Intro
Let your creativity take flight! Whether you think they are spooky, creepy or absolutely
adorable, bats are a classic symbol of Halloween. These bats are a cute and colorful way to celebrate the holiday and build fine motor skills.
Set Up Ideas
Prepare a space with all the materials needed, as well as cleanup supplies to handle
potential messes from painting. Break out gems and other creative collage items to
decorate your bats.
Let’s Get Started
To create these fluttering friends, you'll need to gather Texas snowflakes (or paper coffee
filters), Liquid Watercolor in black and purple, clothespins, scissors, craft cups,
paintbrushes, black and purple gems and any other materials you wish to use to
accentuate and personalize your bats.
Tips and Tricks
Encourage children to experiment with different techniques when painting their Texas
Snowflakes. Some ideas include a tie-dye look, drip painting, other abstract designs or a
more defined approach.
For darker bats, paint th e clothespins black at the beginning.
Follow up Activity
Observe these bats in their natural environment: up in the air! Add string to the
clothespins, hang the bats from the ceiling and turn a nearby fan on to watch them flutter
about.
The expression "batty" or "bats in the belfry" can refer to someone who is acting
especially odd. Children will no doubt find these expressions amusing. What other
unusual expressions, perhaps especially involving animals, can they think of? Consider
"An elephant in the room", "Hold your horses", etc.
Steps:
- Begin by folding a Texas snowflake in half and painting it with black and purple Liquid
Watercolor. Allow to dry before continuing. - Once the Texas Snowflake is dry, keep it folded in half and cut out the shape of a wing at
the crease. Unfold to reveal two wings that meet at the middle. - Clip a clothespin to the middle area between the two wings. You may need to scrunch up
the wings until you are satisfied with the overall shape. - Decorate the clothespin body of the bat with black and purple gems, wiggly eyes and any
other decorations that you wish to use.