These "Warm Fuzzy Spiders" are fun and easy to make. This craft is perfect for the week of Halloween.
These spooky spiders can be hung over a doorway, in the window or on a bulletin board.
The spiders are ideal to use as instructional tools, while teaching the fact that spiders have eight legs.
Materials:
- Yarn
- Wiggly Eyes
- Scissors
- Glue
- White string or white dental floss (optional to tie to the ceiling or window) and tape (or a thumb tack)
Instructions:
Students
- Roll the yarn around your hands about 100 times (or use a paper towel roll).
- Pull the yarn off of your hand or the paper towel roll.
- Hold the wound up yarn in your hand and pull a small piece of yarn through the hole in the center.
- Tightly tie one side of the circle with the yarn.
- Cut open the circle of yarn on the opposite side.
- Cut all the pieces of yarn until you only have 4 pieces of long yarn on each side (eight legs).
- Glue on the wiggly eyes.
- Measure the length of white string you want and tie it to the top of your little spider's head. Then, use tape or a thumb tack to attach it above the window or classroom door.
Here's a free template to use for your own Halloween lantern. You can use this free template, or create a design of your own.
As an alternative to the Halloween Lantern, the teacher can have the students make
Pin Art (in the classroom with small groups).
To do this, print out the free template on thick, orange, yellow and/or black paper. Students can use pin needles to punch through the paper. The art can be displayed in the classroom window. The light shinning through the holes looks beautiful. (I did this with my 2nd grade class using a Christmas design.) Instead of a nail, students used pins. I made sure the pins had red balls at the end, so when they fell we could find them easily. I only let 3 or 4 students work at a time. They held the paper onto the carpet and punched each hole. This is great for building fine motor skills. (I do not recommend this craft on Halloween because the kids will probably be too hyper for the concentration it takes. You may want to use this craft instead for the Friday before Halloween.)
Materials for Halloween Lantern (Best for Small Groups or at Home):
- Free "Halloween Lantern" Template
- Tin can (e.g. soup can)
- Nail
- Hammer
- Water (to freeze inside the tin can)
- Paint (orange, yellow, white and black)
- Wiggly eyes (2) if you are using the Jack-o'-lantern template.
- Glow stick or glow bracelet (Please don't use a candle with children. Also, the paint may not won't work well with a candle or eyes.)
Instructions for Halloween Lantern:
- Clean out a tin can, pour water inside and freeze it.
- Print out the free Halloween lantern template.
- Tape the template to the can after the water is frozen. Be sure to put the tape around the edges.
- You will need to work fast. The ink will start to fade. Start with the face of the Jack-o-lantern. You may not even want to make the pumpkin around it. I just made the face of the Jack-o'-lantern and chose not to make the pumpkin.
- Use the nail and hammer. Tap the nail gently. Try to make the holes the same size, but don't worry too much about the differences. This is supposed to be fun! :) Depending upon the age of the child, an adult may need to do this part.
- Paint the can orange. (If needed, blow on the holes to push the paint through.)
- Trace the face and words with black paint. If you are making the "Candy" lantern, paint the candy corn orange, yellow and white.
- Glue the eyes onto the face of the Jack-o'-lantern, if you are using that design. (Inside the circles.)
- Put a glow stick inside. (Do not use a candle.)
- Use as a decoration in a window or as a centerpiece on your table.
Here's a free "Scarecrow" Puppet Craft Template
Grades: K-2
During the Fall, students will love making scarecrow puppets. Each scarecrow has a crow on his shoulder. These scarecrows are fun and easy to make.
Materials:
Free "Scarecrow" Puppet Craft Template
Construction paper (yellow, blue, brown or black)
Yarn (yellow) or straw
Paper bag (1 per child)
Scissors
Glue
Large wiggle eyes for scarecrow (2 per child)
Small wiggle eyes for crow (2 per child)
Black pom pom. This is the crow. (1 per child)
Black marker.
Instructions:
Teacher
- Print the template onto card stock.
- Cut out the template.
- Trace onto the construction paper.
Students
- Cut out the head, body, arms, legs and hat.
- Glue the head onto the bottom of the paper bag.
- Glue the body onto the side of the paper bag.
- Glue on the arms, legs and hat.
- Glue on the wiggle eyes.
- Make a nose shaped like a carrot towards the middle of the face (in pencil). Trace over it with black marker. Color it in orange (like a carrot).
- Make a smile with a pencil. Trace over it with black marker.
- Cut the straw or yellow yarn into small pieces and glue onto the ends of the legs and arms. Also, glue a few pieces on the head hanging out from underneath the hat.
- Glue the black pom pom (crow) onto the scarecrow's shoulder.
- Glue on the crows wiggle eyes.
- Glue on the grows beak using a small piece of yarn or straw folded in half. Put a dab of glue in the middle.
These adorable cats have personalities of their own. They are perfect for a classroom bulletin board or to take home as a seasonal decoration.
Materials:
- free black cat craft template
- googly eyes (2 per student)
- scissors
- glue
- construction paper (Use black for head & ears. Use pink or red for the nose.)
- wikki stix -or- chenille stems (2 per child cut into 6 pieces)
- White colored pencil or crayon
Instructions:
Teacher
- Use the template to make one cat per child (one head & two ears).
- Use the template to make one heart nose per child.
Students
(The teacher may find it helpful to write these instructions on the board.)
- Cut out the cat head and ears.
- Write your name on the back of the head.
- Glue the ears onto the head.
- Glue on the googly eyes.
- Glue on the heart for the nose.
- Use a white colored pencil or crayon to make a mouth.
- Add 3 whiskers with wikki stix (white) -or- use white crayon.
