Welcoming the month of October means welcoming all of the fun that comes with celebrating Halloween. For children and teachers everywhere, it’s about engaging in creative Halloween activities and learning while having fun.
Below are 5 fun Halloween activities that are sure to educate your students and foster creativity and enjoyment:
Candy Corn Counting
Every teacher knows that hands-on learning is crucial for children because it engages students in kinesthetic learning. Candy Corn Counting is a fun way to get children to utilize their hands to count and learn. They say that children learn best when they are given opportunities to experiment and do more of what they are being taught. So, counting candy corn is a great way to get children to be physically present in the learning experience. Most teachers will let their students eat the candy corn at the end of this activity, so this is enough to keep any child captivated and interested.
Straw Skeletons
Making skeletons out of straws is a teacher favorite because it’s not only a really fun arts- and -crafts activity but it is also very cheap to make. With a few straws from the 99-cents store, school glue, black construction paper, and kid-friendly scissors, children can create cool Halloween skeletons. You can make this an educational science activity by giving your students a lesson about the skeletal system as they are cutting, pasting, and putting the straws or should we say... bones together.
Photo by Education.com
Halloween Writing
No matter what festivity you are celebrating with your students, it’s always valuable to add a little bit of writing into your activities to power the brain. Encouraging your children to write about their Halloween plans can foster creativity, self-expression, and help children do a little bit of critical thinking as they are putting their thoughts together. Try using creative Halloween paper to give this activity the Halloween touch. You can find plenty of free templates online. Once they are done with their assignment, you could have them gather around circle time to share their work with the rest of the class.
Photo by Weareteachers.com
Pumpkin Volcano
Do you remember the classic volcano experiment you did in class as a child? Where you used detergent, vinegar, and baking soda to imitate a volcano eruption? Well, this fun activity never goes out of style and Halloween is the perfect occasion to implement it into your Halloween-activity plans. With the use of a carved pumpkin and these easy-to-find materials I just mentioned, you can create a cool pumpkin volcano. You’ll have your students very entertained with this captivating science experiment. Don’t forget to make this educational by asking your students what they predict will be the reaction and what the foamy explosion is imitating. They should say it looks like ‘lava’ so let them share their responses with you.
Photo by Little Bins for Little Hands
Candy Adding and Subtracting
Learning Mathematics is always easier when there are incentives that will entice the learner. Go to your local store, at your convenience, to find a few bags of candy to fulfill this educational Halloween activity. Purchasing a few bags shouldn’t be costly but if it’s easier for you to ask the parents for help, please do so. Have the children add and subtract the candy and encourage them to give you an answer. You can also have them write the Math problem on paper as they are working to solve each problem. Don’t be surprised if they are very engaged! Most teachers will let their children eat the candy at the end. So, it should be ok for them to eat a few after being so committed.
No matter what Halloween activity you decide to implement in your classroom this year, always keep your students’ parents in the know of their daily learning experience. Let Child Journal help you achieve parent involvement so that they are always aware of their child’s daily activities and educational achievements.