Boo! Halloween is creeping up, and while the treats and costumes are delicious, there’s something even more magical brewing—the chance for hands-on, experiential learning with your toddler.
Dive into a cauldron of creativity as we whip up some spooktacular DIY activities. With the help of Little Partners’ ingenious products, these crafts won’t just spook your neighbors but also enrich your little one’s mind.
Ready to conjure up some fun? Let’s unveil the first hauntingly exciting activity!
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Little Monster Pancakes
Halloween is the perfect time to venture into the world of culinary creativity with your toddler. The beauty of experiential learning is its emphasis on the “doing.” Cooking, especially, is a dance of coordination, patience, and understanding—from measuring ingredients to witnessing the magical transformation of batter into fluffy pancakes.
And with Little Partners’ Learning Tower®, your kiddo can safely be right beside you at counter level, part of every sizzle and flip. They’re not just onlookers—they’re chefs in the making, experiencing firsthand the wonders of cooking.
Ingredients
- 225g self-raising flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp melted butter, plus extra for frying
- 175ml milk
- 75g baby spinach leaves, chopped
- bananas, kiwi, blueberries, and maple syrup (for decorating and serving, optional)
Method
- STEP 1—Get your blender ready, and together, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, butter, milk, and spinach. Blend away until you’ve got a smooth and enchanting green mixture.
- STEP 2—In a non-stick frying pan, melt a dash of butter over a medium heat. Spoon in small dollops of your wickedly green batter (you can make two or three pancakes at once). Cook for 2 minutes or until the edges firm up and bubbles surface. Then, with a flick of your magic spatula, flip those pancakes and let them cook for another 1-2 minutes. You can keep the cooked ones cozy in a low oven as you continue with the rest.
- STEP 3—Time for the monstrokus makeover! Let your child’s imagination run wild as they decorate their pancakes with googly fruit eyes. Slices of banana and kiwi crowned with blueberry pupils make for captivating eyes, while banana slivers can be transformed into pointy fangs. If your little monster has a sweet tooth, a drizzle of maple syrup completes this spellbinding treat.
So, put on your chef’s hats and whip up these Little Monster Pancakes, where every bite is an adventure and every moment a lesson. Happy cooking!
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Shapes and Colors Jack O’ Lantern Activity
For toddlers, every art session is like opening a treasure chest—vibrant colors shimmering beside intriguing shapes. This Halloween, let’s dive deep into this treasure with a shapes and colors Jack O’Lantern activity. Experiential learning thrives on engagement and immersion, and there’s no better way for your child to experience the joy of color recognition and shape familiarity than with hands-on art!
With the Deluxe Learn’ N Play Art Center Easel by Little Partners, your little artist has the perfect platform to craft their very own vibrant Jack O’Lantern. Whether sketching a mischievous grin on the chalkboard or playing with colorful magnetic shapes on the whiteboard to form eyes, noses, or mouths, each creative choice deepens their understanding of shapes and colors. The easel’s clever design ensures they have all their art supplies at their fingertips, setting the stage for the next steps of bringing their Halloween masterpiece to life.
Materials You’ll Need
- Scissors
- Glue
- Colored paper (especially orange for the Jack O’Lantern)
- Paints
- Coloring pencils
- Optional: glitter, sequins, or other decorative elements for extra sparkle!
Crafting Steps
- STEP 1—Depending on the age and skill level of your child, decide whether they’ll cut out the shapes or if they’ll be provided pre-cut.
- STEP 2—Using the Art Center Easel, let your toddler draw or trace the shapes they want to use on their Jack O’Lantern. They can use either the chalkboard side or the dry-erase board to experiment with different facial expressions.
- STEP 3—Once they have their desired shapes, they can glue them onto an orange construction paper to form their very own Jack O’Lantern. Let them play with the placement and even overlap shapes to create a unique pumpkin face.
While their little fingers are busy at work, their minds are soaking up the joys of experiential learning. And the best part? They’re having a blast doing it!
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Potato Stamp Ghosts
Ghosts are synonymous with Halloween, but this year, let’s take a detour from the traditional and make them with...potatoes? That’s right! Your kitchen staple can be the star of a fun-filled art session, showcasing how common items can be reimagined in playful ways. The beauty of experiential learning is that it can be found in the most unexpected places, turning ordinary activities into extraordinary adventures of discovery and creativity.
The Little Partners® Peek-A-Boo Art Easel takes this art project from fun to fantastically engaging. Its transparent acrylic board isn’t just any canvas—it’s a window to creativity. Imagine the joy on your toddler’s face when they stamp a ghost and then dash to the other side to see their creation from a new perspective. This clear canvas allows children to interact with their artwork in a unique way, making each ghostly imprint a playful peek-a-boo game of understanding perspectives and watching their handiwork come alive from all angles.
