There’s more to Halloween than candy
Doing crafts benefits children in several different ways. For instance, crafts help children improve fine motor skills and coordination, follow instructions, and explore ideas.
Crafts are fun and a great way to bond with your child while creating something together. Crafts promote self-regulation; waiting for glue to dry is a lesson in patience. Children might also learn to be flexible, because not all craft projects will turn out the way they hoped or planned.
Crafts boost self-esteem if they are chosen carefully for a child’s skill level. There’s nothing like success to build pride and a sense of accomplishment.
For older children crafts offer a way to explore interests, unwind, relieve stress and develop hobbies. Crafts can result in wonderful gifts for neighbours, grandparents and others in a child’s life, teaching them that people value their time and effort.
Crafts can be done at home, on the road and outdoors. At this time of year, crafts help children enjoy Halloween, without the candy!
There are lots of Halloween crafts on the Internet.
It’s an older resource, but you can find not just crafts but literacy activities, jokes and Halloween poems in our Literacy Activities for Holidays How to Kit. You can find it here.
Here are other good websites with craft ideas we tried out on children and parents attending Aurora College in Yellowknife recently.
Make a 3D paper pumpkin with instructions at http://www.firstpalette.com/Craft_themes/Special_Occassions/Halloween/threedpaperpumpkin/threedpaperpumpkin.html
Children will love the pumpkin pie play dough at http://www.childhoodbeckons.com/2011/09/pumpkin-pie-play-dough.html
There are more Halloween crafts at http://www.dltk-holidays.com/halloween/index.html
If you need ideas for craft projects, give us a call. Or share your best craft ideas below!
-- Pat Ilgok
