it can be toilsome getting children into one cleaning habit. nevertheless, there are seven that will show off the splendors of the treats and tricks exclusive to halloween. children of all ages can help clean up the house every day, unknowingly.




7 halloween treats that trick children into cleaning:




1. lollipop ghosts you will need:




lollipops fast food napkin roll of black ribbon black marker this is a resourceful way to recycle fast food napkins. to make lollipop ghosts for halloween, fold one at a time over an unopened lollipop, tie black ribbon beneath the candy and draw two eyes and a mouth to get a unique ghost expression.




2. spooky village deluxe you will need:




empty milk cartons (the cardboard kind) empty cereal boxes black and white construction paper stapler scissors cereal boxes and milk cartons can quickly be turned into a spooky village background. cut the cereal box in half and gluing black construction paper to either side causing a dark and gloomy effect. do this by coating washed and dried milk cartons with glue, white construction paper can be used to cover all logos and wording on the containers. cut-outs of rectangles, squares and triangles can be used to the houses for the roof, windows, and doors. excess pieces of the construction paper can be transformed into haunting ghosts throughout the spooky village.




3. pumpkin jar lights you will need:




orange paint paper plate newspaper candles empty jars black marker empty jars sitting in the recycling bin can become resourceful halloween light jars. begin placing the orange paint on the paper plate. then roll the jars in the paint, then place on paper to dry. once dry, insert a candle, and add slits for eyes in black magic marker.




4. soda can mummies you will need:




soda cans masking tape black magic marker rinse soda cans thoroughly before setting out to dry, then wrap layers of masking tape around the whole can covering all designs, lastly add eyes with the black magic marker.




5. halloween eggs you will need:




eggs large pot bowls food coloring assorted colored markers boil eggs in a large pot of water for 30 minutes, let cool in cold water for 10-15 minutes, dry off eggs with a paper towel, then dip eggs into bowls of food coloring for the desired coloration. lay eggs on a napkin to dry, once dry, add scary designs using assorted colored markers.




6. monster leaf-filled bags you will need:




a rake leaves halloween trash bags or black trash bags whiteout children will not even realize they are cleaning up the yard when gathering leaves and stuffing them into halloween decorated or black trash bags. whiteout can accent the eyes and mouth on the black trash bags. tie a knot in all bags once filled, and place them throughout the front and back yards for decoration.




7. halloween tye-dye t-shirts you will need:




old t-shirt (stained okay) food coloring circular aluminum pan water fill the bottom of the aluminum pan with water, just to cover the surface, and then roll the t-shirt up and bend to fit into the pan. apply desired food colors in swirls above the shirt. next spin the pan and t-shirt by placing dominant hand in the middle of the pan, moving hand in circular motion. count to 20 and unroll shirt to hang and dry.




all seven treats that can trick children into cleaning during halloween may be store bought or substituted with household items inexpensively.




by jhayla d. tyson




edited by cathy milne




sources:




cnn: halloween crafts made from household items




times leader: be scary but safe this halloween




top & feature image courtesy of u.s. army garrison red cloud<u+2019>s flickr page <u+2013> creative commons license




first inline image courtesy of alice<u+2019>s flickr page <u+2013> creative commons license




second inline image courtesy of greg goebel<u+2019>s flickr page <u+2013> creative commons license crafts , halloween , recycling , spot
7 halloween treats that trick children into cleaning
jhayla d. tyson