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Before you know it, Halloween will be upon us. And what better why to celebrate this fun-time holiday than with the kids.

Whether you’re partying with your family, the neighborhood bunch or a classroom, here’s some ideas to get you started.

Spider Web

Materials for one:

Empty toilet paper roll
5 yards of any type or color yarn
Index card
Tape
Hole punch
Scissors

To Prepare:
Write the child’s name on the toilet paper roll and on the index card. Punch a hole in the card. Put one end of the yarn into the hole and knot. Tape the other end of the yarn to the paper roll. Make one for each child (and adult).

To Play:
Have children leave the room, drape the yarn of each roll throughout, over furniture, chairs, tables, etc. Be careful not to overlap too many pieces of yarn as they will tangle and be too hard to untangle. First, the children find their roll with their name on it, then they will follow their web until they find the end of the yarn with their card. First one finished, wins.

Stress-free Tip:
Spread the web over the entire room. Announce “no running.”

Budget Tip:
Use lengths of leftover skeins or pieces. Pieces can be tied together to make each one approximately five yards long.

Cracker Spiders

Ingredients for one:

2 round crackers (e.g. Ritz® Brand)
Smooth peanut butter
8 small pretzel sticks
2 chocolate baking chips

To Make:
Spread peanut butter on one cracker and cover with the other. Insert 4 pretzels into the filling on one side and the remaining ones in the opposite side for legs. Dab a bit of peanut butter on each chocolate chip for glue and place on top of cracker for eyes.

Spiders

Materials for one:

Cardboard egg carton
Black acrylic paint
7 mm moveable eyes (or make with paper)
Black construction paper
Craft glue

To Make:
Cut the cups off the egg carton into individual sections (12). Paint the cup, or cups if more spiders are needed, black inside and out. Cut eight strips of black construction paper 1/2 inch wide by 5 inches long. Fold each stripe accordion style for the legs. Or use black pipe cleaners instead. Glue the eyes onto the upside-down cup. Glue black stripe onto the side for legs.

Time Tip:
Paint the cup(s) ahead of time.

Dirt Dessert

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (16oz.) Oreo Cookies
3 1/2 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (4 oz. ea.) JELL-O chocolate flavored instant pudding
1 container (12 oz.) thawed Cool Whip topping
Gummi Worms candy
Optional: Child’s shovel to scoop out dirt.

To Make:
Place cookies in a zipper-like bag and use a rolling pin over the bag until cookies are crushed. Pour cold milk into a large bowl and add pudding mixes. Mix for 2 minutes with whisk. Stir in 3 cups of Cool Whip and 1/2 of the crushed cookies. Dump mixture into a 13x9-inch baking pan. Tap bottom of the pan on a hard surface to level out the mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining crushed cookies. Refrigerate for one hour. Tuck Gummi Worms into the mixture. Add a shovel if desired. Yum. Yum.