October 31, 2012

What are some last minute Halloween activities I can do with my child?

Happy Halloween!

So far we have been having lots of fun today! Here is Little Bear in his bat costume and Smiley Man in his dog costume.

Aren’t they so cute? Here are a few last minute Halloween ideas that we have done or that we will be doing today. Don’t forget to have some fun!

Halloween Bath: I just used food coloring to make the water slightly orange. The boys LOVED it. Smiley Man was extremely upset when I got him out of the tub. He cheered up once he realized that I was putting his costume on. :)

Q-tip Painting: I googled some Halloween outline images and printed them off. (I googled pumpkin outline, bat outline, witch hat outline, etc.) Little Bear used a q-tip and paint to paint the pictures.

Sticker Patterns: I got the idea for Halloween sticker patterns from Train Up a Child. I just drew out some boxes, started the patterns, then gave Little Bear the rest of the Halloween stickers needed to finish the patterns.

Ghost String Cheese: I drew a ghost face on the boys’ string cheese that they had for a snack this morning. Check out the last picture on the Halloween Safety post to see an example.

Q-tip Skeleton: I found the directions to make a Q-Tip Skeleton a few days ago and I knew it would be the perfect activity to do on Halloween.

Even Smiley Man enjoyed this one, but I think he just liked eating the q-tips. :)

Pumpkin Treasure Hunt: Since my kids had so much fun with the Skeleton Scavenger Hunt that I created, I found this idea for a pumpkin treasure hunt. We will do this later today.

5 Little Pumpkins Poem: We used our pumpkin finger puppets to act out the poem 5 Little Pumpkins. We have the book, but here is a mini printable 5 Little Pumpkins book.

Candy Corn Counting: This is such an easy activity. I called out a number and Little Bear had to count that number of candy corn and put them onto a plate. When he had the number of candy corn that I called out on his plate, he got to eat them. I didn’t get a picture of this one, but he loved it!

Glitter Spider Webs: We couldn’t let Halloween go by without making some glitter spider webs. Little Bear squeezed glue onto paper in the shape of a spider web, he sprinkled glitter on top of the glue, then he poured the extra glitter into the garbage can. I made one, too because they are so fun.

Jack-o-Lantern Balloon: I blew up a few orange balloons and I let the boys draw Jack-o-Lantern faces on them. Then they just played with the balloons. Since Smiley Man adores any kind of ball, this one was a hit as well.

Well, that’s it for us today. We will be going to Daddy’s work to trick or treat, then we’ll go trick or treating in the neighborhood after dinner. Have a safe and happy Halloween!

We've found some fun people with great linky parties. You might just see this post linked up on one of these amazing sites! Link and Learn from No Time for Flashcards Sunday Showcase from Train Up a Child Share it Saturday from Teach Beside Me Tot School Gathering Place from 1+1+1=1 Montessori Monday from Living Montessori Now Tuesday Tots from In Lieu of Preschool Show and Tell from ABC & 123 For the Kids Fridays from Sun Scholars Finished Friday from All Our Days Weekly Kids Co-op from Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails Preschool & Kindergarten Corner from Homeschool Creations TGIF Linky Party from 123 Homeschool 4 Me

October 30, 2012

How can I make sure my child is safe on Halloween? What are some candy alternatives to pass out to trick or treaters?

Halloween is almost here and I can barely contain my excitement! Holidays are getting more exciting as my kids get older. Here is my cute family in our costumes. (Oops, I forgot to get a picture of us at our Halloween party. Picture will be coming soon!)

Smiley Man is a dog, Little Bear is a bat, I am Nessarose from Wicked/the Wicked Witch of the East from The Wizard of Oz, and Mr. Remarkable is the house that fell on me.

We have had so much fun this October getting ready for Halloween. Check out our Halloween Crafts page to see all the fun activities we’ve done. Trick or treating is always a blast, but there are several things that could go wrong. I have compiled a list of safety tips that will keep my family and yours safe, happy, and full of chocolate! Here are some Halloween Safety Tips that will keep Halloween fun for you and your family.

*Update 11/26/12: I was given a link to an article about Halloween Safety and it is a fabulous resource! It is the only resource with Halloween safety tips that are backed by statistical data to underscore the importance of each tip. Many of the tips are included in the list below, but feel free to check out the original source.

