Decorating for Halloween is always fun, but it can quickly put a strain on the budget. Solve that problem by making some of your decorations at home. This crinkled paper skeleton is big on charm and is sure to be a hit with the kids. Sneak in a lesson on the skeletal system while you put Mr. Bones together by asking your child to name the different parts of the skeleton and locate them on his own body.
What You Need:
- 20" x 24" white paper
- Pencil
- Thick black marker
- Glue
What to Do:
- First, cut the arm and leg pieces. Measure and mark four ¾" stripes across the short side of the paper and have your child cut them out.
- Next, have him accordion fold the strips, starting at one end and folding back and forth all the way to the other end.
- Sketch out the skull, ribs and pelvis shapes on half of the remaining sheet of paper (it's easiest to fold the paper in half to get symmetrical shapes).
- Help him cut out the shapes while you sketch out the hands and feet, then have him cut those out too.
- Using the black marker, draw outlines on the skull, ribs, and pelvis for your child to color in. Outline the eyes and nose on the skull, the ribs of the ribcage, and the holes in the pelvis.
- Have your child carefully color in all of the outlines and draw the skeleton's teeth.
- Cut one longer piece of spine and one shorter piece from the remaining white paper.
- Lay out the pieces before assembling them and make sure hands and feet are placed properly before gluing.
- Finally, help him glue all the parts of the skeleton together.
Your finished skeleton will make a perfect spooky decoration for a door or window. On a windy night, he'll dance spookily in the wind!
By Grier Cooper
Grier Cooper is a California-based writer, photographer and dancer. She writes fiction and non-fiction for both children and adults and has many years experience as a child educator and a mother.
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