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Just in time for Halloween, a homemade “not-too-spooky” house will spark your child’s imagination and can help calm any fears they might have around the holiday. It’s also a great project for collaboration between older and younger children – adults welcome, too!
What We’re Learning & Skills We’re Building
- Collaboration – working together with adults and other children to create something
- Fine motor skills – using the small muscles in the hands to paint, hold scissors, and place decorations
- Storytelling – coming up with a story to aid in playing with the house
- Creative expression – using your imagination to create something unique
Materials
- Medium to large cardboard box(es)
- Washable tempera paint, washable markers, and/or crayons
- Child-safe scissors
- Decorative items: Construction paper, stickers, coffee filters, cotton balls, buttons, old Halloween decor, tissue paper, leaves, sticks, googly eyes, etc.
- School glue, glue stick, and/or masking tape
Optional Materials
- Klever Kutter or Exacto knife/box cutter (adult use only) for cutting out windows and doors
- Adult scissors (adult use only) for cutting thicker materials
- LED string lights and other LED lights (they don’t get too hot)
Before Building
The idea of a “Halloween House” might be really abstract or scary for younger children. Reading a children’s story that features a haunted house, friendly ghosts, or friendly witches before starting is a good idea. Here are some book recommendations: Silly Haunted House: A Not Too Spooky Pop Up Book by Janet Lawler, and Ghosts in the House by Kazuno Kohara.
Building & Decorating the House
- Decorate the outside of the box using washable paint, markers, or crayons. If you’re using paint, let it dry before moving on.
- Add windows and doors to the house using paint, markers, crayons, and/or paper cutouts. (Optional) Or, older children and adults can cut windows and doors out of the box using a Klever Kutter or an exacto knife/box cutter (adult use only).
- Decorate the rest of the house. Use paint, old Halloween decor, cotton balls, and more (see Materials list for suggestions). Attach decorations with school glue or loops of tape.
- (Optional, if you already cut out windows/doors) Once the outside of the house has dried, line the interior with tissue paper to cover the windows but still allow light through.
- (Optional) Place string LED lights and/or other LED lights inside the house so it appears lit up.
- Continue to work on the house throughout October, or make a few more houses to create a neighborhood of not-too-spooky houses!