Pretty Pumpkins with No Carve Pumpkin Decoration

With Halloween tomorrow, the last minute preparations are bound to set you into overdrive, especially after a long week of

work, half term activities and Halloween excitement.

 

Always left to the last minute is the messiest Halloween necessity, the ever so sloppy, labour intensive,  Jack-O-Lantern.

Any way you slice it, carving such a large vegetable into a snaggletoothed ogre can be a bit of a challenge, especially

with youngsters.

 

This year, why not skip the monstrous mess and create a fun, stress free activity for you and the children by taking part in

‘Pumpkin Decorating’. Depending on the age of your children, the items you use to decorate will vary. Below are some

pictures to inspire you….now all you have to do is get started with your children using your very best Halloween

imagination and natural creativity!

 

Spotty Pumpkin

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: Spray Paint (pre-spray paint base), Markers or Paint (to make spots or other shapes)

pumpkin spots

  

 

 Ribbon Pumpkin

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: Ribbon, Hot Glue

pumpkin ribbon

 

 

Witchy Cat Pumpkin

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: Construction Paper, Tape, Markers

pumpkin cat

 

 

Blackboard Pumpkin

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: Blackboard Paint, Chalk

pumpkin blackboard paint

Kid-Friendly Halloween Supper Spots

With this week’s half term activities and the excitement and preparation involved in Halloween, you may be feeling

a bit tired by the time dinner rolls around this Saturday.

 

So before the children get another burst of energy from their Halloween treats, why not skip cooking for the

night and go out for a thematic Halloween bite.

 

We found two great London based family friendly restaurants that have put spooky dishes on their menus

in the spirit of All Hallow’s Eve, with planned activities that are sure to keep the children entertained while

they fill up on a hearty Halloween meal.

 

Chicago Rib Shack

When: 31st October – 01 November, 13:00 – 00:00 

Nearest Tube: Knightsbridge 

Website: http://www.thechicagoribshack.co.uk/

Chicago Rib Shack will have a Halloween themed menu with face painting, magic shows and other special

events for kids and families.

 

Betty Blythe

When: 31st October, 09:30 – 18:00 

Nearest Tube: Kensington (Olympia) or Shepherds Bush 

Website: http://www.bettyblythe.co.uk/

Fine food pantry Betty Blythe is hosting a Halloween party for children with apple bobbing, face painting and a

ghost trail. There will also be plenty of sweet treats like skeleton biscuits, ghoulish cupcakes and

hot magic potion drinks. 

 

halloween tea

Top Three Family Outings This Halloween Weekend

National Maritime Museum and The Queen’s House

When: October 31, 2009 11:30-18:00

Price: £5/adult, £3.50/Child (Family ticket £15)

Age: All Ages

Contact: www.nmm.ac.uk, 020 8312 6608 (Booking Required)

With a full day of events planned for the whole family including story-telling, workshops, performances, music

and even a Halloween-themed live planetarium show, you can make a spooky day of it!  

 

The Tate Modern

When: October 31, 2009 12:00-17:00

Price: FREE

Ages: 5-10 

Contact: www.tate.org.uk/modern, 020 7887 8687

A ghoulish afternoon of making trick-or-treat costumes, listening to spooky stories, playing

Halloween themed games and decorating the Duveen Galleries with thousands of spiders

and bats.

 

‘Animal Adventureaaargh’

When: October 31-November 1, 10:00-16:00 (Last entry 15:00)

Price: FREE

Ages: £17.00, £15.50 concs, £13.50 children (3-15)

Contact: http://www.zsl.org, 020 7722 3333.

Get ghostly with the zoo’s packed schedule of daily events including spooky storytelling in the ‘Creepy Tipi’,

take a look at some of the zoo’s creepiest creatures like black vultures, burrowing owls and rats, carve a

Halloween pumpkin and treat the Ring-Tailed Coatis to some Halloween treats.

