Halloween is known for being the holiday of candy, but there are still ways to be festive and introduce healthy eating ideas to your kids. One of my favorite ways to do that is through food crafts. Anytime kids get to play with their food, the more likely they are to eat it. (Get them in the garden growing it, and your success rate goes up even more!) This easy food craft is appropriate for children as young as 2, with a little adult help.
Here is what you need to make Clementine Pumpkins & Banana Ghouls:
- Clementines
- Celery
- Bananas
- Small and large dark chocolate chips
Clementine Pumpkins:
Have the child peel the clementine. They can use the chocolate chips to make a Jack O’Lantern face, and a small piece of celery for the “stem”.
Banana Ghouls:
Cut banana in half and let the child peel it. Use the large chocolate chips for the mouth, and small chocolate chips for the eyes.
Another key here is to make one alongside your child, and let them make their own. Their plate will most likely not look exactly like this picture, and that is totally fine!
Another way I like to take food craft time further, is to pair an art project with it.
For our pumpkin and Halloween theme, we decided to re-purpose water bottle caps to paint pumpkins.
Here is what you need:
Orange, green, and brown paint
Small paint brush
Water bottle caps
Black paper
I like to make an example to show the kids, and also demonstrate how to use bottle caps to paint. Most kids have a great time painting with something other than a paint brush!
Use the bottle caps with orange paint to create 3 overlapping circles for the shape of your pumpkin.
After that, use a small paint brush to add a small brown stem and a green leaf or vine.
Again, the key is to let you child explore and create. Some pumpkins will look more like an abstract painting, and that is awesome!
