Halloween is here, you see ghost, princesses, cute and scary creatures everywhere.  You have most likely spent way to much for a costume that will be used once, this year only and then neatly put away for the rest of the year.  Well don’t do it just yet.  There is nothing that is more fun then dress up and why not keep those costumes around for just a little bit longer.

My daughter was monkey 2 years ago, when barely one

My son was a lion, and I believe the costumes were for 12 month olds

Here they are again 6 months ago, when both kids decided to pull each other tails

and again yesterday, almost 2 years later.  This time however the monkey is a different creature, it makes sounds and tells you it is a monkey.  It may even tell you that it eats bananas and swings from the vines in the jungle, which is a lot different then when it was one.

Last year, at almost two, my kids where ducks.  They did end up playing in some ponds but they never made sentances that sounded like this: 

“I’m a duck and I’m marching….. Would you like to run ducky?…. Quack Quack”

Of course they have it a bit easier having company,but what fun would it be to have a  old halloween costume dress up party.

Reusing your old costumes can give your kids amazing creative play time.  You will be so surprised what what comes out of 2 year old’s mouth.*

*it may be the last time I say 2 year old since they will be 3 next week.

These are easy and fun to make shriveled apples that can resemble shrunken heads.  The waiting time for them can make you a bit more patient, or show how impatient you are.  But I did find a slight trick and had these ready in just 4 days.  Which is a lot less since I guess they usually take about 2 weeks, who has the patience for that?

“My Friend the Witch Doctor, he taught me what to say.  My Friend the Witch Doctor, he taught me what to do.

He said that….  Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang    Walla walla, bing bang   Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang   Walla walla, bing bang…  Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang   Walla walla, bing bang                 Lyrics David Saville

Sorry couldn’t help myself.  In all reality I just cranked up the oven.  Every time I baked something and I was preheating or cooling I would just stick those guys in there and since we bake a lot, well they came earlier.

All you need is apples, lemon juice and salt.  I thought I was smart and used older apples but they were by far too mushy so just use fresh ones.  Also I don’t think you need to take the skin off.  I did but I guess it can be done with skin too.

Into about 2 cups of water pour in 1 tbs of salt

and 1 tbs of lemon juice

Cut up the apples to desired shapes, make sure to go deep.

Give your apples a bath and leave in a dry place, or oven.

Personally I think they would make a great addition to a Harry Potter Party (since the movie is coming out soon), all you need is some dreads (yarn) and you are back on the Night Bus in the Prisoner of Azkaban.  Oh don’t tell me you don’t remember.

If you are thinking of fun decorative idea that takes kids all ages mixes in some recycled paper and some waiting time (science), this is perfect.  The creations are as great as your imagination so you can start basic or go all the way.  I used our paper bowls as a backdrop which you can make super small or humongous (my son’s favorite word)

I took two bowls one with a leg to stand on, one without and acrylic paints

I decided to make one without leg as a cat, painted it black and made whiskers out of pipe cleaners

Since I had no black I painted the whiskers and pinned them into the bowl.

Just to be certain that no one gets poked I duck taped the pin into the side

Then to make it even nicer I decided to line with felt, by gluing it with rubber cement.  You can make it so much easier by leaving the inside the way it was and just gluing on paper whiskers.

Then it was time to make eyes, ears and fangs

I cut them out of cereal boxes and just to be certain they were the same size I cut out the first one and used it as a form for the second one.

I painted all the pieces black before gluing them on which was not smart since I had to touch up anyway.

It is so much more time efficient to glue then paint all

This is the cat I ended up with.  It could be used as Trick or Treating bag/container, if you do not want your kids to walk around with pillow covers or garbage bags.  To do this just attach a ribbon to both sides of the bowl.  Make a hole by cutting, weave ribbon through and tie on the sides.

You can take a cookie or bread crumb container

Paint it black and use it for a neck

It almost looks like Halloween in Ancient Egypt

Or you can also just opt for the stand.  Or make an easy pumpkin by painting orange and drawing on it with permanent markers.

Whatever you decide to make your kids will get a total kick out of it.  I know mine did, but wait it may have been the instant avalabilty of chocolate that got them so excited… not so sure anymore.

Here is a little fall fun play with Pumpkins.  The great thing about pumpkins is that they represent everything great in the fall that is food, Halloween and Thanksgiving therefore you can make this form now till the end of November. 

I took felt and cut out pumpkins using cookie cutter shape as a form.

Then I had to fight a two year old since she wanted eyes, she needed her eyes.  At least her brother was more understanding: “OK, you make the game Mommy and I make gabagaskar game on the puzzle.”

So I cut out the pumpkins and gave each of them googly eyes and each pair a different expression.

I placed them on sandpaper and let my little girlie do some pumpkin sequencing… which pumpkin comes next?

and pumpkin matching.  Can you find the pairs?

