Halloween, with its mystical ambiance and playful spirits, is a time of excitement and wonder for children of all ages.
And what better way to celebrate Halloween than by engaging our preschoolers in fun-filled activities tailored just for them?
We present delightful and easy Halloween Activities for preschoolers.
Pumpkin Painting Party:
Transform the classic pumpkin carving activity into a mess-free and preschooler-friendly version by hosting a pumpkin painting party. Set up a designated area with small, child-safe pumpkins and an array of non-toxic acrylic paints and brushes. Let the little ones unleash their creativity as they paint spooky faces, vibrant patterns, or their favorite Halloween characters onto the pumpkins. Encourage them to experiment with colors and designs, and provide plenty of Halloween-themed stencils for added inspiration. Not only will this activity foster artistic expression, but it will also result in charming Halloween decorations that the children can proudly display at home or in the classroom.
Ghostly Sensory Bin:
Engage the senses with a ghostly sensory bin filled with various materials that provide a tactile experience. Start by filling a large container with white rice or dried beans as the base. Add in small plastic ghosts, Halloween-themed erasers, mini pumpkins, and textured materials like cotton balls or fabric strips. Encourage the preschoolers to explore the bin with their hands, feeling the different textures and searching for hidden treasures. They can scoop and pour the materials, creating their own imaginative play scenarios. This activity not only promotes sensory development but also allows for open-ended play and storytelling as the children immerse themselves in the eerie world of ghosts and goblins.
Related: 20 Fun Activities for Babies 12-18 Months
Spider Web Fine Motor Activity:
Enhance fine motor skills with a spider web weaving activity. Create a spider web shape using craft sticks or pipe cleaners and attach it to a sturdy surface such as a cardboard box or a wall. Provide the preschoolers with some yarn or string and invite them to weave it through the openings of the spider web. Encourage them to use their fingers to thread the yarn in a back-and-forth motion, strengthening their hand-eye coordination and dexterity. For an added twist, introduce plastic spiders and challenge the children to place them strategically on the web. This activity not only promotes fine motor skills but also introduces the concept of patterns and spatial awareness.
Mummy Wrap Race:
Add a dose of physical activity and laughter to your Halloween celebrations with a mummy wrap race. Divide the preschoolers into pairs and provide each team with a roll of toilet paper or white streamers. One child becomes the mummy, while the other takes on the role of the wrapper. Set a timer and watch as the children race against the clock to wrap their partner in the most impressive mummy costume. Encourage them to be creative with their wrapping techniques, ensuring the mummy’s arms and legs are covered. Once the timer goes off, declare a winner or simply revel in the joy of silly mummy creations. This activity promotes teamwork, and gross motor skills, and is guaranteed to fill the room with laughter and excitement.
Related: 25 Exciting Water Activities for Preschoolers
Monster Freeze Dance:
Combine music and movement with a lively game of monster freeze dance. Prepare a Halloween-themed playlist filled with spooky tunes, and encourage the preschoolers to dance like their favorite Halloween creatures—whether it’s a ghost, a monster, or a witch. As the music plays, the children can dance and let their imaginations run wild. But when the music stops, they must freeze in their monstrous poses. This game not only provides an opportunity for physical activity but also encourages listening skills and self-control as the children eagerly await the next round of music. Add in some glow sticks or flashlights for an extra touch of Halloween ambiance and watch as the little ones giggle and dance their way through the game.
Candy Corn Counting:
Harness the sweet allure of candy corn to introduce basic math skills to preschoolers. Provide a bowl of candy corn and a set of numbered cards or small containers labeled with numbers. Encourage the children to count out the corresponding number of candy corn pieces and place them in the corresponding container. This activity not only reinforces number recognition and counting skills but also introduces the concept of one-to-one correspondence. Plus, at the end of the activity, the children can enjoy a small treat as a reward for their math prowess!
Halloween Costume Fashion Show:
Let the preschoolers showcase their creativity and dress-up skills with a Halloween costume fashion show. Encourage the children to come to class or your home dressed in their favorite Halloween costumes. Set up a makeshift runway using colorful tape or a carpet and provide a microphone or a pretend microphone for the “emcee.” Each child can take turns strutting their stuff down the runway, showcasing their costume, and striking a pose. Encourage the audience to cheer and applaud each participant, making them feel like true Halloween stars. This activity not only celebrates the spirit of Halloween but also boosts confidence and self-expression.
