Halloween/Fall Ideas

Here are a few great ideas for your next Halloween or Fall Harvest Party in the classroom (or at home).  All of these ideas and more can be found at: It's Written on the Wall.

 

Photos from It's Written on the Wall.com

Turkey Hands

Here's a cute idea, that every parent would love to hang in their home!
Photo and idea from littlegiraffes.com

This site also has so many great hand print craft ideas. I LOVE the calendar idea.  Here are a few more (click here.)

Here is my favorite poem!  Add this poem, a hand print and a frame from the dollar store!

 Sometimes I might upset you

Because I am so small

And always leave my fingerprints

on furniture and walls.

But everyday I grow a bit

And soon I'll be so tall

That all those little fingerprints

Will be so hard to recall.

So here's a special handprint

Just so that you can say

This is how my fingers looked

When I placed them here today

No-Sew Fabric Pumpkin

Need a craft for your Fall-themed party?

 

Photo from:  http://olivejuicestudio.com

You will need a roll of toilet paper for each child, a square of fabric (I use the pre-packaged quilting squares from JoAnn's), and a stick (about 1/2 to 1 inch thick and 4 inches long).  I had the kids add pre-cut paper leaves, but you can add fabric leaves as pictured here.  Here is the link to a great tutorial.  The best thing is that it's not very messy, and it can be sent home the day of the party!!!

 Here is another example from  www.trashtotreasuredecorating.com

Fall Crafts

Pumpkin Lanterns
Materials needed:
12" x 18" orange construction paper
9" x 12" green construction paper
red, yellow, and black construction paper scraps

ruler
scissors
glue
stapler

Directions:
Teacher Prep:
1.  Fold the orange paper in half to make a 6" x 18" rectangle.
2.  Measure 2" in from the open edge and draw an 18" line across the paper.
3.  Draw lines 1" apart between the fold of the paper and the 18" line.
4.  Prep the handle: cut 1 1/2" x 12" strip of green construction paper,
For the kids:

1.  Cut on the lines, starting at the fold.  Do not cut all the way through.
2.  Unfold the paper, bend it into a cylinder, and staple the side edges together.
3.  Add the handle for the lantern, staple the strip in an arc to the top edge of the lantern.
4.  Add the eyes, nose and mouth for the lantern, using scraps of construction paper

Love This Pumpkin

This idea comes from craftideas.info.  I used this as one of the craft centers for our Fall Harvest Party.  I pre-cut and pre-punched holes in the strips.  Kids assembled them.  I put out a variety of colors (orange, red, green, yellow) so that they could make apples or pumpkins.  Some the kids put faces on them, and others mixed and matched the colors.  The kids had fun with this fun and quick project. 

My Variation:

Scarecrow Craft

Using Popsicle sticks, the kids can create a neat craft to hang on your door.

(Photo from: http://www.apples4theteacher.com/)

You will need:

7 craft sticks

8 yellow craft sticks

foam for kids to cut and add as decoration

Googley eyes

Pre-cut hats

Glue on a plate with q tips

 Permanent Markers

More Fall Harvest Party Ideas

Apple Tasting:
Have the class taste test a variety of apples.  Add some caramel, if you like (*apple tasting party idea). Record your likes/dislikes on an apple graph. Have the class graph the results. 

Candy Apples:

Make your own Candy Apples.

Applesauce:
Make some applesauce.

Paperbag Scarecrows:                            

(from busybeekidscrafts.com)

Corn Craft:

Pre-cut a yellow corn on the cob shape.  Add two green husks.  Pre-cut small (1"x1") tissue paper squares.  Using the eraser end of your pencil, wrap a tissue paper square and dip into glue.  Then stick it on the corn. Makes a neat 3 dimensional cob of corn.

Paint on Leaves

Photo from quinceandquire.

For older children, allow them to use metallic paint pens.  Leaves can be framed...or photographed and framed as a gift. 

For a younger children, allow them to paint on them with a corn syrup and glitter mixture.  The leaves will dry shiny and glittery.

Puffy Painting

Puffy Paint:
This art project can be adjusted to just about any theme.  For fall, provide the kids with pictures of different leaves.  Mix the puffy paint and let them paint with brushes. You can find the exact recipe here.
Recipe:  Elmer's glue
             shaving cream (scented or unscented)
             Food coloring

The result will be a puffy picture!  Wear your paint shirts!

Fall Harvest Party

As many parents and educators know, Halloween-themed classroom parties are a thing of the past.  When Autumn arrives, it is time to celebrate the Fall Harvest.  Here a few ideas.

Crafts:
Easy Toilet Paper Pumpkin:

Using a 15" x 15" square of festive fabric, you cover a roll of toilet paper.  This website has the directions to the craft, but in lieu of the brown paper roll, we used actual thick branches from a tree (about an inch thick). We also skipped using the batting.  We had the felt leaves and pipe cleaners prepared ahead of time, and the Kindergartners could complete the craft in about 15 minutes. Have masking tape on hand to label the pumpkins with their name.

Pumpkin Painting:

Stop at a pumpkin stand and ask the owner for a deal on the number of pumpkins you need for your classroom.  Allow each child to tempera paint a small, softball sized pumpkin.  Use a permanent marker to write their names on the pumpkin prior to painting it. Send them home in a plastic shopping bag (in case paint is not dried or begins to peel.)  Also don't forget to encourage the use of paint shirts.

Paper Bag Pumpkin:
(photo from Crayola.com)

This is an easy project.  Using a brown paper lunch bag and a green piece of string, you can create a paper bag pumpkin. If you use orange paint to color the bag...stuff the bags ahead of time.  Or use crayons to color the bag and have the kids stuff them as part of the process. Directions can be found here.  

Games:
Hoola Hoop Toss:

Place 3 to 5 pumpkins, in a variety of sizes, in an open area (the classroom carpet works great for this activity).  Have the kids toss 3 to 5 hoola hoops over the pumpkins.

Bozo's Grand Prize Game "Pumpkin Style":

Either purchase 5 to 10 fall-themed buckets or cover some ice cream buckets with fall colored construction paper.  Have the children line up and toss a bean bag into each bucket.  For younger children, five buckets are the way to go.

Snacks:
Keep snacks simple and healthy.  Kraft and FamilyFun have a variety of great "Halloween" and "Fall" themed ideas.