Halloween and the days leading up to it, can be a very special and fun time. You get a chance to spend time with family and friends, taking part in many exciting, creative and even a little bit spooky activities. Halloween is especially fun for children, because they get a chance to dress up, enjoy different games and parties, and have something to look forward to as the seasons change. If you are looking for some great Halloween activities for infants through school age children, then you're in luck! We have put together a list of multiple activities that are not only fun and educational, but keep your children excited about Halloween.
Infants
Jack O Lantern Paintings
Let your infant create their very own Jack-O-Lantern in this simple activity. Down below you can find a link to free printable coloring pages of different types of Jack-O-Lanterns. All you will need, is the page and some paint! This activity is fun, and provides your infant an opportunity to build on their coordination skills, while also giving them a chance to be messy and creative.
Toddlers (1-3 years old)
Make your own spooky picture with stickers and Color activity
In this activity, your toddler will make their own spooky picture. Provide your toddler with black, brown and orange markers and allow them to create a picture. Discuss with them each color they are using. Add stickers to the pictures to decorate each drawing.
Preschoolers (3-4 years old)
Make your own spooky picture story and sentence activity
For this activity, preschoolers will make their own spooky picture story. All you will need is paper, some markers, and anything else they might want to use to decorate with, such as stickers. Talk with your child through coming up with a story. It doesn't have to be too complicated. Focus on adding simple details that your child can easily draw and depict. This activity is a sentence activity that helps your preschooler put together ideas in a simple way, while practicing their words. As you come up with the story, break each idea into a basic sentence. Each sentence can then be broken up into a subject they can draw. For instance, below we have made a story about siblings going trick or treating with their friends. Each element of the sentence is broken up and drawn, so that it is easy for your preschooler to understand
School age
Make your own spooky story and Jack O Lantern coloring activity
For this activity, have your children make their very own spooky story. With school age children, you can start this activity, by first having them create an outline for the story. Creating a story outline is a beneficial skill for children, because it helps them structure all their thoughts and ideas into a cohesive plot. This helps them in identifying any important elements in the story, building on their critical thinking and organizational skills. It will also help them further develop their early writing skills as they go on through school.
To create their outline, start by asking them questions about their story. Focus on the main elements of the story. This includes making a list and discussing the stories' setting, characters, problems, solutions, plot and theme. Ask questions surrounding each element such as:
-"Where is your story taking place?"
-"Who are your characters/ What are their names?"
-"What happens in your story?"
Next, to make the outline more interesting, have the children color it in. They can add as much detail as they like. This can include little drawings of the characters, different colors and symbols for the words, and even small pictures and labels of what they will draw and include. Once they are finished, have them put together their story!
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