretty well with a big group of girls. The hardest part was finding the letters of all the girls’ names.
Before the party, I made all of the brooms. If I would do this activity again for kids, I would have their name beads already set out or put in a bag.
Again, there was an amazing group of parents their with us that helped out!
Sensory Bins:
Technically I had three sensory areas set up, but we only got to two. The one sensory play idea that wasn’t used was a potion making station. I think that was fine because it ended up getting cold, which is never good mixed with wet clothes.
The one bin that was used the most was the spaghetti bin. There were eyeballs, fingers, and spiders that the kids could find. But, a couple of them (mostly Mila), ended up just eating the spaghetti… yum. They all did seem like they loved playing with this sensory bowl.
Maybe for the next Halloween party, I’ll do multiple cold spaghetti bowls.
In the other sensory bowl was ‘monster soup.’ It just had torn up tissue paper, Halloween colored sensory items (balls, pipe cleaners, etc). The girls really enjoyed this too!
Bobbing for Apples:
Like I stated above, the cold and water don’t really mix, but the girls really enjoyed trying this. It’s just your classic bobbing for apples game. The ones who participated did really good… the others volunteered to just eat the apples.
Halloween Egg Hunt:
Mila helped prep this activity. I found Easter eggs that looked like jack-o-lanterns at Target. We filled them up with candy and Mila spread them around the yard.
I’m not sure how well she hid them… but the kids loved running and finding them. It was an easy activity and got them playing independently.
Throwing Games:
We also had a few throwing activities that I didn’t get pictures of. One was to throw rings around pumpkin stems. Again, easy set up and fun! Then my mom found this game where you throw a ball in pumpkin styled cups. What kid doesn’t like throwing?
I think all the kids loved what we had set up. There was Halloween music playing in the background, so we got to see some dance moves too. When the kids didn’t have a guided activity, they just ran, talked, or played on the play equipment too. I don’t think any of them were ever bored during the party.
It was so much fun to see Mila’s favorite groups of friends come together.
The Food
I promise I had every intention of making this party have more food than dessert. It just didn’t manifest that way.
The food spread was mostly a dessert bar full of Halloween treats. To be honest, I bought all the desserts. I did not have time to make everything, besides adding extra Halloween sprinkles to the cake. Still, I loved how it turned out!
For the food, we had fruits, veggies, cream chicken, mummy hot dogs, and a skull meat and cheese plate. Plus, there were buckets of chips and a sweet Halloween mix too.
I was actually surprised with how much food was eaten. Of course I still had leftovers, but the majority of it was gone!
We also started a fire and had s’mores too.
The Goodies
To make it a little more special, I made Ghoul Gang shirts for the girls. I think they turned out adorable and even made myself a sweatshirt.
It made for really cute pictures and I love getting shirts, so I knew Mila’s friends would too.
We also made baskets for the kids to take too. It was just a trick or treat bucket filled with goodies for them to take home.
The best goodies for me was watching all of the ghouls having fun. Their smiles and laughs are the reason why any parent does what they do for their kids. I love that this group of girls get to grow up together. Just knowing Mila will have friends going into school and through life brings me so much peace for her.
I am so thankful for all the parents that let their kiddos come. Mila has talked about it almost every day since.
Throughout the madness of the day, Mila and I didn’t get a single picture at her party. This isn’t too crazy. We rarely remember to get pictures together.
Once we got home, she thanked me for her party and gave me a big hug. That’s when we got the picture.
I love being her mom and having the ability to do these types of things for her. Something tells me she’s going to be a kid that wants a party for all occasions. Fingers crossed we’ll be able to do it!
Even when life is crazy, it’s party days like those and the hugs after that make the hard parts worth it.
I can’t wait to see what we come up with for next year’s Halloween party.
Have you ever threw your child a Halloween party? What was your favorite activity at yours or Mila’s?
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.
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?
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:
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.
After school during October is the perfect time for spooky snacks. Since we love avocado toast at home we made a fun creation: Frankenstein Avocado Toast.
Not only is it healthy for your boo, it tastes great too.
Mila absolutely loves avocados. Like all I have to do is cut one up and she’ll eat them plain. I love that she loves them, but I like making food fun for her. This spooky snack was a perfect solution.
It’s ALIVE! Or just ready to eat. Here’s what you’ll need to make this creation:
Avocado
Toast
Black olives
Hard boiled egg
Cherry tomato
Salt and pepper
First, toast your bread. Simple right?
While it’s toasting, cut and mash avocado in a bowl. I usually add salt and pepper to mine. Mila likes hers plain.
Then, it’s time to cut the black olives. Cut two circles for the eyes, then strips for the hair and the bolts in the side of Frankenstein’s neck. I did different sizes to make it textured… or because I don’t have the best knife skills.
Next, cut two slices of a hard boiled egg and a cherry tomato in half.
After all this prep work is done, it’s time to assemble.
I really think this turned out so cute. Mila loved it and did little voices with it before she ate it. Frankenstein Avocado Toast is a perfect after school spooky snack your child will love.
What Halloween character would you want to try and make? I’m always up for a challenge! Let me know in the comments.
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.
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!
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.
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 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!
Today we’re celebrating October with Monster Rolls for a fun boo brunch. It’s not really a DIY recipe, but a way to make food festive for Halloween. Either way, you’ll love it.
Even though I’m SHOCKED it’s October, I’m so excited to bring you fun activities, crafts, and treats all month long. I absolutely love Halloween and everything that goes along with it. Let’s just say, Mila and I have a lot planned for you.
These Monster Rolls are really simple, which are perfect for fall mornings.
First, cook the cinnamon rolls as directed. Since everyone has their own different recipes or favorite brands, I’ll just leave this up to you!
Next, divide icing in different bowls. Add food coloring and mix. Mila absolutely loved helping with this step. As always, you can make it educational by talking about colors and it’s a great way to work on motor skills.
Then, set out the eye sprinkles and sugar to decorate.
Once the cinnamon rolls are done, I suggest dipping them into icing instead of spreading. It’s less messy and just is was easier in my opinion. Mila also helped with this step too!
After they’re all iced, it’s time to be creative.
I promise you eye sprinkles are a MUST for spooky season. They make any food or treat extra special for halloween. Mila loves them too and I think all kids would think they’re fun too. The ones I bought actually taste pretty good too.
Anyways, I just put the eyes in a little bowl and let her use the sugar dispenser. I let her know we were making monsters and she just went for it!
They were so fun to make… and eat too! I loved how quick they were to bake and that it gave Mila some creative time in the morning. We’ll be making these again this month because we both enjoyed them so much.
What did you think of our Monster Rolls? Do you have any Halloween classic breakfast foods, snacks, or treats that you make every year?
Grey Skies & Rainbow Highs 