2 Simple Toddler-Friendly Halloween Art Activities

“When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers, ‘tis near Halloween.”

— Unknown

Spider Web Sponge

What you need:

1. Table cloth/Plates

2. White paper (We used a thick watercolour paper)

3. Black paint

4. Sponge (We used one with a coarse side to get the textured effect)

5. Glitter

6. Spider Web Doilies (Found at the Dollar Store)

7. Spider stickers

8. Tape

How To:

1. Prepare your area

   • Lay down a table cloth.

   • Put black paint in a thin layer onto a paper plate. You can add paint as needed.

2. Tape your spider web doily onto the paper using rolled tape or double-sided tape

   • Ensure that it is secure so that it doesn’t lift at the edges while sponge painting.

   • If you can not find spider web doilies, you can create one using tape or cut one out yourself.

3. Get your child to dip the sponge into the paint that is on a flat surface

   • Make sure you communicate the importance of using an “up and down” motion and not dragging the sponge across the paper. Demonstrate what you expect.

   • Don’t worry about how much or how little paint they get on their sponge. The overall result turns out great either way!

   • Using a textured sponge provides the best results. Alternatively, you could use a loofa or other textured item of your choosing.

4. Have them dab the paint over top of the spider web

   • Encourage them to cover white spaces and fill the spaces of the spider web

   • Try to direct them to sponge the outline of the spiderweb so you can see it when lifted.

5. Let your child shake glitter onto the painting when it is still wet

   • Using one of the glitter shakers works best and gives your children the chance to shake as much glitter as they want on their paper.

   • Encourage them to move the shaker over the entire paper.

6. Let the painting dry

7. Remove the doily

   • Slowly peel back the doily being careful not to peel any of the dried paint or paper.

8. Add a spider sticker to the painting

   • Let your child choose a spider and place it on the web wherever they like.

Apple Print Pumpkins

What you need:

1. Table cloth/Plates

2. White paper (We used a thick watercolor paper)

3. Orange paint

4. Apple

5. Knife

6. Scissors

7. Black sticky back foam

8. Green sticky back foam

How To:

1. Prepare your area

   • Lay down a table cloth.

   • Place orange paint on a plate in a thick layer. You can add paint as needed.

2. Cut an apple in half

   • Cut the apple lengthwise through the core so that when you look at one half it resembles the shape of a pumpkin.

   • Make sure that you cut the apple so that the middle is straight and will sit level without gaps on a flat surface.

3. Press the apple into the paint

   • The apple can get stuck in the paint so hold the plate down on the table so that your child can lift the apple away from the paint.

   • Having a thicker layer of paint ensures that the print is evenly covered.

4. Press the painted apple onto the paper to make a print

   • Make sure you tell your child to use an up and down motion and not to drag the apple across the paper.

   • Demonstrate the motion if necessary.

5. Let the apple prints dry

6. Cut out foam faces with black foam

   • If your child is old enough to cut their own faces let them do it.

   • If your child is not old enough you can have this step prepared in advance

7. Cut out foam stems with green foam

   • If your child is old enough to cut their own stems let them do it.

   • If your child is not old enough you can have this step prepared in advance.

8. Once dry, have your child stick the faces and stems onto the pumpkin

   • Let your child place the stems and faces on as they see fit. It makes for some pretty funny and creative jack-o-lanterns!