Let’s Craft! Trick or Treat, Spooky Feet!
Activity Time: 10min
Supplies: White paint, paintbrush, construction paper
Parent Engagement level: High
I’m a sucker for sentimental crafts. Let’s face it, not everything our kids make for us ends up on the fridge, and we would be liars if we said a few of those pieces didn’t make it into the trash bin when no one was looking. But there’s something about handprints and footprints whether it be stamping, molding or tracing that I just can’t let go of - especially when they’re tied into a seasonal activity. Opening up that Halloween, Christmas or Easter box from the year before and seeing just how much your little one has grown in the past year just makes you appreciate how far they’ve come as little people (and how far you’ve come along as a parent).
This Halloween craft only takes about ten minutes and is great for kids who really love to be hands (or feet) on when playing. As parents, we can take this opportunity to practice tactical and verbal learning. We can also learn more about our kids and their reactions to an activity that may introduce new sensations. For some kids, physical sensory play isn’t something they enjoy, so feel free to adapt to their needs perhaps by tracing their feet instead. I also love the fact that you can involve siblings in this activity to make it a group project.
How to Play:
This activity itself is easy and straightforward enough for us: essentially we are painting our kiddo’s feet and stamping them (upside down), adding a ghoulish face once dry and painting in some background items. So, how do we really integrate ourselves with our children in the process of play?
Collect your supplies together. Ask your kiddos what they think we need for the activity? Take them around to show them where they can find these items in your house. Ask them if there is anything they would like to add or change. Perhaps they want a neon pink ghost that happens to be out during the day time. Imagination establishes personalization and with that comes confidence and pride in what they have created.
Discuss the steps you will take and repeat them as you go. Introduce order and sequence. Can they remember which step comes next? This will work on improving memory. If they are not sure or need a little budge, you can give them options: “should we paint our feet next or should we stamp them next?”
As you are going through the motions, talk to your little one about what is happening and what their senses are telling them. “What colour is the paint? What does it feel like? Is it cold or warm, wet or dry?”
This activity as you may expect does take some clean-up, so make sure to have some wipes on hand or a sink nearby! Also, if your kids have trouble sitting still, you may want to think about cleaning the paint off quickly so you don’t have white footprints to clean up off your floors!
Did you enjoy this craft? Watch the full-video here!
