31 Days Series: Day 24

 Slimy Jello Snacks

This is a fun after school snack to have ready for the kids or an after dinner treat or a great treat to serve at Halloween parties.

Supplies:

-a box of green Jello (lime or apple)
-a box of another color of Jello: red, blue or purple works well
-8 oz mason jars or similar glass bowl or cup (1 per child)
-gummy worms (4-6 per child)

Directions:
1.  Using the directions on the box, prepare the green Jello.
2.  Divide among your glass containers.  Only fill them halfway up.
3.  Refridgerate them until Jello is firm.
4.  Prepare the second box of Jello.
5.  Before you add the second Jello in the container, put a few gummy worms in the glass and dangle 1-2 over the side.
6.  Pour Jello on top of gummy worms, filling glass to the top.
7.  Refridgerate until top Jello is firm.
8.  Serve!

My girls wanted to try the sour gummy worms so that's what we used this time.

Idea from:  http://www.parenting.com/article/slimy-jell-o-snacks

31 Days Series: Day 23

Terra-Cotta Jack-O-Lanterns

Great party Halloween party favors!  You can get all sizes of pots at Michael's. I got the three smallest sizes and they were $.59, $.69, $.89 a piece.  If you can't find terra-cotta pots you can use small plastic ones.  The paint won't stick as well or show up quite as well but we gave it a try anyway just to see. (pic below)

Supplies:

-mini terra-cotta pots

-yellow craft paint

-fine tip black marker

Directions:

1. Add a Jack-O-Lantern face to your pot with the yellow paint.

2.  Let dry.

3.  Outline the face with your fine tip black marker.

4.  Put some Halloween candies in your Jack-O-Lantern. 
**After some trial and error (that's why only one of the plastic pots got photographed) I found the easiest way for my children (ages 4 & 5) to make the face, was for me to draw it on with the marker first then let them paint inside the lines with the yellow paint.  Then after they painted, I went back over the lines again with the permanent marker. You can decide what's best for your kids depending on their age. 

Here are our terra-cotta pots.

This is the plastic one.

Idea from:  http://crafts.kaboose.com/pumpkin-jack-o-lantern-pots.html

31 Days Series: Day 21

 Pretzel Skeletons

Let the kids make an edible craft today. The supplies needed are used in several of the snacks so hopefully you will have them all already in your pantry.

Supplies:

-peanut butter/almond butter

-rectangular crackers (we used graham crackers)

-pretzel twists, sticks, rings

-chocolate chips (we used regular and mini)

Directions:

1.  Spread the peanut butter on one of the rectangular crackers.

2.  Using your pretzels, make a skeleton shape on top of the peanut butter.

(You will need to break some of the pretzels into smaller pieces.)

3.  Decorate faces with chocolate chips or other small edible items. 

Adapted from: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/appetizers-snacks/mr-bones/

31 Days Series: Day 16

 Yummy Fingers

A healthy Halloween snack!  Great snack for after school or to have on the buffet table at a party.  Just remember to serve with plenty of baby carrots so your "fingers" won't get eaten!

Supplies:

-You can use store bought ranch dressing/dip or make you own with this easy homemade ranch recipe.

-carrots-washed and peeled (5 for each bowl-4 long ones and 1 slightly shorter one)

-almond slices (1 per finger)

-small bowl

Directions:

1.  Put your ranch dip into the small bowl.

2.  Place 5 carrots in dip, standing up

3. Put a dap of ranch on the ends of the carrots.
4.  Place an almost slice on each dab of ranch.

Idea from:  http://spoonful.com/recipes/carrot-finger-food

31 Days Series: Day 1

SPOOKY EYES BUCKET

When I came across this idea it said to get a plastic sand bucket and paint it black.  Then to cut out eye shapes from yellow construction paper and glue them around the bucket.  I came up with some ideas I thought would be easier for my 4 and 5 year old but you can decide what would work best for your children.  We had paint and paint brushes so all I bought were the two buckets.  Total spent on this project was $2.  If you don't have any paint or brushes, you can also buy these at the dollar store.

Supplies:

-black plastic bucket (we found black cauldrons at the Dollar Tree)

-yellow paint

-black paint

-paint brush

Directions:

1.  Apply some yellow paint to your child's thumb and let them put their thumb prints on the bucket. (Two thumb prints together to make a pair of eyes) Do this all over the outside of the bucket. After the prints dried, we needed to add another layer of yellow.  You might want to do the thumb prints one more time or you can go around with a paint brush and fill the prints in so the yellow is a little thicker. (I went around with a paint brush.)

2. When yellow paint is dry, take your paint brush, dip it in some black paint and make little dots for the pupil. 

3.  Allow black paint to dry.

That's it...you have a Spooky Eye Bucket to use for Trick or Treating or just for holding a snack.

I read somewhere that if you use sand paper on your plastic bucket, the paint would stick better.  That's why you see all the scratches.  If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't have done this.

This is Harper's bucket.  She did the pupils all by herself.

Here's what we did with our buckets...fun popcorn holder for a movie night.

Adapted from:   http://crafts.kaboose.com/spooky-eyeball-bucket.html

My 31 Days for the month of October...

 My girls love making things, whether it be a craft or a fun snack.  I always scour the internet and magazines looking for fun but easy things to do with them, especially close to holidays. Many of the things I find are super cute but I need to be Martha Stewart to attempt to make them or have to go buy tons of things that I probably won't be using again just to make them.  Well this year I decided to do 31 EASY snacks and crafts for the month of October with my girls and thought I'd share them with you to enjoy with your little ones!  Some I found on the internet, some I found an idea but changed it around to make it easier, others are ones my children have done at school or that I remember doing as a child or teacher.  I did each and every one of the snacks and crafts with my two girls so if you have any questions, please let me know.  I hope you enjoy and I'd love to hear any feedback!!  Come back tomorrow for Day 1!

*There is a craft later in the month that calls for rectangular tissue boxes (2 per child) so if you want to do that craft, buy the tissues now and use them through the month (there are several crafts this month that need stuffing and tissues can be used) that way you will have empty rectangular boxes ready!

*Next time you buy eggs, get the ones in a cardboard carton.  We will use that in another craft this month.

Overview of the month:

• 11 activities are snacks 
• 13 are crafts 
• 7 are a snack/craft combo 

 Here are a few other Halloween activities if you have elementary age children.  My almost 6 year old has really enjoyed the word searches and both of my daughter's have enjoyed doing the Halloween Mad Libs.

Printable Halloween Word Searches

Printable Halloween Mad Libs