This super spider pinata would make a great item for a Spiderman themed birthday or for a Halloween party.

The Spider Pinata idea was contributed by Ilona (from the Netherlands):  My 5 year old son is at school working about the letter S.  So I suggested to make a Ssssspider-piñata, filled with candies (Ssssssnoepjes, in Dutch).  The teacher never heard of a piñata, but she thought the idea was good, so we've been busy last week as you can see.  I made 4 paper-mache balloons (from my youngest son's birthday the day before, see p.1).  It was the meaning to make 4 spiders, but after 3 spiders they were coming out of my ears, so the last one turned to be a ladybug.  Not quite an S-word, but the result is very nice, I think.  It looks a bit frightened, but that's understandable with a lot of spiders around you!

Materials:

• balloon
• paper mache paste
• strips of newspaper
• strips of white paper (3 sheets or so of old computer paper works well)
• aluminum foil
• string
• masking tape
• candy or small toys
• black and white tempra/poster paint (or black tissue paper or black napkins)
• black construction paper

Instructions:

• prepare your paper mache paste (read my "How to Paper Mache" section if you don't know how this is done.
• Blow up the balloon
• Cover with 2 to 4 layers of newspaper paper mache and let it dry. 
  • About 24 hours to dry unless you leave it somewhere sunny and warm
  • don't cover the tied part (this will be the hole for the pencils.
  • Ilona adds:  I love this photo, it's an outstanding example of the modern household!  Multiple-use of things (the fan is a good drying-object, René wanted to turn it on!) and recycling goods (balloons, newspaper).  But I'm glad we didn't have visitors last week!
• Reach through the hole with a sharp pin and pop the balloon.
  • If you can, pull out the balloon bits.
  • fill the balloon with candy and small toys.  You can wrap any open candies in saran wrap or cellophane to keep them from getting dirty when they drop to the floor.
• Crumple a piece of Aluminum foil to he desired size of the head
• Paper mache the Aluminum foil piece
• use masking tape and paper mache to attach the head piece to the body (closing up the opening.
• Also, use masking tape to attach a string loop to the spider where you want to hang it (you can attach the string from the bottom to make him look like he's hanging from his spider webbing).
• Cover with 2 to 4 layers of white computer paper or tissue paper (it's much easier to paint over than newspaper!) and let dry
• Cut 4 strips of construction paper per leg
• Strips should be as long as you can make them
• Hold 2 pieces of construction paper so they make an L shape, then fold, first one piece then another until you have an accordion folded leg

• Tape the ends of the legs so they don't unravel -- tape two of the accordions together to make one long leg
• Paint the spider black (with poster paint).
• Tape on the legs
• Use white tempra paint to add "extras" (eyes, mouth, etc).
• You could also use other colors depending on the type of spider you're trying to make (a red mark on the back would be a black widow spider or the one that bit spiderman).
• Hang spider from a string from the ceiling and then play the Pinata game...

Hang the pinata up from the ceiling. Each child gets a turn trying to break the pinata.  Blindfold the child and give them a stick (a broom handle works well) -- make sure all the other children stand WELL back from the swinging!  Turn the child around in a circle 2 or 3 times and point him or her in the direction of the pinata.  The child gets to swing the stick 2 or 3 times.

Then another child gets a turn.  When someone breaks the pinata, all the children get to gather the goodies.  You might want to prewrap the goodies in bags so they don't get paper mache on them and so that each child gets and equal share -- this is especially useful when the children are of various ages.

TIP:

• I use skipping ropes, to rope off a small circle inside a large circle.
• The stick (and whoever is using it) stays inside the small circle.  When the person's done using it, they have to put the stick down inside the small circle before they go back to the audience.
• The audience stays outside the large circle
• At most parties, remembering the rules of the circles becomes as much of a game for the kids as whacking the pinata.

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