If your kiddos are anything like me as a child, they may feel indecisive about dressing up for Halloween. And if they’re even more like me as a child, which for your sake I sincerely hope they’re not, they will inform you days or even hours before the spooky holiday that they do, in fact, want to dress up.
Now you’re on a time crunch to help your small human transform into some fun and exciting character before the porch lights are off. Never fear! At Deschutes Land Trust, we’ve got a couple of fun and easy ideas for costumes for your tiny naturalist. These nature-inspired costumes are meant to be simple and can be made up of things you might even already have lying around the house!
Is your tiny naturalist blooming with personality? Why not dress them up as arrowleaf balsamroot! These sunflower-esque blooms are bright and cheery. Each spring they brighten our hillsides with their sunny faces. These flowers are not only lovely to look at, but they are a source of food for all sorts of wildlife like deer and elk, provide nectar for local pollinators, and even offer seeds for smaller animals like birds and rodents.
To transform your kiddo into this beautiful balsamroot you will need:
- Yellow and orange construction paper
- Scissors
- Hot glue, safety pins, or any kind of tape
- Pipe cleaners
- A headband
- A green shirt and pants
- Optional: Yellow and brown face paint for your flower’s center
Take your construction paper and cut long oval-shaped petals. The number of petals you need will depend on the size of your tiny human’s head and the size of each of your petals. Next, affix pipe cleaners to the back of your petals and then to your headband. The pipe cleaners will help ensure your petals remain aloft and not wilted. Hot glue will most likely work the best for both applications, but you might also find success with some good old-fashioned duct tape. Finally, have your tiny naturalist wear all green (to represent the flower stalk), don their petals, add optional face paint, and voila! You’ve got an arrowleaf balsamroot in full bloom!
Maybe your little one is a little on the wild side? How about turning them into a local wildlife favorite, a mule deer! Mule deer are commonly seen throughout Central Oregon They are known as browsers, feeding on a variety of native plants and the leaves and twigs of woody shrubs. To tromp around like a mule deer, you will need:
- Brown construction paper
- Scissors
- Hot glue or any kind of tape
- A headband
- Brown shirt and pants
- Brown or black face paint
First, take your construction paper and cut two large oval-shaped ears. Tape or glue your ears to a rigid headband. You’ll want to position the ears just above your little one’s actual ears and point outward from the side of their head. Next, have your tiny naturalist don their brown top and bottom. If they would like to be a baby deer, also known as a fawn, you can paint or tape white circles on their back. Finally, draw on your deer nose and you’re ready to pronk through your neighborhood collecting candy.
Okay so maybe you’re really strapped for time. What’s easier than dressing up in all of the outdoor gear you and your little one already own?
Grab your maps, binoculars, helmets, ropes, or whatever other outdoor gear you can find and you’ve got yourself a tiny naturalist or explorer!
While this is by no means a comprehensive list, we hope that you’ve found some inspiration for yourself or your small humans. Now the only thing left to do is venture outside and observe all of the creatures or critters that might be tricking or treating around your neighborhood this October 31st.
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