Halloween Theme Learning Activities & Shelf

We need an entire month for Halloween, who’s with me on this? There are so many fun Halloween theme learning activities and projects, every year we run out of time to complete all the things on our to do list!

This Halloween shelf is not our usual full shelf, I made a mini version this time round, using just a cubicle on our Art Shelf. For friends who like to make a learning shelf for the first time, my advice is always to start small and simple. Create just one cubicle of a shelf or a basket – both are great simpler options to set up theme based learning spaces without feeling overwhelmed.

To read more about how we do learning at home with our theme based learning shelf, I encourage you to read our How HTS Works page first. To know why we do theme based learning, check out this page.

Halloween Theme Learning Shelf

• Unique Hashtag on Instagram: #halloweenHTS
• Pinterest board: HALLOWEEN theme
• Focus Books: Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler, Little Blue Truck’s Halloween by Alice Schertle & Jill McElmurry, It’s Pumpkin Day, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff & Felicia Bond

This learning shelf and the activities are created mainly for children of ages 1.5 years old to 3 years old. My daughter was 2 years 3 month old when I made this mini learning shelf for her. My older son who is 4 years 7 months old then also participated in most of the activities. All the activities have been categorized into the six main learning areas (language, numeracy, motor skills, discovery of the world, arts & creative expression, social & emotional development) that I am focusing on for my children.

For all activities with young children, please provide 100% adult supervision.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES FOR TODDLERS (1.5 TO 3 YEARS OLD)

• Halloween theme Touch Point Counting Activity – This is a simple counting activity to practise 1 to 1 correspondence with the older toddlers, an important prerequisite skill for counting.For younger toddlers, this is a great fine motor activity to place the mini erasers on the circles. Mini halloween theme erasers are from Target Dollar Spot. Alternatively, laminate the printable and use orange playdough. It’s a great motor skill activity for toddlers to roll the playdough into balls and press them onto the circles. (numeracy, motor skills)

*This printable and instructions are exclusively for my newsletter subscribers only. Subscribe to my newsletter and receive the password to access the HTS Printable page as a welcome gift!

• Spiders on a Web Counting Mat – My 2yo seems to have rubbed off some counting skills from her big brother who is crazy about counting these days. I was surprised when she rote counted to 10 the other day. To help her make sense of numbers, I made this counting mat to practise counting 1 to 3 with her. Older toddlers or preschoolers can practice counting beyond 3 to 10. These spider stickers are from Target Dollar Spot. (numeracy)

*This printable and instructions are exclusively for my newsletter subscribers only. Subscribe to my newsletter and receive the password to access the HTS Printable pageas a welcome gift!

• Monster Hands Craft and Counting (arts & creative expression, numeracy)

• Spider Color Matching DIY Toy. I made it with cardboard, bottle caps and spider stickers from Target Dollar Spot. This one is easily adaptable for other themes like matching shapes or numbers etc. (numeracy, motor skills)

• Color Matching Broomsticks – This activity is made in just 3 minutes if you already have these colored clothespin. Alternatively, color the handle of the wooden clothespin with sharpie, marker or paint. Attaching the clothespin is a wonderful fine motor skill activity for young kids. We did this as a follow up activity after reading the book Room on the Broom. (numeracy, motor skills)

• Color Matching Ghost Sticks – Easy peasy toddler activity made with materials you probably already have at home. What you need: a box (I used a tissue box here) and some popsicle sticks. Since it’s Halloween theme, I drew some ghost faces. Make slits on the box and invite your child to push the popsicle sticks into the holes. Optional: Add some colored circles (that matched the colors of the ghost faces) on the box and this becomes a color matching activity too. (motor skills, numeracy)

• Peg on Spider Legs – Another fine motor activity to learn simple 1 to 1 corresponding counting and parts of a spider. Highlight to the older toddlers how spiders have 2 body parts and 8 legs. (discovery of the world, numeracy, motor skills)

• Paper Plate Spider Web Weaving – Cut out the centre of a paper plate and punch holes all around. Attach white yarn and kid safe needle (plastic yarn needles, pipe cleaners or hair pins work well) and invite them to weave through the holes to create a spider web for the spiders. It’s a great time to talk about how spiders weave webs to catch their preys. (motor skills, discovery of the world)

CRAFTS, SENSORY PLAY & EXPERIMENTS

• Make spider puppets – Watch this video tutorial to learn to make these fun spider finder puppets. (arts & creative expression)

• Potion Making – A Halloween twist to this classic baking soda and vinegar experiment. I added purple food coloring, spiders and leaves for that Halloween magic! (discovery of the world)

• Monster Playdough Invitation to Play – Orange and purple playdough with goggly eyes on them and hidden spiders treasures inside for Halloween. (arts & creative expression)

• TP Roll Mummy – Stick masking tapes all over the TP roll to make this simple TP roll Mummy craft. Idea from Raising.Kinley. (arts & creative expression)

• Halloween Theme Water Sensory Bin – I added green food coloring and all the plastic Halloween theme toys I can find in the house into a big tub. (arts & creative expression)

We are having a big Halloween Theme Camping trip with our friends and I’ll add on more Halloween fun activities along the way! Follow us on Instagram for the latest update on what we are up to.