Witch’s Potion Sensory Play:
Create a spellbinding sensory experience with a witch’s potion sensory play station. Fill a large container with water, and add in green food coloring, glitter, and small Halloween-themed objects like plastic spiders, eyeballs, or mini cauldrons. Provide measuring cups, spoons, and funnels for the preschoolers to explore and mix their magical concoctions. Encourage imaginative play as they pretend to be witches or wizards brewing potions. This activity stimulates sensory exploration, creativity, and fine motor skills while immersing the children in a world of fantastical play.
Ghost Bowling:
Transform ordinary plastic cups into a ghoulish game of ghost bowling. Set up a few rows of cups, placing them in a triangular shape like bowling pins. Use white paper or tissue paper to create ghost faces on the cups, turning them into adorable ghost characters. Provide a softball or a plush toy for the children to use as a bowling ball. Let the preschoolers take turns rolling the ball and trying to knock down the ghostly pins. This activity promotes gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and friendly competition. It’s a spooktacular twist on a classic game that will have the little ones cheering for strikes and spares!
Halloween Storytime:
Invite the preschoolers into the captivating world of Halloween with a special Halloween storytime session. Choose age-appropriate Halloween-themed books filled with friendly ghosts, pumpkins, witches, and other festive characters. Gather the children in a cozy area, perhaps with dimmed lights or by candlelight for added ambiance. Engage them in interactive storytelling, asking questions about the characters and encouraging them to make predictions about the story’s outcome. This activity not only fosters a love for reading but also sparks imagination and critical thinking. Plus, it provides a calm and relaxing break during the Halloween festivities.
Spooky Shadow Puppets:
Harness the power of light and shadows with a spooky shadow puppet show. Using black cardstock or construction paper, help the preschoolers cut out Halloween-themed shapes like bats, ghosts, cats, or witches. Attach the shapes to popsicle sticks or straws to create puppets. Create a darkened space with a flashlight or a lamp, and encourage the children to experiment with their shadow puppets. They can tell spooky stories or create their own mini puppet show, using the walls or a sheet as a makeshift stage. This activity sparks creativity, storytelling skills, and imagination while introducing the concept of light and shadow.
Halloween Scavenger Hunt:
Organize a thrilling Halloween-themed scavenger hunt to keep the preschoolers engaged and excited. Create a list of Halloween-related items or pictures, such as a mini pumpkin, a witch’s hat, or a black cat. Hide the items around your home or classroom and provide the children with the list. Encourage them to work together or individually to find the items. This activity promotes problem-solving skills, observation, and teamwork. You can also add an extra element of surprise by placing small treats or stickers alongside the hidden items. Watch as the preschoolers venture on a hunt filled with Halloween magic and anticipation.
Monster Mash-Up Art:
Unleash the preschoolers’ creativity by engaging them in a monster mash-up art project. Provide a variety of craft materials like colored paper, googly eyes, pom-poms, pipe cleaners, and markers. Encourage the children to create their own unique monsters by mixing and matching different materials. They can cut out shapes, glue on eyes, add wiggly limbs, and draw unique facial features. This open-ended art activity allows for self-expression, and fine motor skill development, and encourages imagination as the preschoolers bring their personalized monsters to life. Display their monstrous masterpieces for all to see and appreciate.
Halloween Musical Chairs:
Put a Halloween twist on the classic game of musical chairs. Set up chairs in a circle, one less than the number of preschoolers participating. Decorate the chairs with spooky touches like cobwebs or Halloween-themed fabric. Play Halloween-inspired music and have the children walk or dance around the chairs. When the music stops, the children must quickly find a chair to sit on. Remove one chair after each round, just like in traditional musical chairs. The last child to find a chair is eliminated. This activity promotes listening skills, and coordination, and provides an exciting and energetic experience for the preschoolers.
Halloween Snack Creation:
Combine creativity and snack time with a Halloween snack creation activity. Provide a variety of Halloween-themed ingredients such as orange slices, pretzel sticks, raisins, mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips. Encourage the preschoolers to use these ingredients to make their own spooky or silly snack creations. They can make jack-o’-lantern faces on the orange slices, create edible skeletons with pretzel stick bones, or design their own monster faces with different ingredients. This activity promotes fine motor skills, encourages healthy eating choices, and allows for imaginative play as the children create their own edible Halloween characters.
Halloween Science Experiments:
Combine the magic of Halloween with the wonders of science by conducting fun and safe experiments. For example, you can create a bubbling cauldron by combining baking soda and vinegar in a plastic cauldron, or make ghostly erupting pumpkins by combining baking soda, dish soap, and vinegar inside carved-out pumpkins. These experiments allow preschoolers to explore chemical reactions and the properties of different substances in an engaging and Halloween-themed way. Just be sure to explain the science behind the experiments in simple terms to enhance their understanding and curiosity.
