Halloween Treat Bag

Not looking to buy yet another disposable treat bag at a Halloween store this year? Try this fun activity that will encourage your child to reuse and recycle, while creating a mini-masterpiece.

This activity combines an environmental awareness lesson with the exploration of artistic printing and painting processes, along with color and shape recognition. Additionally, your child will definitely be proud of his very own, special Halloween candy collector.  The best part is, he'll get to show it off as he trick-or-treats!

What You Need:

• Large paper bag (such as a grocery bag with handles)
• Tempera paints (because this activity will result in a bag that food is to be placed in, take extra caution in finding a paint labeled non-toxic and safe for children)
• Cardboard tubes (i.e., paper towel rolls)
• Paint brush

What to Do:

1. Provide your child with a variety of Halloween inspired colors. Think of black cats and bats, orange and green pumpkins, purple witch's hair, and white ghosts.
2. Encourage your child to explore and experiment with the paints and a cardboard tubes. Ask him questions such as, “What shape is a pumpkin?”. Have him dip the end of the tube into the paint, and then press it onto the paper bag. This can be a pumpkin, a cat body, or part of a scary spider.
3. Ask your child to use the paint brush to fill in parts of the shapes, and to add extra details and background elements.  He can also decorate his bag with words.  He can write "Happy Halloween" or "Trick or Treat" or even his name.
4. For added fun, encourage your child to use his fingers to create tiny ghosts or bat wings on the bag.
5. Set aside to dry thoroughly.
6. Once dry, you are now ready for a fun Halloween night.

Due to that nature of the art materials used for this activity, use caution and common sense in utilizing this bag as a food holder. If the paint has soaked through or is not dry, you can line with bag with another paper bag without anything on it. Additionally, if Halloween night is wet and rainy do not use this bag as it is not water resistant. Instead, keep it indoors as a fun Halloween inspired decoration to hold your candy stash!