Naturally Educational » 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Fall, Sight » Jack-o-Lantern Candle Craft
Jack-o-Lantern Candle Craft
October is my favorite month and it is not just because it is my birthday. I love the apple-picking, the leaves turning colors, butternut squash, and of course, Halloween.
And nothing says Halloween quite like a glowing Jack-o-Lantern. My daughter made hers with some left-over tissue paper and a glass baby-food jar.
We love crafts, especially ones made from natural or recycled materials but I’ll admit…we take shortcuts sometimes. Especially when I’m hosting a play date, I buy some craft kits from Oriental Trading company. I like their sun-catchers but we always have left-over tissue-paper squares. This craft was a fun and easy way to use up the extra materials.
Materials:
- Glass Jar (Baby Food or Jam)
- Orange Tissue Paper or Crepe Paper
- Black Construction Paper
- Glue + Water Mixture
- Tea light
Instructions:
- Mix glue and water (about 50/50) and spread on the glass jar.
- Paste on squares and continue to add glue mixture until the jar is covered.
- Draw and cut out a jack-o-lantern face from the black construction paper.
- Coat with a thin layer of glue mixture and let dry.
- Add a tea light.
Variations/Modifications: Instead of a tea light, you could also create a candle with melted wax and a wick.
Educational Experience:
- Language Arts: Introduce the term “translucent”.
- Science: Describe the effects of candlelight as opposed to electric lights. Research the invention of the electric lights and the use of candlelight prior to its invention.
- Arts: Explain color blending and secondary colors with younger children.
- History: Examine how immigrants bring cultural traditions with them to their new homelands and how those traditions sometimes change. Research the origin of the “jack-o-lantern”.
Extensions:
- Literature: Read “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and discuss the role of the jack-o-lantern head.
- Arts and Crafts: Carve real Jack-o-Lanterns from pumpkins.
- Emotional and Social: Talk about how changing the features of your jack-o-lantern transforms it from playful to scary to angry, etc.
More Pumpkin Crafts from Other Sources:
- Paper Bag Pumpkins (at Little Elephants)
- Mod Paper Pumkins (at Hostess Blog)
- Toilet Paper Roll Pumpkin (Real Life Kids’)
- 3-D Paper Pumpkin
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Written by Candace
Candace Lindemann, Yale, BA, Harvard Graduate School of Education, EdM, is an educational consultant and published writer. She enjoys new learning experiences with her children, ages 4 and 2.
Filed under: 3-5 (Preschool), 3-5 (Preschool), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 5-6 (Kindergarten), 6-8 (Early Elementary), Fall, Sight · Tags: Baby Food Jars, Halloween, Jack O' Lanterns, Jam Jars, Pumpkins, Recycled Crafts, Reuse and Recycle, Tissue Paper
11 Responses to "Jack-o-Lantern Candle Craft"
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About the Author
Candace Lindemann is a published children’s writer and educational consultant. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Working with school districts around the country and some of the most well-known companies in the education industry, Candace creates custom strategies, textbooks, and lesson plans. Her articles have appeared in print and online.
While Candace’s degrees prepared her for a career in education, she’s found that the best preparation for parenting is on the job training.
Contact Candace via e-mail, read her full biography, or connect with her using the social media icons below.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Candace, Candace. Candace said: Teaching Moment: Jack-o-Lantern Candle Craft: October is my favorite month and it is not just b.. http://bit.ly/ClzqL [...]
[...] crafts such as egg carton bats, pumpkins and cats from laundry soap bottles, cereal box luminaries, jack-o-lantern candle craft, or use decorations that can be eaten (pie pumpkins, squash) or composted or used in the garden [...]
Love the lantern! We’ve done similar projects decorating jars with tissue paper, but I never thought to make them seasonal. Love it & will definitely add to our repertoire!
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by candaceapril: Teaching Moment: Jack-o-Lantern Candle Craft: October is my favorite month and it is not just b.. http://bit.ly/ClzqL...
I love your new site! What a great idea to teach through arts and crafts, I like how you have added the educational tips in the craft instructions, brilliant idea!
Good night, HAPPY HALOWEEN! A little late..!
We need a pumpkin carving contest for this site!
[...] Last but not least, fall is the time of year crafters love best! Candace shares how to make an Apple Pomander Craft or a Jack-o-Lantern Candle Craft. [...]
[...] Naturally Educational, has several kid-friendly Halloween craft ideas up her sleeve, including a Jack-o-Lantern Candle Craft, a Yarn Pumpkin, a Fall Leaf Fairy, a deliciously inviting Apple Pomander Craft, and a Cascading [...]
[...] Naturally Educational, has several kid-friendly Halloween craft ideas up her sleeve, including a Jack-o-Lantern Candle Craft, a Yarn Pumpkin, a Fall Leaf Fairy, a deliciously inviting Apple Pomander Craft, and a Cascading [...]
I love all of the additional ways to use this as a learnIng/teaching experience.