Hy-Vee Recipes and Ideas

Empty a 6-oz. container of Elmer’s Classic Glitter Glue in a bowl or on a flat surface, then sprinkle about 1 Tbsp. of baking soda into the glue and mix. Squirt in a small amount of contact lens saline solution, then mix. Experiment with the ingredients until slime is somewhat gooey but doesn’t stick. Then stretch away!

Pick up a passel of orange balloons at the Hy-Vee Floral Department. Before inflating them, place a candy, paper money or trinket inside. Inflate, tie the end, then attach them to a wall with tape. Cut a stem shape from green construction paper and tape it to the wall above the balloons. Then let the fun begin as kids take turns sticking a push-pin into a balloon and collect their prizes.

Fill a plastic trick-or-treating pail with cans of aerosol spray streamers such as Silly String and Wacky String, and throw in a few plastic spiders for extra thrills. Don’t worry—the spray streamers pull off household surfaces, though they’re probably more fun used outdoors.

Paint cardboard toilet-paper rolls with Crayola Washable Kids’ paint, then hot-glue goofy touches with candy corn, candy eyes, Lifesavers and other candies. Also: Popsicle sticks (antennae), licorice (hair), a Brillo soap pad (hair) and a cupcake liner as a skirt.

Perform some wizardry with black spray paint, empty glass soda or water bottles and black paper plates. Attach the painted bottles to the plates with hot glue. Fashion rings from rings at the tops of quart-size ice cream containers. Use duct tape for the “buckles” on the hats.

Haunt the backyard and let kids search for their treats. Wrap kitchen cheesecloth around tree trunks, or drape it across bushes or along window boxes, then tuck in the treats. Fill small paper bags with candy, small toys or trinkets and tie to branches or fence posts.

Create monster fur and eyebrows with cut and crumpled tissue paper. Use paper plates, googly eyes, and paper cutouts for eyes and teeth. Attach candy bags to the doors for trick-or-treaters.

Show your Halloween spirit and invite trick-or-treaters to your door with this cute pumpkin idea. Cover it with bright pom poms, then use googly eyes and paper cutouts to form a face. Stick larger googly eyes in potted plants to bring them to life, too!

Is it really Halloween without pumpkin carving? Follow these steps:

1. Clean pumpkin with sanitizing wipe or soap and water and dry. Use a serrated knife to cut a circular lid around the pumpkin stem. Clean out the inside of the pumpkin.

2. Choose the design you want to carve into your pumpkin, and print it out on plain paper. Use tape to secure design to the smoothest, least blemished side of the pumpkin.

3. Using a small knife or pushpin, carefully punch holes about a quarter inch apart through the design and onto the surface of the pumpkin. Or carefully use a knife to cut through the design and score the pumpkin.

4. Remove the paper and trace over the holes or scoring with a black permanent marker. Then use a sharp serrated knife to cut through to the inside of the pumpkin, removing pieces as you cut.

Not into carving or cleaning out pumpkin guts? Go with pumpkin painting!

1. Choose a pumpkin with a smooth, even surface free of bumps and scratches. Clean it with a sanitizing wipe or wash with soap and water.

2. When the pumpkin is completely dry, paint with the base color. Use washable paint if kids are painting, or longer-lasting acrylic or spray paint.

3. Apply a second coat of base color if necessary. When dry, paint on any details or glue on embellishments like ribbons or buttons.

Instead of candy, consider handing out small toys, stickers, or other Halloween goodies.

Halloween toys: Fill a bowl with small toys like spider rings, mini jack-o'-lanterns, and fake snakes.

Hot Wheels: Start your engines! Give each trick-or-treater their own Halloween-themed mini race car.

Glow bracelets and lanyards: Just bend and shake to light up the night while haunting the neighborhood.

Cover an orange Halloween bucket with black felt, securing with glue. Cut eyes, a nose, and a mouth from different colors of felt. Attach felt and pipe cleaner whiskers to the bucket with glue. For ears, cut two triangles out of cardboard and cover with black felt. Use glue to secure to the inside of the bucket.