Spider Web Toss Game:
Create a spider-themed tossing game that will challenge the preschoolers’ hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills. Use a large hula hoop or draw a spider web shape on the ground using chalk. Place small plastic spiders or spider-shaped cutouts in the center of the web. Give each child a few bean bags or rolled-up socks to toss onto the web, aiming to land them on the spiders. Assign point values to each spider, and tally up the scores at the end to determine a winner. This game not only provides physical activity but also introduces basic math concepts such as counting and scoring.
Haunted House Construction:
Engage the preschoolers in a creative and hands-on construction project by building a haunted house. Provide materials such as cardboard boxes, construction paper, markers, tape, and scissors. Encourage the children to work individually or in small groups to design and construct their own haunted houses. They can decorate the boxes to resemble spooky houses, create paper ghosts or bats to hang inside and add windows and doors with construction paper cutouts. This activity promotes fine motor skills, problem-solving, and imaginative play as the preschoolers bring their haunted house visions to life.
Halloween Bingo:
Play a festive game of Halloween-themed bingo with the preschoolers. Create bingo cards with Halloween-related images such as pumpkins, bats, witches, and black cats. Provide small counters or candies for the children to place on the images as they are called out. You can use Halloween-themed vocabulary words or simple descriptions of the images to make it more accessible for preschoolers. This game encourages visual recognition, listening skills, and turn-taking while adding a touch of Halloween excitement to the traditional game of bingo.
Candy Apple Decorating:
Bring a tasty and artistic twist to Halloween by hosting a candy apple decorating activity. Provide apples, caramel or chocolate sauce, and an array of toppings such as sprinkles, chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, or crushed cookies. Assist the preschoolers in dipping the apples into the sauce and then rolling them in their favorite toppings. They can get creative with the designs, making spooky faces or colorful patterns on their candy apples. This activity allows the children to engage their senses, practice fine motor skills, and enjoy a delicious treat that they helped create.
Pumpkin Ring Toss:
Set up a pumpkin ring toss game to challenge the preschoolers’ coordination and aim. Gather several small pumpkins and arrange them in a row on the ground or on a table. Provide plastic rings or make your own rings using paper plates with the center cut out. Encourage the children to take turns tossing the rings and aiming to land them around the stems of the pumpkins. Adjust the difficulty by varying the distance or adding obstacles between the tossing line and the pumpkins. This activity promotes hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, and friendly competition.
Halloween Playdough Creations:
Engage the preschoolers in a Halloween-themed playdough activity that combines sensory play with imaginative expression. Prepare homemade or store-bought playdough in Halloween colors like orange, black, and green. Provide Halloween-themed cookie cutters, rolling pins, and various tools for molding and shaping. Encourage the children to create their own spooky creatures, pumpkins, ghosts, or any other Halloween-inspired designs. They can also use the playdough to build a haunted house or create a spooky scene. This activity promotes fine motor skills, creativity, and sensory exploration as they manipulate the soft dough.
Ghost Bowling:
Create a ghostly bowling experience by transforming empty water bottles into ghost pins. Set up the ghost pins in a triangular formation at the end of a hallway or in an open space. Use white tissue paper or fabric to cover the bottles and add ghost faces using markers or adhesive googly eyes. Provide a lightweight ball or a soft toy for the children to use as the bowling ball. Let the preschoolers take turns rolling the ball and attempting to knock down the ghost pins. This activity enhances gross motor skills, and hand-eye coordination, and provides a spooky twist on a classic game.
Spider Races:
Organize a thrilling spider race competition that will have the preschoolers cheering for their chosen arachnid athletes. Cut out spider shapes from black construction paper and attach small plastic spiders to them using tape or glue. Create a racecourse using a long strip of masking tape on the floor or table. Line up the spiders at the starting line and encourage the children to blow on their spiders to make them move along the track. The first spider to cross the finish line wins the race. This activity promotes breath control, fine motor skills, and friendly competition.
Halloween-themed Yoga:
Introduce the preschoolers to the benefits of yoga while incorporating Halloween-themed poses and movements. Choose Halloween-inspired yoga poses such as “cat pose” for black cats, “tree pose” for spooky trees, or “witch pose” for flying witches. Guide the children through a series of gentle stretches and movements, encouraging them to use their imagination and embody different Halloween characters. Play calming music in the background and create a peaceful atmosphere. This activity promotes flexibility, body awareness, and mindfulness, and provides a calming and centering experience during the Halloween festivities.