She liked it but to be honest her entire attention was focused on the eyes and how to get them off the pumpkins so she can then cook them on her play stove.  I guess it is Halloween after all.

After apple picking we decided to do some printing.  You cut the apple in half, or quarter then paint the inside with paint (acrylic works the best but washible crayola one works good too).  Press the apple on the paper and wait till it dries.

While they dry try these silly finger plays:

Apple Tree-
Way up high in the apple tree (stretch arm up high)
Two little apples smiled at me (hold up 2 fingers)
I shoot that tree as hard as I could (make shaking motion)
Down came the apples (make downward motion or squat)
Mmm- they were good (smile and rub tummy)

Picking Apples-
Here’s a little apple tree (left arm up, fingers spread)
I look up and I can see (look at fingers)
Big red apples, rip and sweet (cup hands to hold apple)
Big red apples, good to eat! (raise hands to the mouth)
Shake the little apple tree (shake tree with hands)
See the apples fall on me (raise cupped hands and let fall)
Here’s a basket, big and round (make circle with arms)
Pick the apples from the ground (pick and put in the basket)
Here’s an apple I can see (look up at the tree)
I’ll reach up. It’s rip and sweet (reach up to upper hand)
That’s the apple I will eat ! (hands to mouth)

After making apple prints I cut them out and hid them all over the house.  The kids were sent to find them while singing this silly song by Philip Jackman:

Apples, apples, everywhere                  Lots of apples for us to share.
Let’s go find an apple tree                       Fiddle-dee-dum and fiddle-dee-dee.
There’s a nice one, let me see                Fiddle-dee-dum and fiddle-dee-dee.
Lots of apples, let’s pick some               Fiddle-dee-dee and fiddle-dee-dum.
I’ll pick and apple and you pick one   Fiddle-dee-dee and fiddle-dee-dum.
Let’s pick more how about two?           Fiddle-dee-dum and fiddle-dee-doo.
That’s not enough how about three?  Fiddle-dee-dum and fiddle-dee-dee.
Now we’ve enough for you and me,    Fiddle-dee-dum and fiddle-dee-de

It’s October and Halloween is quickly approaching, even though I still have no idea what all of us will dress up as.  But I am however thinking about crafts and fun.  I would not be me if I didn’t incorporate Recycled Milk Boxes  into one of the crafts.  God knows I am swimming in them even though lately my husband is trying to prove to me that there is no difference between regular and organic when it comes to milk and he is doing a good job (please help).  In anycase there are bunch of cartons still laying around and even more ideas floating in my little noggin.  For now lets get back to Halloween.

I took some already painted milk boxes and printables that I found on oneprettything.  They were however too big for a milk box so I had to copy them and minimize by 50%.  There are a lot of different free templates on line so look around you may find something better.

I cut out the witch from the template

and traced her into Milk Box.  You see I have no artistic talent at all.  I may be creative but you ask me to draw a witch and it will look like a horse.  Really, well maybe a donkey carrying a broom. 

But if you do have talent you can always draw your own one.  Don’t forget to get creative, and rub it in my face you talented person, you.

I cut out the witch with little cuticle scissors and realized I did it all wrong.  I should have traced and cut first then painted since some of the paint chips off with cutting.  I did have the painted milkboxes waiting for something to do so I used them.

After the witch is done there are a few ways you can proceed.  You can buy an LED light and place it inside leaving it the way it is

You can cut the top off,  glue colored paper (orange of course) into the inside and place a cheap tealight (apparently a name for the little lights you put inside the pumpkin).

I do the ladder, its cheaper and makes it a fire hazard adding a little excitement to Halloween, you know not much different then the real Christmas tree.

So apparently I did not use enough paint on the left one.  It is so much easier to use darker colors.

Another great thing about these is that they are really  light and you can duck tape them to outside walls, or even on the trees leading to your property. 

If you do make sure to use the light since those tealights burn out really fast and could cause fire when and if a falling leaf traveling north with the speed of 2.5 miles and hour would be  pulled by the earths gravitational pull and just happen to land inside the box and not extinquish the tiny itsy bitsy flame.

Note: You don’t have to use milk boxes for any of these milk box crafts look in your fridge other things will work as well.  Right now in my fridge cream, stock and orange juice all come in a nifty cardboard container.

While camping this past weekend we decided to use nature and play dough together.

First we used acorns, leaves, tree barks and everything we can find to make prints.

Then my boy decided to show me why he is a son of an architect

He thought of and made this tree all by himself

Which in fact prompted an entirely new way of looking at trees.  We attached acorns and leaves and were ready for fall.

Here is a list of  more things we did while Camping including  Cooking on a stick.

These are the toddler friendly books we read:

Cute book geared to preschoolers or early readers about camping dogs that rarely like the same things.  For more information click on the image.

Adorable story about Pam, Sam, Will and Jill who are get prepared to go on a camping trip that goes all wrong.  This book is cute and easy to read perfect for early reader and preschooler.  For more information click on the image above.