I love, love, love October! So of course, I will be sharing a lot of Halloween books and activities this month.
This week, we picked up a copy of Bone Soup by Alyssa Capucilli and Tom Knight and it was so perfect for the activity I've been wanting to do since about July! Did I mention I love October?? Anyways, this book is great! It's a fun and unique retelling of Stone Soup with a spooky twist. It's just the right amount of spooky and fun for kids. I thought it was really well done. The illustrations are really cute and the text is perfect for Halloween. I love the spooky community coming together to make something from nothing and the littlest one of all having the final solution to the problem. My girls were both very into it and we've read it a few times already.
For our activity, we made Witch's Brew using my Apothecary Cabinet Potion Ingredients.
You can simplify or amp this one up as much as you like. And because I have been wanting to make an apothecary cabinet for a Halloween decoration for years now, I decided to go all in with this. But you wouldn't have to take the ingredients out of their original containers at all if you wanted to simplify. But to be fair, my girls adored the spooky vibe and feeling like they were really making Witch's Brew. It was a great activity and we all had a lot of fun with it! If you do want to go all out, here are the instructions to do so.
First, you will need some fun glass jars. I found all of mine at Dollar Tree and they were perfect.
Next, you will need these fun printable apothecary labels. I had a little too much fun designing these. You can also print these magic book covers if you'd like.
Print on regular paper. (I highly recommend taking these to a print shop. LOTS of ink. Totally worth the 60 cents.)
Cut each label, crinkle them up so they look old, and Modge Podge them onto the glass jars.
Fill the jars with your spooky ingredients. (I have more labels than you will need for this activity, but enough to fill an apothecary cabinet if you want to use these for Halloween decor.)
Spooky Ingredients:
1 c. Snake Venom: Water and food coloring
1/2 c. Dragon's Blood: Dish Soap
2 T. Powdered Toadstool: Baking Soda
Eye of Newt: Ping Pong Balls with pupil drawn on
Spider Legs: Spider rings
3/4 c Unicorn Tears: Vinegar and food coloring
To Make Witch's Brew:
Poor Snake Venom into a large cauldron
Add Dragon's Blood and stir together
Add Powdered Toadstool and mix well.
Add Eye of Newt and Spider Legs.
Say some magic words and wave your magic wand.
Pour in Unicorn Tears...
POOF!
Your brew should change colors and bubble up.
We had SO much fun with this Witch's brew. My girls stirred it and watched how it changed over time. They kept changing their minds about what this potion would do. They settled on it turning you into a frog since it turned green. So we're going to go with that!
After we cleaned up our brew, we took turns "casting spells" on each other and turning into different animals. It was so fun. Even my 2 year old caught on. Every time it was her turn, she would say "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo...FROG!" and we would ribbit and hop all around the room to her fits of giggles. Seriously so fun.
Make sure to snag a copy of Bone Soup this month and whip up some magic!
If you made these apothecary jars and would like to get some use out of the time it took, here is my apothecary cabinet for some inspiration. I kind of love it.
I hope you have so much fun with this one! My girls and I loved it. We've made Witch's Brew twice in two days! Happy October!!
Hi! I'm Kailei
I write picture books and am in the process of seeking representation.
I believe in books. I believe in imaginative play. I believe in hands on parenting... having fun, getting messy, and being silly with my kids. Thus FOR LITTLE READERS was born. I hope you'll jump into the fun with your kids and be inspired by something I share here.
Why books? I believe that books open up a world of possibilities to young kids. In a book, anything is possible. Kids can find themselves in the pages and get completely lost in the story. The day we brought our first baby home from the hospital, we read her a bedtime story and never looked back. Now we can read for hours every day. I'll never tire of the wonder in her eyes with each new story.
Why imaginative play? Kids need to be silly. They need to go on adventures. They need to navigate their world in a fun, safe place. I could go on and on about the benefits of imaginative play, but I'll spare you. Just know this: it's SO important in a child's development.
I believe that when reading and imagination meet, magic happens. I hope to help you make that happen for your child.
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