If you are looking for an easy and frugal costume this year then try a bat. You only need to dress your child in black sweats and add the homemade wings. Turn it into a lesson by discussing bats!
Bat Wings
What You Need:
Large sheets of black paper, preferably thick paper such as poster board
Hole punch
White crayon or chalk
Scissors
Black ribbon or yarn
Glitter
Glue
Tempera paints
Paint brush
What to Do:
Start by discussing bats with your child. It may be helpful to read a non-fiction book about bats or show her a few photographs. Ask her to describe what a bat looks like. Talk about the bat wings specifically in terms of shape, size, color, and function.
Now ask your child to use chalk or a white crayon to draw outlines of bat wings on the black paper. These should be large enough in size to fit her.
Help your child to cut the wings out.
Use the hole punch to punch three holes in each wing. The top and bottom holes will be for the shoulder straps. The middle holes will be used to fasten the wings together. Make sure that the holes are even and line up on each wing. This hole punching in this step should be done by an adult, but your child can help measure and mark where the holes should go.
Encourage your child to embellish the bat wings for a personalized touch. Have her use glitter in dark colors (such as purple and blue) along with glue and tempera paints to create texture and pattern.
Set aside the wings to dry.
Thread the ribbon through the holes. Each wing will have a shoulder strap that will be created by one piece of ribbon being threaded through the top and bottom holes. Connect the wings by threading another piece of ribbon through the middle hole on each wing, and then tying the two together.