Tips for Candy

• Only eat treats that are individually packaged, unopened, and in their original package
• Only eat candy once you are home and a parent has inspected the candy
• Parents, be sure to serve a big dinner so your kids are full and won’t snack on candy
• Kids, be willing to share a piece of candy or two with your amazing parents

Tips for Trick or Treaters

• Children should always go trick or treating with an adult
• Make sure the whole family knows the route that you will be taking
• Only accept treats on the doorstep; do not go inside
• Say thank you when you are given a treat
• Only visit houses with the lights on
• Don’t play near lit Jack-o-Lanterns
• Walk, do not run, and be aware of surroundings
• Walk on sidewalks and driveways; do not go in dark streets or back alleys
• Cross the street at the corner or a crosswalk
• Take a cell phone and/or have bracelet with parent’s phone number on it
• Wear a watch
• Carry a flashlight or a glow stick

Tips for Parents

• Drive slowly
• Report any suspicious or criminal activity to the police department
• Be careful where you leave a lit Jack-o-Lantern
• Keep lawn clear so trick or treaters do not trip on anything
• Don’t forget to “inspect” your kids’ candy. There may be a few pieces that are “unfit” for your kids because they need to be taste tested by a grown up. ;)

Tips for Costumes

• Make sure costumes are not too long so kids don’t trip
• Make sure costumes match the weather (wear a coat underneath the costume if necessary)
• Wear comfortable shoes
• Wear makeup instead of a mask so it doesn’t obstruct your view.

Candy Alternatives

Personally, I’m all about letting my kids eat lots of candy on Halloween. I work really hard to provide healthy food for my kids throughout the year, so when holidays come around I don’t care if my kids eat a bit of sugar. However, I totally respect the fact that some families don’t want to pass out candy. They might have a child with food allergies or diabetes or maybe have kids that just don’t like sugar. I know there are plenty of people who are grateful for non-candy treats on Halloween. Whatever your reason, here is a list of a few candy alternatives.

• Mini Play-doh
• Sidewalk
• Rubber insects
• Glitter pencils
• Toothbrush/toothpaste (but only if you are a dentist J )
• Stickers
• Small puzzles
• Party favors
• Marbles
• Fun erasers
• Scented markers
• Crayons
• Small coloring book
• Mandarin Orange “Jack-o-Lanterns”
• String cheese “ghosts” (see picture below)
• Bubbles
• Granola bars
• Rice Cakes
• Vampire teeth (just make sure they are individually packaged)
• Bouncy balls
• Halloween rings or bracelets
• Small baby carrot packs
• Pencil toppers
• Coins
• Pretzels
• Packs of sugar free gum
• Hot chocolate packets
• Raisins
• Fruit Leather
• Chip bags
• Goldfish

Websites used as references:

http://www.halloween-safety.com/

http://www.halloweenmagazine.com/play.html

http://www.ncpc.org/topics/halloween-safety

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/halloween-safety/CC00072/NSECTIONGROUP=2

We've found some fun people with great linky parties. You might just see this post linked up on one of these amazing sites! Link and Learn from No Time for Flashcards Sunday Showcase from Train Up a Child Share it Saturday from Teach Beside Me Tot School Gathering Place from 1+1+1=1 Montessori Monday from Living Montessori Now Tuesday Tots from In Lieu of Preschool Show and Tell from ABC & 123 For the Kids Fridays from Sun Scholars Finished Friday from All Our Days Weekly Kids Co-op from Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails Preschool & Kindergarten Corner from Homeschool Creations TGIF Linky Party from 123 Homeschool 4 Me

October 29, 2012

How do you make homemade matte mod podge?

Homemade mod podge is not only super fast and easy, but it is also very economical. All it takes is some Elmer’s glue and some water. I originally found the recipe for homemade mod podge on this website. I did change the recipe slightly, but I have used it for many crafts and it has been working great! So, I’ll get straight to it.

The original recipe says to mix 1 part water with 1 part Elmer’s glue. I found this mixture to be slightly runnier than I wanted it. I was worried that it wouldn’t hold quite as well as I needed it to. Here is the recipe that I used:

Homemade Matte Mod Podge

• 2/3 C Water
• 1 C Elmer’s glue

Pour ingredients into a container (I used a pint size mason jar, Cassidy used this black container shown) and stir until they are combined. Store with lid tightly closed.