Teacher
- Put the cats on a bulletin board in your classroom or send them home. Kids may like putting the cats on the front door at home for a Halloween decoration.
Additional Uses:
Valentine's Day - Use the same template for a Valentine's Day craft/card. Cut the head & ears out in pink or white construction paper and the nose in red construction paper. You can cut two circles for the head and make a card. Staple the two pages together on the left side.
These paper dolls/puppets & books are so much fun! This lesson incorporates literature & art and it's a Halloween Craft.
Your children will illustrate and create the characters for their own books. The free, printable template is provided. The paper dolls & accessories are perfect for encouraging dramatic play while reading. This reading, art and writing lesson is perfect for kinesthetic, visual & auditory learners.
Materials:
Instructions:
Teacher or Parent
- Print and staple together the book. Keep the cover & back page as one sheet. Cut the rest of the pages in half, sort in number order and staple together. Kids can use any blank pages for illustrations.)
- Print the paper doll. (It would be best to print on card stock.)
- Read aloud a book & act out the story with the paper doll. Come on, it's fun & the kids will love it. :)
- Talk about why the girl dressing up like a cat and the cat dressing up like a princess is a "trick".
Day #1
Students
- Write your name on the back of the paper doll sheet.
- Color the paper dolls/puppets, pets & accessories.
- Choose a name for the main characters (The kids can use their own names or make up different names.)
- Draw illustrations for the story on the blank pages in the book.
Teacher or Parent
This is not required, but it would be a good idea to laminate the paper dolls & accessories after the kids color them. Especially, if you wanted to keep your own set to use as a center activity.
Day #2
Students
- Cut out the paper dolls/puppets, pets & accessories. (Glue popsicle sticks to the back of the dolls & pets to make puppets.)
- Act out the story with the paper dolls/puppets, and you will see your doll dress up in his/her Halloween costume! (See the books for details.)
- Show your friends each character in costume!
- Bring the books & dolls/puppets home to share with your family & friends.
Teacher - Extension Activities
Technology/Classroom Website
- Take a photo of all the paper dolls (in costume) with their pets (in costume). Post it on the classroom website/blog.
- Have the students bring their completed books to the computer lab. Using Kid Pix, the kids can create a slide show presentation of the story. (Might want to leave the envelope on the desk in class, so the kids don't loose paper doll stuff in the computer lab.)
Halloween Jack-O'-Lantern Craft & Lesson Plan
Here's a lesson plan and Jack-o'-lantern craft with a free, printable template for the craft.
Craft Materials:
- Jack-O'-Lantern Frame Free, Printable Template
- Construction Paper (orange & green)
- Scissors (1 per student)
- Glue (1 per student)
- Pencil (1 per student)
- Googly Eyes (2 per student)
- Pipe Cleaners or Wikki Stix (green, 1 per student. Used as a twisted vine near the stem & leaf.)
- Magnets (optional, 1 per student)
Craft Instructions:
Teacher
Print the template onto card stock, cut it out and use a marker to trace it onto construction paper (orange for pumpkin, green for stem & leaf.)
Students cut out the pieces & follow these instructions:
- Glue leaf & stem onto the Jack-o'-lantern.
- Twist the pipe cleaners around the pencil. Glue onto the back of the jack-o'-lantern near the stem.
- Glue on the nose.
- Glue on the googly eyes.
- Glue the magnet on the back.
- Glue picture of the child wearing his/her Halloween costume inside the frame.
- Send home now or save for the classroom memory book (which is sent home at the end of the year.)
Lesson Plan
(I suggest the following order: 1. Show Photos, 2. Share History & Poem, 3. Do the Craft, 4. Read Aloud the Story. Please adjust order as you find necessary.)
Show Photographs of Jack-O'-Lanterns
Do a search on the Internet and find several photographs of Jack-o'-lanterns. Print out a few to share.
-or-
Call the school librarian and ask her if there are any jack-o'-lantern books in the library and have a volunteer parent or student assistant bring the books to you. :)
Share & Discuss the History of the Tradition & a Poem
"North American Tradition
A traditional Irish Halloween Jack-o'-lantern from the early 20th century on display in the Museum of Country Life, Ireland.Throughout Ireland and Britain, there is a long tradition of carving lanterns from vegetables, particularly the turnip, mangelwurzel, or swede.[1] But not until 1837 does jack-o'-lantern appear as a term for a carved vegetable lantern,[2] and the carved lantern does not become associated specifically withHalloween until 1866.[3] Significantly, both occurred not in Ireland or Britain, but in North America. Historian David J. Skal writes,
Although every modern chronicle of the holiday repeats the claim that vegetable lanterns were a time-honored component of Halloween celebrations in the British Isles, none gives any primary documentation. In fact, none of the major nineteenth-century chronicles of British holidays and folk customs make any mention whatsoever of carved lanterns in connection with Halloween. Neither do any of the standard works of the early twentieth century.[4]
In America, the carved pumpkin was first associated with the harvest season in general, long before it became an emblem of Halloween.[5] The poet John Greenleaf Whittier, who was born in 1807, wrote in
"The Pumpkin" (1850):[6]
“ Oh!—fruit loved of boyhood!—the old days recalling,
When wood-grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling!
When wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin,
Glaring out through the dark with a candle within!"
(9/10/09, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack-o'-lantern)
Read Aloud
Read aloud the classic book, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown by Bill Melendez and Christopher Shea. (It might even be in your classroom library, school library or public library.) You can also read aloud any other pumkin or jack-o'-lantern book you have in your classroom library.
Discuss the difference between a pumkin and a jack-o'-lantern before reading any of the books you choose from. When you see a pumpkin or jack-o'-lantern while reading ask, "Is this a pumkin or Jack-o'-lantern?"
