Preschool craft for 20 kids?

[Shakti]

I signed up to provide a craft for my DD preschool for their Holiday (Halloween) party. I got some kits for making pins from Oriental Trading Company, but they came today and they are really chintzy, and I just don't want to use them. But I can't figure out anything else to do! Yes, there is the ol' 'make a mask out of paper plates,' but that doesn't really appeal to me either. I have searched the internet and haven't found much to inspire me. Does anyone have any ideas???

(Oh, there are 20 kids, aged 3 to 5.)

Many thanks!

[andi_3k]

what do you want to do, and what facilities do you have?
If you have access to an oven see if you can premake cut out cookie dough, have the kids cut it out and decorate it. alternitvly, homemade playdough works well, as does felt projects. Joanne's, Michaels, and ACMoore often have it for 10 for a dollar some glue and those rolly eyes and you could have fun with markers or beads.
Other ideas are scarecrows made into puzzles( kids decorate, then glue on to tagboard and adults cut out from cardboard), Marble painting, Leaf painting, painting with apples ( if you are into painting with food, i'm not , but kids seem to get a kick out of it) depending on their ages you can get plastic needles that are not sharp and 7 mesh plastic canvasm orange and black yarn and make
Jack o lanterns, or paper bag luminarias.

[Wilhemina]

A couple of thoughts that might work:

1. If you don't need to end up with a product, but just need an activity: Secret Potions - Bring a variety of kitchen ingredients for kids to mix in whatever proportions they want. Just make sure to encourage them to use plenty of baking soda. The last ingredient will be "Distilled Essence of Halloween" (vinegar) so the whole thing bubbles and fizzes. Very fun.

2. Using thinned paint in a dark color, have kids paint a tree trunk and then use a straw to blow on the paint to make branches. Makes a spooky/wintery tree. Could finishe there, or have kids add thumprint owls or some other creatures.

I'l love to hear what you end up doing, I keep a file of these kinds of ideas.

[rainbowmoon]

ohhh sounds like fun! (can't wait until my son is old enough to do crafts.lol) check these out!

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/halloween/