As you can see, I used 2 parts water and 3 parts Elmer’s glue. This mixture has never been too thick for my purposes and it has always been strong enough. So far I have had my mod podge for about 3 months now and it is working as well as it did on day one. I have used it to make a flat marble alphabet and for many more projects. I always use a paint brush to apply the mod podge and it works very well. Little Bear even used the mod podge when we made paper candy corn.

Supposedly, you can add some clear varnish to the mixture and it will turn it from matte mod podge to shiny mod podge. I have not tried this so I don’t know exactly what kind of varnish to add or how shiny it makes the mod podge. I would love for anyone to share their experience if they have added varnish. The homemade matte mod podge still works great and it only cost me 50 cents! Now that is a price you can’t beat.

We've found some fun people with great linky parties. You might just see this post linked up on one of these amazing sites! Link and Learn from No Time for Flashcards Sunday Showcase from Train Up a Child Share it Saturday from Teach Beside Me Tot School Gathering Place from 1+1+1=1 Montessori Monday from Living Montessori Now Tuesday Tots from In Lieu of Preschool Show and Tell from ABC & 123 For the Kids Fridays from Sun Scholars Finished Friday from All Our Days Weekly Kids Co-op from Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails Preschool & Kindergarten Corner from Homeschool Creations TGIF Linky Party from 123 Homeschool 4 Me

October 26, 2012

We are so excited to be guest posting today over at Blue Skies Ahead. We are showing you how to do this cute popsicle stick craft to make Jack-o-Lanterns and bats. Hop on over there for the full tutorial!

We've found some fun people with great linky parties. You might just see this post linked up on one of these amazing sites! Link and Learn from No Time for Flashcards Sunday Showcase from Train Up a Child Share it Saturday from Teach Beside Me Tot School Gathering Place from 1+1+1=1 Montessori Monday from Living Montessori Now Tuesday Tots from In Lieu of Preschool Show and Tell from ABC & 123 For the Kids Fridays from Sun Scholars Finished Friday from All Our Days Weekly Kids Co-op from Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails Preschool & Kindergarten Corner from Homeschool Creations TGIF Linky Party from 123 Homeschool 4 Me

October 25, 2012

What is a Halloween activity that will help teach my child one-to-one correspondence?

Little Bear has been loving dot markers lately so I thought it would be nice to have a seasonal learning activity that used them. My amazing co-blogger, Cassidy, made up this cute little Halloween do-a-dot counting activity and Little Bear got right to work completing it.

First, Little Bear asked me if he could use an orange dot marker. We don’t have one so I told him that we don’t have one. He was a little disappointed since the circles aren’t just circles, but are Jack-o-Lanterns. So, I told him we could try dotting the circle with a yellow dot marker first and then dot it again with a red dot marker. I did not think this would work because our red dot marker lets out a lot more paint than our yellow dot marker. Unfortunately, I was right. The color mixing of the dot markers did not work. We used the Walmart Paint Dab Markers. If any of you have tried different dot markers and have successfully color mixed, I would love to hear about it.

Once we got past the whole no orange dot marker thing, Little Bear was ready to start counting. He dotted the first group of pumpkins and counted each one out loud as he dotted them. Once he knew how many pumpkins were in that first group, he wrote the correct number in the little box next to them.

Little Bear’s preschool table has the numbers written on the side, so if he ever needed help remembering what a number looked like, I just told him to look at his table. This turned out to be very helpful.

This Halloween dot marker counting activity was really awesome because it gave Little Bear practice writing numbers and it helped solidify the concept of one-to-one correspondence. It was much easier for Little Bear to count each object once and only once because he could see if he had counted it or not. Little Bear has been pretty good at counting for several months now, but this dot marker activity helped him to understand why each number should be counted once and only once. Plus, since the dot markers were involved, it was extra fun!

We've found some fun people with great linky parties. You might just see this post linked up on one of these amazing sites! Link and Learn from No Time for Flashcards Sunday Showcase from Train Up a Child Share it Saturday from Teach Beside Me Tot School Gathering Place from 1+1+1=1 Montessori Monday from Living Montessori Now Tuesday Tots from In Lieu of Preschool Show and Tell from ABC & 123 For the Kids Fridays from Sun Scholars Finished Friday from All Our Days Weekly Kids Co-op from Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails Preschool & Kindergarten Corner from Homeschool Creations TGIF Linky Party from 123 Homeschool 4 Me