Samantha Marie Reyna
This fall, my children and I conjured up some super easy Halloween treats that are sure to give you the “heebie-jeebies!”
This is one of my favorite things to do with my kids during the holidays. These are simple enough for little ones to do themselves, and suited for toddlers whose favorite phrase is, “No, I do it!” The best part is these tricky treats are completely MESS-FREE, making this a perfect activity to do with little ghouls and goblins.
That’s right! You don’t need to fire up the oven, and there are no dishes to wash, sticky counters to clean, or aprons/bibs required in the making of these crawly sweets. When you are a parent, it’s a total “win” when doing hands-on activities with your kids that require minimal adult assistance. The focus is on the fun and memories made!
These little treats also only take a few minutes to make, so you will be done in no time. When you are dealing with small children who can only concentrate on something for so long, I find that a quick and rewarding activity is best. You’ll all be gobbling up these irresistible treats before you know it.
First, get yourselves in a festive mood by dressing in a spooky t-shirt or some Halloween pajamas. Then, get those jittery little hands busy while you put on your favorite Halloween playlist and light a pumpkin spice candle.
At our house, we made “Scary Spider Pops” and “Wicked Witch’s Brooms.” The “Scary Spider Pops” make perfect treats to pass out for Halloween since they stay wrapped. These are great for trick-or-treating, classroom exchanges, or Halloween gift basket trading with friends. The “Wicked Witch’s Brooms” are wonderful for Halloween parties, or just a fun after-dinner dessert for the family during the month of October. I hope you have as much fun as we did making these simple spooky treats!
Scary Spider Pops
These are so fun to make with your kids! My three-year-old son absolutely loved playing with these and eating them, too! I set up all the supplies on the kitchen counter and he was able to do pretty much everything himself. The only part he needed a little help with was wrapping the pipe cleaners tightly around the lollipop base. He can’t wait to pass these out to his friends for Halloween!
Supplies
Lollipops (you can use any kind of round lollipops. I recommend Dum Dums or Tootsie Pops)
Pipe cleaners (choose some spooky colors)
Googly eyes
Glue (hot glue or craft glue works best)
Blunt-tip scissors (best to use with littles)
Instructions
Cut two pipe cleaners in half with the blunt-tip scissors. Then line the pieces up together, horizontally.
Place a lollipop slightly off-center of the pipe cleaners — about a third of the way — and tightly wrap the longer end around the base of the lollipop stick. Pull the ends nice and taught so the “spider” is secure and it doesn't slip off the lollipop.
Spread the pipe cleaners apart on each side of the lollipop. You will have four “spider legs” on each side.
Bend the ends of each pipe cleaner “spider leg” downward at a 90-degree angle to create creepy crawly feet.
Glue on two ghoulish googly eyes in the center of the “spider” where the pipe cleaners are twisted around the base of the lollipop, and you are all done!
Wicked Witch’s Brooms
These scrumptious little treats come together faster than you can say “Double, double, toil and trouble!” My five-year-old daughter was really excited to try these… turns out chocolate, peanut butter, and pretzels are a favorite combination. These can easily be made ahead of time for a Halloween party, they probably won’t last long once the festivities start!
Supplies
1 bag of pretzel sticks
1 bag of miniature peanut butter cups
A cute plate or platter (bonus points if it’s Halloween-themed!)
Instructions
Unwrap your peanut butter cups completely. Remove the outer foil and very carefully peel off the black paper on the inside. If the black paper is sticking, your hands or the chocolate may be a bit warm, especially in Texas weather. Place them in the refrigerator for a few minutes and you should have no trouble peeling off the paper.
Arrange them upside down on a platter.
Take a pretzel stick and press it firmly, yet gently, into the center of the peanut butter cup. You’ve just created a witch’s broom!