halloween fun: alien heads

Make Alien Heads...or monsters, sea serpents, clowns...what have you...

(pics will hopefully happen, please don't run away!

Alien antennae, monster hat, whatever you call it, this project is fun and can be made with items from your house. The only thing you really NEED to have are paper bowls, which can often be found at the dollar store. If your kidlet's noggin is too big for a paper bowl, you can use a plastic colander. All those holes are perfect for housing those creepy bits. This project is also an exercise inn design and concept. I have done many similar projects with kidlets as young as 4, You know your kidlet best so if you think this would frustrate them, just give them the supplies and let them get to crafting, otherwise, I encourage you to try it out from their design to the finished product.

What you need:
*paper bowls or a plastic colander
*glue, Tacky Glue would work best
*pipe cleaners, pom-pons, paper, etc.
*paint and or markers
*scissors
*yarn or ribbon
*mess friendly work area

scrumdilly-do it!
Set out your supplies in a mess friendly area and grab a sheet of paper and a marker or pencil. Have your kidlet look at the bowl and/or colander and think about what kind of monster/alien hat they are going to make. They can pop the bowl onto their head and see how it looks to better visualize what they want. Ask them to draw it out onto the sheet of paper. This will be their blueprint for their hat.

To begin the hat making, discuss with your kidlet what they think they should do first. Do they want to change the color of the bowl? Should they paint it? Should they cover it in tinfoil? Paper? Fabric? Remind them to look at their picture as they go along. This is an exercise in planning and execution. Make sure to tell them it doesn't have to be EXACTLY like their picture but that their original drawing is to help them plan it out and visualize what they want to accomplish.

If their drawing includes all sorts of antennae and wobbly bits, brainstorm with them as to how they are going to stick them to their bowl. If they have a paper bowl, you can punch holes all over the edges with a hole punch, knitting needle or other pokey object. It goes without saying that your three or four year probably should not be jabbing their bowl with anything sharp so let them guide you as you add the holes for them.

Continue the dialog and process and check out the awesomeness that they create! Depending on your klidlet, you won;t have to guide them along completely, get up and move about and give them a chance to tackle this on their own, you know, except for the sharp object parts.