Decorating your front yard for Halloween is exciting for kids – and a fantastic way to get the kids outside doing something fun during an otherwise routine week of school. Bonus points if you can strike up a conversation about real spiders and spider webs while putting up the fake ones (I did, I did!).
Our Notes From the Field
We started by emptying out our bin of Halloween decorations. I chose to hang our paper-filled, plastic baggy “ghosts” on the shrub along our driveway first while the big explorer tried to find a nice spot for some of our spooky signs.
In the process, he made quite a discovery. Look what was waiting inside our mailbox!
We watched this little guy hang out back there and tried to figure out how to lure it out safely. We ultimately decided just to leave it alone and go on about our business.
While I continued hanging ghosts, The Big Explorer discovered a ton of ants scurrying this way and that in a patch of dirt just below our mailbox (what is it about that space?!). He contemplated what they might be up to – out loud, of course.
The signs ultimately found a home on our three as yet uncarved pumpkins.
We added our nature-inspired wreath to its coveted position on the front window. A few scary creatures somehow found their way in, too.
For good measure, we added a few less natural pumpkins that give off a warm glow when the sun goes down.
When I finally finished hanging all the ghosts, we brought out the faux spider webbing, which delighted The Big Explorer. We tugged on it, pulled it, stretched it out as best we could to make it look as realistic as possible.
When we’d finished hanging it along the shrub, I called The Big Explorer over to check out something a little more natural, this real spider web.
He decided ours looked pretty good.
Take-Home Tips
You might not think putting up your Halloween decorations could be a way to connect with nature. But it can be. Here’s how:
- Talk about your environment. As you decorate, talk about what’s going on around you – the sights, sounds and feelings of being outside. We saw spiders, heard birds and felt the wind.
- Include natural elements. Halloween decorations don’t all have to be scary. Why not add uncarved pumpkins and potted flowers to the mix? And although the items on the wreath below aren’t real, they give me that warm-fuzzy fall feeling I love.
More Ideas for Outdoor Fun
Okay, I admit that I’ve got Halloween on the brain at the moment. What are you gonna do? With ideas like these popping up everywhere, you can’t blame me! Go ahead – get in the spirit of things!
- Paint rock jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, monsters and more!
- Make a pumpkin scarecrow or a harvest corn necklace.
- Play in the leaves.
- Look for signs of fall in your backyard.
- Or try one of these 50 ways to explore nature in your own backyard.
@Crystal: There will be plenty of opportunities to decorate for the holidays in the future – when you little ones are old enough to help!
I wish I had decorated for Halloween this year…I've been slacking in all areas lately! I'm sure your explorers had such fun helping you decorate!
@SciMix: Thanks for stopping by & leaving a comment!
I really enjoyed these paper-filled, plastic baggy 'ghosts'. Ingenious idea! <br />Happy Halloween!
@Mel: I've never really decorated for Halloween until this year. I especially enjoyed using items inspired by nature, like pumpkins, leaves and spiders. It definitely got me in touch with fall.<br /><br />@Carolina: I'd LOVE to see your homegrown pumpkin! 🙂
The rock jack-o-lanterns sound cool. So there's so much you can do with pumpkins, that fall is awesome for nature fun. One day I'd like to get around to growing my own pumpkin in the backyard…
We made those little ghosts a few days ago. I resisted decorating for Halloween, but Anders insisted. That was the only craft I could remember from childhood. (Guess I could have checked the Internet.) This week we'll be making leaf sun-catchers. We're really getting into the spirit now!
@Monica: It's great to meet you!<br /><br />@Juliet: Amazingly, it went fast. It helps when you have such an eager and enthusiastic helper!
Wow! These are super ideas. It must have taken you ages to prepare and put up and out all these things. Wow!
hi, Debi! great ideas here. I will definitely be back.