If you’re looking for a simple, last-minute Halloween craft to do with your little ones, this one was such a hit in our house today!
It took almost no prep, used things we already had around, and both of my boys were completely engaged — which is saying a lot for a two-year-old and an eight-month-old!
We started with two mini pumpkins from our porch decorations and a small canvas I found in our craft bin.
I squeezed a few dollops of washable paint onto a Halloween paper plate (think purple, green, and black, all the spooky colors!) for my two-year-old to use as his palette. He painted one pumpkin and tried coloring another with markers, but he was definitely more into painting. He kept asking for more colors, which made it even more fun and interactive.
For my eight-month-old, I dolloped a few Halloween-colored paints directly onto the canvas and then sealed it inside a ziplock bag. I placed it on his high chair tray, and he went to town! He slapped, squished, and wiggled the paint around, and when we peeled the bag away we had this adorable, abstract little masterpiece.
It was quick, messy in the best way, and felt like the perfect little Halloween memory to tuck away.
Bonus: we didn’t even need to buy a thing!
You could easily adapt this with whatever paints or colors you have on hand or even do a fall-themed version with warm, cozy tones.
Supplies we used:
2 mini pumpkins
1 small canvas
Washable paints in Halloween colors
Paper plate (for a paint palette)
Ziplock bag (for mess-free baby painting)
Tip: If you want to keep the mess even lower, place a garbage bag at your toddlers work area.
This little project was such a sweet reminder that crafts don’t have to be complicated to be meaningful. Sometimes the best ones are spontaneous and done with tiny, paint-covered hands.
Collected & Cozy 