Materials You’ll Need
- Potato
- Black paper
- White paint
- Black paint
Crafting Steps
- STEP 1—Peel the potato and slice off the bottom part to make a flat base for the ghost, then cut the potato in half.
- STEP 2—With the Peek-A-Boo Art Easel set up and ready, dip the potato in white paint and press it onto the easel’s acrylic surface. Each ghostly stamp becomes a fun game as your child can move around and see their work from both sides.
- STEP 3—Once the white paint dries, encourage your child to dip their finger in black paint to fashion the eyes and mouth of each ghost.
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Spider Web Slime
The eerie crawl of spiders, their delicate webs catching the morning dew, is symbolic of Halloween’s spookiness. The spider, for all its eight-legged eeriness, teaches us about the wonder of nature and the beauty of symmetry. This Halloween, embark on a dual-learning journey by crafting Spider Web Slime with your little one—an educational foray into the realms of science in the kitchen and skensory play afterward.
Thanks to The Learning Tower® by Little Partners, your child can safely stand at bench height so they don’t just witness the magic unfolding—they are at its very heart, measuring, mixing, and marveling.
Spider Web Slime Supplies
- Clear Glue
- Warm Water
- Borax
- Glitter
- Plastic Spiders
How To Make Spider Web Slime
- STEP 1—Combine 4 ounces of clear glue with 4 ounces of warm water in a bowl. Stir until thoroughly mixed.
- STEP 2—Introduce the glitter to the mix, swirling it in for that eerie shimmer.
- STEP 3—In another bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon of borax in 1/2 cup of water.
- STEP 4—Gradually add the borax solution to the glue mixture, stirring continuously. Witness the transformation as your mixture evolves into slime. Adjust the consistency to your liking by controlling the amount of borax solution.
- STEP 5—For that added touch of Halloween, introduce plastic spiders to the mix. Hand over the slime to your little one and let their imagination roam in the world of sticky spider webs!
There’s a special kind of magic in making something together, isn’t there? With the Learning Tower, every moment becomes an adventure, and every creation, whether it’s pancakes, a painting, or a pot of spider web slime, is a shared triumph.
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Playdough Halloween Creatures
Who doesn’t remember the first time they squished playdough between their fingers? That unmistakable scent that takes you straight back to childhood, the vibrant colors morphing into anything the imagination conjures. Those memories of endless creative possibilities are ones we cherish, and now, it’s time to pass them on.
As Halloween lurks around the corner, there’s no better way to bond with your little ones than by diving hands-first into a playdough crafting session. And with the Learning Tower® by Little Partners, your child can safely stand beside you at the kitchen counter, sharing the joy of molding and shaping as you laugh over the quirky creatures taking form.
Experiential learning is at its finest when our senses are engaged. The feel of playdough, the vibrant hues, and the playful process of creation—all these experiences become etched in memory. Elevated to bench height, your child isn’t just a spectator but a key player, exploring textures, colors, and the sheer joy of turning a simple lump of dough into spooky Halloween masterpieces.
What You’ll Need
- Playdough—Whether homemade or store-bought, make sure to have a colorful assortment.
- Toothpicks
- Pipe cleaners (snipped)
- Googly eyes
- Beads
- Buttons
- Beans
- Pasta
- Feathers
And more! Look around your home for fun additions.
Crafting Your Halloween Playdough Creatures
- Pumpkins—Channel the essence of fall with orange playdough. Maybe even infuse it with pumpkin pie spice for that seasonal aroma. Mold it, add a stem, some vines, and perhaps even a comical jack-o’-lantern face.
- Spiders—Grab those pipe cleaners and design spiders with legs that zig and zag. Plop on some googly eyes for that unexpected cute factor!
- Monsters—You and your child’s creativity can run wild here. Mix and match colors and poke-ins to design monsters that might just be too adorable to be scary.
As you craft, reminisce about your own playdough days and revel in the joy of creating new memories with your child. It’s a tradition, an art, and a journey of sensory exploration—all rolled into one. When the creatures come alive, they’ll stand as a testament to the creativity and shared moments that’ll be remembered for years to come.
Halloween Magic, Made Together with Little Partners
At Little Partners, we treasure the soft glow of lanterns on a chilly night, the eager hands molding imaginative creatures, and the shared laughter echoing through the house. It’s these moments that become part of our fondest memories, wrapped in the nostalgia of childhood wonder and family togetherness.
Our dedication is to infuse experiential learning into every playful moment, making each product a canvas for creativity and discovery. To us, it’s more than just equipment—it’s an invitation to imagination and cherished memories. Embrace the enchantment this Halloween and create unforgettable tales enhanced by the essence of Little Partners.