Gene Wilder died this week. And, while I didn’t know him personally, I was filled with sadness. I’ve seen Mr. Wilder perform in several films, but he will always be Willy Wonka to me.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was the first movie I watched as a child that really stayed with me throughout adulthood. Even as an eight-year-old, I could sense the film’s message that childhood was fleeting and should be treasured for as long as possible.
Naturally, I wanted to share that message with my kids, so we’ve already read the book and watched the film. But with Mr. Wilder’s passing, I felt like I wanted to revisit the film and its message with the kids while they’re still young.
So here are several Charlie and the Chocolate Factory craft ideas and activities to share with the family! Don’t forget to pick up the classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to read with your kids first!
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Craft Ideas and Activities
1. Turn this book into a unit study with our Charlie and the Chocolate Factory unit!
2. Make a super cute Willy Wonka Pudding Cup Top Hat!
3. Want to make your own chocolate? This recipe for Almond Swirl Chocolate Bark is easy enough for kids to make!
4. Create your own Wonka Play Candy Store complete with playdough candy!
5. Use these Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Notebooking Printables to help kids review what they read in the story!
6. Confession: This isn’t actually for the kids. This Willy Wonka Action Figure is going on my desk at work!
7. Talk about the book around the dinner table with these Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Conversation Starter Ideas!
8. Make your own gooey Chocolate Slime for sensory play!
9. These Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Snacks are fun to snack on during read-aloud time!
10. Serve up a complete Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory dinner with a cabbage soup appetizer and blueberry pie for dessert!
11. Use this Printable Golden Ticket activity to challenge kids to come up with their own Golden Ticket terms!
12. If you’ve never seen Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, please stop the madness and watch it. Immediately.
13. These Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Lesson Plans from the official Roald Dahl website are perfect for extending the story into creative writing activities and more!
14. This Easy Chocolate Play Dough is fun for little hands!
15. These DIY Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Peg People are such a cute idea for reenacting scenes from the film or the story!
16. This Liquid Chocolate Mixed by Waterfall is the next best thing to the Chocolate River!
17. Let your toddlers fingerpaint with this Edible Chocolate Paint!
18. Wrap a standard chocolate bar with this Wonka Bar Wrapper with Golden Ticket for an extra special treat! (This is the one we used in our unit.)
19. These Eatable Pillow Snacks are a fun and simple snack for kids!
20. Remember the Giant Gummy Bears Wonka knocked down with his cane in the Chocolate Room? Make your own!
21. This Willy Wonka Toilet Paper Roll Craft is super fun and easy! (We used this craft in our unit as well.)
22. Charlie Bucket is easily the perfect child. Prin this Charlie Bucket Coloring Page for kids to color!
23. Want to make a slightly healthier chocolate snack? Try these Banana Chocolate Smoothie Pops!
24. Bring the classic story to life with this special Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Pop-Up Book!
25. Learn how to make your own Fizzy Lifting Drinks! And you won’t have to worry about floating up to the ceiling either. 🙂
26. This printable Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Word Search is a fun word activity for kids!
27. Make a batch of this Salted Chocolate and Peanut Butter Popcorn to enjoy as you watch the movie!
28. Use this recipe for Wonka’s Rainbow Drops to make these colorful candies! (Be sure to tell the kids NOT to try to spit in seven colors.)
And just because I want to mourn my lost childhood – my favorite song from the film:
Get more ideas for homeschool units from my Unit Studies board on Pinterest!