 

zoo

Make A SPPPOOOKKKYYY Day Of It At The National Maritime Museum

National Maritime Museum and The Queen’s House

When: Saturday, October 31, 2009 11:30-18:00

Price: £5/adult, £3.50/Child (Family ticket £15: for 2 adults + 2 children or 1 adult + 3 children)

Location: National Maritime Museum, Park Row, London, SE10 9NF

Transport: Greenwich/Maze Hill rail/Cutty Sark DLR

 

(Booking Required)

Booking:
   Online: www.nmm.ac.uk/tickets
   E-mail: [email protected]
   Tel: 020 8312 6608.
   The Bookings office is open 10.00-16.00

 

There is quite a lot going on at the National Maritime Museum throughout Halloween day which will surely

keep your youngsters busy until the trick-or-treating begins!

 

The Halloween events here are appropriate for the whole family and will include story-telling, workshops,

performances, music and much more.

 

Dress up in your Halloween costume and you could win a prize for best costume! All participants will receive a

certificate to say that they survived the scccccaaaaarrry Haunted House!

 

Spooky Sounds and Stories

Times: 11.30–13.30, 14.00–16.00

Description: Spooky music and story-telling for little ones.

Age: Suitable for age 5 and under.

Location: The Queen’s House

 

Ghastly Masks

Time: 11.30–16.00

Description: Make a ghastly mask of a witch, a devil or a ghostly spook, for the Zombie dance.

Age: Suitable for all ages.

Location: The Queen’s House

 

Phantom Paintings and Portraits

Time: 11.30–16.00

Description: Use portraits from the Queen’s House to make a portrait with spookily moving eyes.

Age: Suitable for 4+.

Location: The Queen’s House

 

Zombie Dance

Times: 11.45–12.20, 12.25–13.00, 13.25–14.00, 14.05–14.40, 14.45–15.20

Age: Suitable for all ages.

Description: Join in the dance sessions and learn how to do the moves from Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’.

Location: The Queen’s House

 

Ghost Encounters

Time: 11.30–13.00, 13.30–14.30 | 12.00–13.30, 14.00–15.00 | 13.00–14.30, 15.00–16.00

Age: Suitable for all ages.

Description: Find a ghost who will tell of some of the mysterious hauntings in the Queen’s House.

Location: The Queen’s House

 

Halloween Skies

Time: 14.45

Age: suitable for 5+; under-5s not admitted. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Description: Come and find out what the night sky has to offer this Halloween in this Halloween-themed live

planetarium show, presented by an astronomer. Find out what myths and superstitions connect the night sky

and Halloween and why this spooky festival occurs on 31 October.

Location: Royal Observatory Greenwich; Planetarium

Quick, Fun and Easy HALLOWEEN Rice Krispie Cakes!

 

Rice Krispie cake is a great thing to make with kids any time of year. It is quick, easy and fun and best of all, there is

no baking involved.

 

There are various ways to theme up the classic Rice Krispie cake, so feel free to get creative, but here is what you need

to get you started!

 

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

 

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 package (About 40) marshmallows

6 cups (3 Pints) Kellogs Rice Krispies®

1 tin of frosting or decorating gel

Assorted candies

13 x 9 x 2-inch pan

 

DIRECTIONS

 

1. Start by melting the butter In large saucepan over a low heat. While you are doing this, have your child count out 40

marshmellows, if they can’t count that high, count out 40 marshmellows for them and get them to count as high as they

can until the butter is melted.

 

2. Once the butter is melted, add the marshmellows and stir until they are also melted.

 

3. Add KELLOGG’S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.

 

4. Grease your pan and press the mixture into it

 

5. Let it cool for about 20 minutes

NOTE: This is a good time to get your kids involved with doing the dishes from

the first part of this project and getting set up to decorate, try to make it as fun as possible by getting them to tell you

what type of scary monster they want to create and maybe even singing the clean up song with them!

 

6. When you are finished cleaning up and have the decorating items ready, cut the cake using Halloween

cookie cutters or a knife

 

7. Decorate  your shapes with frosting and candies to make the spookiest faces you can!

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