# Glow-in-the-Dark Window Clings
> Mix glow-in-the-dark glitter glue with a little water, dish soap and a drop of liquid watercolor, then fill in fall and Halloween outlines inside plastic baggies. Charge them with a blacklight or sunlight to see them glow, and once dry, peel them off and stick them on a window.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/homemade-glow-dark-window-clings/
- Ages: 2–7 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: medium
- Time: prep 25 min, activity 30 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class
- Skills: fine-motor, scissor-skills, colors, light-and-glow
- Cautions: ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 3 glob Glow-in-the-dark glitter glue
- Water (household)
- Dish soap (household)
- 1 drop Liquid watercolors (optional)
- Printed fall/Halloween outlines (bat, pumpkin, leaves, simple shapes) (household)
- 1 piece Plastic zip-top baggies (household)
- 1 piece Small bowls (household)
- 1 piece Spoon (household)
- 1 piece Kid scissors (household)
- 1 piece Blacklight flashlight (optional)

## Substitutions
- Instead of liquid watercolors: Glow-in-the-dark paint (The author suggests it if you have it. Unlike watercolors, it adds to the glow.)
- Instead of blacklight flashlight: Sunlight (Letting the glue charge under sunlight also works.)

## Safety
- Glow glue, dish soap and liquid watercolors are not food and not taste-safe. Supervise so kids don't mouth them, and wash hands after.
- Blacklight flashlight: never shine it into anyone's eyes. The author wouldn't trust her toddler alone with the flashlight. Know your child, and keep this a supervised activity.
- Plastic baggies can be a suffocation hazard. Keep spare bags away from young children.
- Supervise scissor use when kids cut their own outlines.
- Dish soap can sting eyes. Rinse with water if it splashes.

## Before you start
- Print simple fall/Halloween outlines (bat, pumpkin, leaves) and cut them out, or let older kids cut their own.
- Slide each outline into its own plastic baggie.

## Steps
1. Cut out the fall and Halloween outlines.
2. Slide each outline into its own plastic baggie and lay it flat.
3. Squeeze 3 big globs of glow glitter glue into a bowl. Add a bit of water and a bit of dish soap.
4. Add one drop of liquid watercolor and give it a quick mix. Make one bowl for each color.
5. Color in the outline on top of the baggie with the glow glue.
6. Use a spoon to push any overflowing glue back inside the outline.
7. Charge the glue with a blacklight flashlight or sunlight, then look at it in a really dark place.
8. Let the glue dry completely on the baggie.
9. Peel the dry glue off the baggie and stick it on a window.

## Tips
- When working with young ones, stay away from intricate fall leaves! Pumpkins, simple geometric shapes and simple leaves work best.
- The watercolors don't add to the glow since they are regular paint. We added them so the kids would have 4 bowls of colorful glue.
- If you let the glue charge under sunlight or a black light, the charge will hold for a while before it starts to fade.
- My preschooler had a fun time going back and forth charging our drying glue.
- Have the kids cut their own materials. It's great scissor practice.
- For more tips and detailed instructions, see our earlier window clings post.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2013)

Theme for day 3 of our fall play ideas is GLOWING play. Catch up on day 1's post [**apple playdough**](https://www.funlittles.com/fall-activities-apple-dough-recipe/) with real apples recipe and day 2's post [**homemade edible apple paints**](https://www.funlittles.com/fall-activities-homemade-edible-apple-paints/) here. Onto today's fun! We have dabbled in [**glowing play**](https://www.funlittles.com/glow-in-the-dark-play-quick-play-idea-in-a-box/) just couple of times before. The kids enjoyed this simple [**glow in the dark bead maze**](https://www.funlittles.com/fine-motor-activity-glow-dark-bead-maze/) earlier. For this series, we were excited try this popular play idea. With fall around the corner and with longer evenings, we decided to go "glowing" with just GLUE again. Not only are the seasons changing, we are also eagerly awaiting Halloween. It was nice to try out a few Halloween activities for kids beforehand. So what did we do? Make glow in the dark window clings!The kids enjoyed the process when we did it this spring and made [**homemade window clings**](https://www.funlittles.com/window-clings/). It was such an enjoyable process for them and they even loved creating their own images with broken bits and pieces. *[[Fine motor skills](https://www.funlittles.com/category/fine-motor-activities/) alert!]*

- Glow in the dark glitter glue
- Dish Soap
- Plastic baggies
- Designs
- Liquid watercolors(optional)

 I printed off a few Fall/Halloween themed outlines and cut them out..Nothing says Halloween activities than a big bat. Both the kids enjoyed cutting their own scraps of paper and creating designs. My toddler especially has gotten a lot better with the scissors - the only practice she ever gets is when we do **simple crafts** and I have the kids cut their own materials. We inserted the outlines into individual plastic baggies.



My preschooler added 3 big globs of glow in the dark glitter glue, bit of water and dish soap to the bowl.



She also one drop of liquid water colors and gave the whole mix a quick mix.



*{ the watercolors do not add to the glow since they are regular paint. We added them so the kids would have 4 bowls of colorful glue. If you have glow in the dark paint, please add them by all means}*



After that it was all about coloring and getting the glow glue on the image. She was excited to make leaves and pumpkins. But when working with young ones I recommend you *stay away from intricate fall leaves!* She enjoyed coloring the pumpkins, simple geometric shapes and a couple of simple leaves.



Our line up with some help me with the big leaves. I used a spoon to get the overflowing glue inside the pattern.



She wa very excited to see if they glow. We chose a really dark place and checked out the glue and it was vibrant. We charged our glue patterns with a blacklight flashlight before. If you let the glue charge under sunlight or a black light the charge on the glue will hold for a while before it starts to fade. Ooh check out the Halloween bat!



My preschooler had a fun time going back and forth charging our drying glue. * I wouldn't trust my toddler alone with that flash light. My older child knows not to mess with the light or flash it INTO her eyes- please know you child before letting them explore. Either way it is a supervised play and exploration*



Before the glue could dry on the baggies, we had a big mishap and could not finish the drying process. All you need to do is to let the glue completely dry off. Once it does, the kids should be able to peel off the glue off the baggie and stick them on the windows. ***[ For more tips and detailed instructions, visit our earlier [window clings](https://www.funlittles.com/window-clings/) post]***



**Thanks for reading**

For more [**Halloween activities for kids**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/halloween/) check out category page.

See what the other blogs did for our glow day

**[Edible Glowing "Spiderwebs" Sensory play](http://www.funathomewithkids.com/2013/09/edible-glowing-spiderwebs-sensory-play.html)** from Fun at home with Kids

[**Glowing Bread Clay Recipe**](http://www.housingaforest.com/glowing-bread-clay-recipe/) from Housing a Forest

**Glowing Magic Milk Experiment** from Learn Play Imagine