# Nature Ghosts and Monsters
> Paint silk or real fall leaves, stones and driftwood white, then turn them into ghosts and monsters with markers and googly eyes. A simple Halloween invitation to paint that builds fine motor skills and leads into pretend play.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/halloween-crafts-kids-leaf-ghosts/
- Ages: 3–6 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: medium
- Time: prep 10 min, activity 45 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class
- Skills: fine-motor, creativity, pretend-play, early-writing

## Materials (one batch)
- Silk leaves (or real fall leaves)
- Stones and driftwood
- White acrylic paint
- 1 piece Paintbrushes (household)
- Googly eyes
- Glue
- Markers
- 1 piece Plastic table cover (household)
- 1 piece Divided tray (optional) (household)

## Substitutions
- Instead of silk leaves: Real fall leaves (TurkeyMom's preference if you can find them.)

## Safety
- Googly eyes are small parts and a choking hazard. Supervise closely with young children and keep them away from kids who still mouth objects.
- Acrylic paint stains clothes and is not for mouthing. Use smocks or old clothes and wash hands afterwards.
- Supervise children at all times during the activity.

## Before you start
- Collect smooth stones and pieces of driftwood.
- Cover the table with a plastic table cover.
- Set out the leaves and white paint on a tray as an invitation to paint.

## Steps
1. Look at the leaves and white paint set out on the tray.
2. Hold a leaf down with your pointer finger and paint it white with the other hand.
3. Keep painting until the whole leaf is white.
4. Paint the stones and driftwood white too.
5. Let the paint dry.
6. Draw ghost and monster faces with markers.
7. Put a little glue on the back of a googly eye and stick it on a leaf or stone.
8. Play pretend with your new ghost and monster toys.

## Tips
- I'd use real fall leaves if you can find them.
- Protect your table with a plastic table cover before you start painting.
- Even my 3-year-old held the leaf with her pointer finger and painted with the other hand. So much fine motor developing happening!
- I expected the kids to be happy with just painting leaves. They wanted to keep going with stones and driftwood, so have extra nature bits ready.
- Using just the right amount of glue on a googly eye and sticking it on is a big challenge for younger kids. It's a challenge they definitely enjoy!
- Always remember to make "girl ghosts". How do you spot a girl ghost? With eye slashes, silly!
- The painted leaves make a great writing surface for beginning writers. Reluctant writers may be more excited to write when the surface isn't paper.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2013)

Today we share nature based [**Halloween crafts for kids**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/halloween/) as our very first entry in the Paint and Play series alongside **[Growing a Jeweled Rose](http://www.growingajeweledrose.com), [Housing A Forest](http://www.housingaforest.com)** and [**Mess for Less**.](http://www.messforless.net) Paint and Play series will be featured every other week where we share a fun art activities for kids. In this post you will see a fun painting leaves and stones activity. **Materials:**

- Silk leaves ( I'd use real fall leaves if you can find them)
- Stones and driftwood
- Acrylic Paint (white)
- Googly Eyes
- Glue
- Markers

Our simple invitation to paint and create.



Something about paint and art instantly engages and attracts the kids. Just the sight of paint gets their imagination and creativity running wild and not to mention the wide grin on their cute little faces.



I protected my outdoor table with a plastic table cover and laid out the leaves.I loved the way even my 3 year old held on to the leaves with her pointer finger and painted with the other hand. So much fine motor developing happening!



Initially I had expected the kids to be happy with just painting leaves. But they did not want to stop there and they continued with the stones and driftwood we had from our Nature Puzzles activity.



After all the nature bits were painted white, they went on to create their ghosts and monsters. Always remember to make "girl ghosts". How do you spot a girl ghost? With eye slashes, silly!



Don't these toddler made leaf ghosts look adorable? Those painted leaves were a great canvas for budding creativity. *You can easily turn the painted leaves as a writing surface and encourage beginning writers*. Reluctant writers may be excited to write when the writing surface is not paper, right?



A few of the 5 year old's creations. I adore the driftwood monster peaking from the right.



Getting creative with googly eyes was such a simple yet fun exercise. Applying necessary amount of glue to the back of the googly eye and then sticking them to the leaves and stones are big challenges for younger kids. Challenges they definitely enjoy!



Leaf and stones ghosts and monsters for Halloween



It sure was a fun afternoon painting, playing and creating these nature ghosts and monster for Halloween. This activity inspired some serious pretend play and the kids ran off to play with their newly created "toys".



I created a garland with the painted leaves for our mantle.

Thanks for reading

*Kids are 5 and 3 years old*

Now pop on over to the other participating blogs and see how they had fun with Paint!

[**Pine Cone Spider Webs**](http://www.housingaforest.com/pine-cone-spider-webs/) from Housing A Forest

[**Fall Crayon Art**](https://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2012/08/www.growingajeweledrose.com.fallactivitiesandcraftsforkids.html) from Growing A Jeweled Rose

**Fall Tree Window Painting** from Mess for Less