Have the best looking centerpiece out of all your friend's parties. Weighing in at about three pounds, order this gummy brain for your Halloween festivities! http://giantgummybears.com/giantgummibear-1-2.aspx
Ghost Jugs
Re-use your old milk jugs to make these fun ghost lanterns!
Instructions:
1. Draw ghost eyes and mouths on the jugs. Tip: Leave the caps on while you do this, so the jugs don't dent.
2. Use a craft knife to cut a half-dollar-size hole in the back of each jug (a parent's job).
3. Arrange the ghosts near each other and string the lights between them, stuffing several bulbs into each of the jugs.
Paint the outside of the tin can and the entire paper plate black. Once the paint is dry, cut the paper plate in half. Along the straight edge of half the paper plate, cut a scalloped edge: (you might want to fold the half of paper plate in half to get a more even cut)
Paint a mouth on one side of your can and add the wiggle eyes (you can also paint on eyes if you'd like). Once the face has dried, glue the wings on the opposite side of the can. Let the glue dry before you move it around!
Fill your bat can with treats for Halloween! (Be very careful for sharp edges!)
Pumpkins with Personality
Give your pumpkins a unique spin this year!
Instructions:
1. Buy pumpkins in decending sizes to form this hungry trio.
2. Carve the pumpkins as shown, cutting the mouths from the tops of the pumpkins. Break off the stems.
3. Cut a small piece from the large fish's tail fin and secure it to the head with toothpicks
4. Use toothpicks to attach the tail fins to the bottoms of the pumpkin.
5. Secure a gourd in the large fish's eye socket with toothpicks.
• When cutting out the top, place the knife at a 45 degree angle so the the lid will have a place to rest when you replace it. If you cut straight down, the lid will fall through.
• When cleaning the pumpkin, save the seeds. Toasted pumpkin seeds make a healthy as well as tasty snack. Use a large, heavy metal serving spoon or ice cream scoop to scrape the insides. If you will be lighting the pumpkin, the back wall should be scraped as smooth as possible since this is where the light will be reflected. A 1-inch thickness of the pumpkin wall is optimum.
• For longer life, soak the cleaned pumpkin a couple of hours in a bleach water solution of 1 teaspoon bleach to 1 gallon of water. Dry thoroughly, then rub inside and out, including all cut edges, with vegetable oil or petroleum jelly to prevent shriveling. If the pumpkin begins to shrivel, repeat the process. The soaking time will depend upon how dried out the pumpkin has become.
• Beginners should select a simple, bold pattern. Once you master the simple patterns, you can move on to something more difficult.
• Print out or draw the pattern on a piece of paper. Use small sharp scissors or a razor knife to cut out the areas you will be carving into the pumpkin. Tape the template onto the pumpkin and use a marker to trace the carving lines. Cutting slits in the paper will help it to conform to the round surface.
• As an alternative, you can tape the outline to the pumpkin and use a nail or large pushpin to score the carving lines onto the pumpkin. Connect the dots as you carve.
• A long serrated knife or a pumpkin-carving knife with teeth will be necessary to cut through the thick flesh. Use a sawing motion and take your time cutting along the outside edge of the marker lines so there is no marker residue.
• Consider cutting off the bottom of the pumpkin, as well as the top. The pumpkin will be more stable and also easier to carve. If you plan on using a candle to light your jack'o'lantern, be sure the opening in the bottom is large enough to fit over the candle. Place the candle on a fire-proof base large enough to accomodate the pumpkin. You can then easily lift off the jack-o'-lantern to light the candle.
• If you will be lighting your jack-o'-lantern with a candle, be sure to leave the lid off to avoid any fire hazard. Use a votive candle in a glass holder or tea lights in a metal case. If you want to leave the lid on, carve a hole in the unseen back side of the pumpkin to act as a chimney. Never leave a candle-lit jack-o'-lantern unattended for any length of time.
• A small battery-operated flameless candle is a safer choice than traditional candles for lighting your jack-o'-lantern.
• Sprinkle the bottom side of the pumpkin lid with ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or cloves to let your jack-o'-lantern do double duty as an air freshener.
• Place the jack-o'-lantern in a plastic bag and refrigerate when not in use.
• Try making an uncarved jack-o'-lantern by painting designs with royal icing. You can enjoy a decorated jack-o'-lantern but still use the pumpkin when Halloween has come and gone.
Kids will love playing mummy wrap with their friends. Break up into teams of two or three and race to wrap one group member completely in toilet paper. First team to wrap their mummy from head to toe wins!
Candy Corn Relay Race
Try this simple Halloween game. Fun and simple party or class game!
How To Play:
1. Designate a starting line and a finish line.
2. Set out a bowl full of candy corn for each player at the starting line and an empty bowl at the finish line.
3. The players must use a large spoon to scoop candy corn out of the full bowl and then carry it to the empty bowl and fill it. (They cannot spill any candy corn or use their hands!)
4. If any candy corn falls off the spoon, they must immediately pick it up and bring it back to the starting line bowl and start over with that scoopful.
5. First player to fill their empty bowl at the finish line WINS!
Ghoulish Goulash
Kids will love making skeletons out of pasta! Display a finished skeleton, such as the one shown here, and provide bowls of pasta shapes, black-eyed peas (for eyes), sheets of sturdy paper, and tacky glue. We reccomend using a mix of elbow macaroni, rotelle, shells, narrow rigatoni, orzo.
MR. NO-NO'S HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS!
Halloween is such a fun time for millions of children across the country. Unfortunately, there are thousands that end up in the emergency room due to preventable accidents.
So before you start picking out the perfect costume for your little goblins and begin gathering goodies; Mr. No-No has a couple of great safety tips that can help you to have a fun and safe Halloween.
Decking out the Pumpkin:
Have the little one's draw the design and you be their carving assistant
Let the little goblins push in the carvings (the eyes, nose, mouth, etc.)
You scrape the guts; they pull out the guts
Use battery operated artificial light inside the jack-o'-lantern
When Picking Out a Costume:
Pick a costume both you and your little ones can easily get in & out of
Wear bright colors (Add a splash of neon color to your costume if black)
Don't get Wands, swords, pistols, etc… (Kids can get hurt & you end up carrying them anyway)
Check to see what the weather is like. If its going to be cold make sure to layer under your costume.
When Trick-or-Treating:
ALWAYS have them within view! Tell your little ones," If you can't see me, I can't see you"
Nothing should be in your child's hands except for their basket
Everyone should have a type of light stick on them at all times
Before the Sugar Rush:
Check ALL the Treats! Throwaway all suspicious and unwrapped candy
Completely sealed candies; Submerge your candy in a bowl of water… if you see air bubbles or wet candy, throw it away
Take treats to a court house or an airport and get it x-rayed if available
After the Sugar Rush:
Settling their tummies: Drink a glass of water or warm milk after filling up on candy
Brush teeth immediately after eating candy
Before bedtime do something relaxing; like read a good Halloween book
To learn more about how children can become more proactive in their own safety, you can visit them at www.MrNoNo.com
