10 easy and fun arts and crafts activities for kids to try this Halloween

This year’s Halloween celebrations are set to be completely different, after the Scottish Government urged families to avoid guising to stop the spread of coronavirus.

With the spookiest day of the year right around the corner, families are scrambling to come up with other ideas to entertain children indoors.

Fortunately, from paper ghosts to vegetable monsters, there’s a plethora of easy crafts for kids which will ensure they have a spooktacular time this Halloween, despite the unusual circumstances.

Fruit and veg monsters

To make these scary kitchen inhabitants, all you need is an assortment of small fruit and vegetables which will be easy to decorate - think squash, avocados, oranges, cucumbers, aubergines, pears and kiwis - a permanent marker and some googly eyes.

The kids can get creative by drawing on different expressions and sticking on multiple eyes. Cut out features like ears and hats from coloured card and stick on with glue for the extra spook factor.

Paper garlands

These garlands make for creepy decorations without any mess. Download bat, ghost and cat stencils from the internet, and trace the shapes onto a piece of coloured card - black and white card works best.

Cut out with scissors and stick on googly eyes or any extra features. Then, cut two small holes in the body to thread a long piece of string through the shapes. Hang up over doors and windows all over the house.

Tissue box monsters

Collect old tissue boxes and encourage your kids to paint them in bright colours - thick, acrylic paint in mixable colours is best for this. Stick on googly eyes (always an essential for Halloween), pom poms and card teeth or ears to create scary characters. The fun lies in what the kids create, whether it’s a terrifying one-eyed creature or something a bit more cute.

Toilet paper stamps

About to chuck out a used toilet paper roll? Hang on a second - the tubes make the perfect Halloween craft equipment. Simply cut out eight card “legs” and stick to the bottom of the tubes with glue.

Ask the kids to press the template into paint black paint and stamp onto a sheet of A3 paper. Add googly eyes to the black space in the middle and use a permanent marker to create a funny expression.

Monster rocks

This craft idea could not be easier. Collect an assortment of stones in different shapes and sizes and encourage the kids to paint them in an array of colours.

Once dried add - you guessed it - googly eyes and monster faces. Cut out ears, wings, horns and teeth from coloured card to stick on for added effect (you might need to use a stronger glue).

Alternatively, if you can’t find any stones, this craft works well with boiled eggs - just make sure they’re hard boiled!

Pumpkin apple stamps

Who knew the outline of an apple could pass for a pumpkin?

Simply cut the pieces of fruit in half, dip into bright orange paint and stamp on a sheet of paper. Use green or brown paint to add the stalk, and googly eyes to make a face.

Leaf ghosts

There’s an abundance of leaves on the ground during autumn which can be put to good craft use.

Send the kids out to forage for a bag of fallen leaves, then head inside to transform them into scary ghosts.

Paint the leaves using white paint, and draw on black eyes with a permanent marker. Scatter them around the house or string them together to make a spooky decorative garland.

These could even be used as place cards.

Paper plate spiders

For this fun activity, you’ll need pipe cleaners, which can be found at any craft store, paper plates, paint, card and googly eyes.

All the kids have to do is paint the plates in any colour they desire, then tape the pipe cleaners to the side, bending them at the ends so they resemble feet.

Finish the look with googly eyes and card fangs.

Egg cup creatures

Don’t throw out your used egg cartons, as they can be transformed into mini Halloween monsters.

Cut out each individual egg cup for the kids, who can then paint them in an array of spooky colours.

Add googly eyes, funny or scary facial expressions with a permanent marker, and card ears or wings, and you have yourself a collection of terrifying critters.

The kids can even use the egg cups to store sweets.

Milk carton ghouls

Staying on the theme of recycling everyday items, your finished milk cartons can be used to create light-up ghosts.

This craft requires fairy lights, or battery-powered tea lights. The kids can simply draw on a ghostly expression before inserting the lights to create a budget-friendly glowing decoration.