Monster Mash

At the beginning of October, we hosted a "party" and stealth drafted the kids into making Halloween decorations for the children's room for us. Genius I tell you, pure genius and everyone loves a good craft session.

We had four stations set up, as well as some music, snacks and later a movie. After a quick explanation from me about how the stations would work it was off to the races.

I really wish I had taken some before shots so you could see the set up, but we were running short on time and the kids were practically knocking down the door to get in.

Station 1:  Paper Plate Pumpkins

One of the great side benefits to all the produce boxes the guys at Safeway gave us in September were the weird dividers that separated the apples while they were in the boxes. I cut up a few of those and used them to hold pumpkin appropriate paint colors- 2 shades of orange, green and black.

The kids used sponges and tiny paint brushes to make their own, gorgeous jack-o-lanterns.

We let them dry and strung them up like garlands. They are currently hanging in a curtain behind the librarians' desk.

Station 2: Spiderwebs

On top of the butcher paper that was covering all the craft tables, I taped down freezer paper with the waxy side up. Then, using glitter glue, the kids and I drew spiderwebs. Once the glue dried, the webs were easily peeled off and are currently stuck to the windows and doors leading into the room. After a while the allure of peeling off glitter glue grew too strong for mere spiderwebs and kids began writing their names and scary, holiday themed words.

Station 3: Chalk Bats

I love the look of chalk on black paper. For this craft I cut out a basic black bat shape and had the kids color them in with sidewalk chalk. They are also now in garlands, strung out along the top of the non-fiction bookshelves.

Station 4: Trick or Treaters

I left out large pieces of poster board and several Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Faces step-by-step drawing instructions for creepy Halloweeny faces- the skull, a witch, a martian and a Mortica Adams/Cruella DeVille looking woman. A lot of the kids took home their drawings so we don't have any up right now but I have a feeling I'll be whipping up some witches to hang around the room: I really like how they turned out.

After the kids were crafted out we gave them apple slices, a little bit of candy and some apple juice and settled in to watch Monster House . All in all a quick and easy craft program that left our room ready for Halloween.