A little hand becomes a smiling pumpkin. The next one turns into a friendly vampire. She looks across the table at the orange fingers, pointy teeth, and crooked smiles, then reaches for another piece of paper.
“Can mine be a ghost?”
Soon, another little hand is spread across the page.
If one Halloween character leads to another, there are plenty more places for spooky play to begin in our Halloween Activities for Kids collection.
And while the leaves are still falling, our Fall Activities for Kids collection is filled with even more ways to play through the season.
Supplies
You'll need:
- Cardstock
- Construction paper
- Child-safe scissors
- Glue
- Markers or crayons
You don't need much. Scraps of construction paper work especially well for all the little faces, hats, teeth, and other details.
How to Make Halloween Handprint Crafts
Every character begins exactly the same way.
One traced hand.
Everything after that is imagination.
Step 1: Trace Little Hands
Fold a piece of cardstock in half and trace your child's hand so part of the handprint rests along the folded edge. Cut around the traced hand, leaving that folded section connected.
Open it up, and the little hand becomes a card.
Step 2: Choose a Character
Will this hand become a pumpkin? A ghost? A vampire?
Turn the hand around. Try a pair of eyes. Add a mouth.
Sometimes the character appears from there.
Step 3: Make It Theirs
Add paper eyes, pointy teeth, crooked smiles, hats, hair, capes, or whatever the character seems to need.
One gets three teeth. Another gets six eyes.
No two stay the same for long.
Step 4: Add a Halloween Message
Once the glue dries, open the little hand. Add a Halloween message inside, then tuck it into a backpack for Grandma, a teacher, a friend, or whoever the child has already decided needs one.
Every Hand Turns Out Different
By the time the glue sticks are capped, there isn't one matching pair on the table.
A pumpkin grins beside a vampire. A ghost has crooked eyes. One little monster has far too many teeth.
She lines them up, then reaches for another piece of paper.
Who Will They Make Next?
Cardboard Tube Mummies
The bandages wrap around once, then twice. Pretty soon a little cardboard tube is peeking out through the wrappings
Halloween Cardboard Tube Crafts
One cardboard tube becomes a ghost. The next gets bat wings. Pretty soon the recycling bin starts looking like a box of Halloween characters.
Ghost Leaves
Bring a handful of fallen leaves inside and see how quickly a little white paint turns them into ghosts.
And when they're ready for another spooky idea, wander through our Halloween Activities for Kids collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age is this craft best for?
Younger children may need help tracing and cutting the handprints. Once the hands are ready, they can take over the decorating.
Can we make more than one character?
Absolutely. That's often how the fun begins. One handprint quickly becomes a whole collection of Halloween friends.
Can these be used as Halloween cards?
Yes. Since the folded hand opens like a card, they're perfect for writing Halloween messages to family members, teachers, or friends.
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One Little Hand
One little hand becomes a pumpkin. Another becomes a ghost.
Later, they're hanging crookedly across the refrigerator beside drawings, school papers, and the things no one is quite ready to take down.
She looks at the empty spot beside them.
“Can we make one more?”
Save this idea for the next time you need a "hands on" activity.
