With the onslaught of testing in our education system, I sometimes feel there is a lack of creative outlets for students during the school day. Craft projects, when I was a kid, were a part of our daily routine, not just reserved for art class a few times a week.

Making those projects are some of my fondest memories and it saddens me to know that these concepts are falling by the wayside. I’m not saying that the other subjects shouldn’t be concentrated on, but a balance would be nice.

With that in mind, I felt it was the perfect time to break out the glue and paper and get crafty. Only we’re using cookies for paper and frosting for glue and our creative brains will provide the rest! Here’s what you do…

Bake off your favorite cut out cookie in various halloween shapes and sizes. Mix up some frosting, grab the sprinkles and have at it. I put our frosting in snack size resealable baggies with one tip cut off a bit, to keep the mess at a (slighter) minimum.

Once our cookies dried, we assembled our scenes by using frosting to “glue” the shapes to the base.

Some cookies needed a little help to stand. I used a microplane to shave off the bottoms and extra support came from the aid of a toothpick.

Hey, who says we have to stay with a Halloween theme? My youngest made a green dinosaur out of the ghost shape and had a rocket crash into his house. And nothing beats a blue pumpkin. Way to think outside the squash, E.

I’ve decided our creations are part diorama, part gingerbread, and part 3D cookie-licious. Most definitely expressive and fun.

I think they enjoyed it, but I may have enjoyed it more.