Halloween Early Childhood & Homeschooling Lesson Plans for Toddlers, Preschool, Pre-K & Kindergarten

Halloween themed preschool lesson plans. Arts and crafts, games, math, science, group time activities, songs and snack ideas.

Halloween Theme Goals:
Halloween Safety
Halloween is associated with spider, witches, goblins and ghosts.
Halloween is a day we dress up and go trick or treating.
Halloween can be scary and fun!!

Books from Amazon.com

Theme books and ideas:

• Halloween Activities
• Halloween preschool and kindergarten practice
• The Halloween Handbook
• FamilyFun Tricks and Treats
• Halloween Parties
• Halloween School Parties
• Creepy Cuisine
• Best Halloween Party Game Book, The
• 51 Spooktacular Party Ideas

Books to Read:

• Room on the Broom
• Corduroy’s Halloween
• The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
• Froggy’s Halloween
• Halloween Bugs
• Clifford’s Halloween
• Bugs That Go Bump in the Night
• Touch and Feel Halloween
• Arthur’s Halloween
• Snappy Little Halloween
• Maisy’s Halloween
• Five Little Pumpkins
• The Berenstain Bears Go on a Ghost Walk
• Slightly Scary Halloween
• The Cheerios Halloween Play Book
• Dora’s Halloween Adventure
• Maurice Sendak’s Little Bear
• The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin

Art

Pipe Cleaner Spiders
Provide the children with pipe cleaners to make spiders. Have the children twist the pipe cleaners together to form a body and legs.
Discuss how many legs a spider has.

Balloon Jack o Lanterns
Blow up an orange balloon and let the child use a black marker, stickers, or finger paint to create facial features. Ask the child how does the jack o lantern feel?

Paper Plate Jack o Lanterns
Have your child paint a paper plate orange. When dry, have the child glue on pieces of black construction paper for the facial features. These pieces may be cut with scissors or torn, depending on your child’s ability level. For older children, try using glue to form the facial features and sprinkle glitter, or various items (i.e. buttons, beans, noodles, pebbles) on the glue.

Pumpkin Puppets

Each child should cut out a pumpkin shape from orange construction paper. Then either cut out facial features, or color them on with a black crayon. Paste to the bottom of a paper lunch bag. Then add a green construction paper stem.

Sponge Painted Ghosts

Cut out or buy ghost shaped sponges. You will need black construction paper and white tempera paint when showing the child how to dip the sponges in the paint and press on the paper to make ghost prints.

Spider Paper Plates

Use a smaller and larger paper plate to make these spiders. Staple the smaller plate onto the larger plate, as if the smaller plate will be the spider’s head. Have the child paint both sides black. Then add black streamers for legs and white construction paper for eyes. Hang them from the ceiling.

Trick or Treat Bag
Have your child decorate a brown paper bag. They can make a pumpkin, a black cat, or a witch. Reinforce the bottom and add handles.

Tissue Ghosts

Supply each child with two pieces of tissue paper and a piece of string or yarn. Have each child ball up one of the tissues, then place it in the center of the second tissue. Next, have the child, or assist the child, in tying the yarn around the second tissue to hold the balled tissue within the second tissue. The child may use a marker to make eyes.

Pumpkin Seed Art
Collect pumpkin seeds from inside a pumpkin. Let them air dry and have the children use the pumpkin seeds to make a collage.

Pumpkin Seed Shakers
You need: dried pumpkin seeds from inside your pumpkin, two paper plates (for each child) and a stapler. Have the children put some seeds on one of the paper plates (bottom side down). Next, have them place the other plate on top of the first plate (bottom side up). Help the children staple their plates together with the seeds inside. Let the children paint, use markers or crayons to decorate their shakers.

Fingerprint Pumpkins
Have the children make orange fingerprints on a piece of paper. Use a non-toxic orange ink pad. Show the children how to use one finger at a time. Use a green pen to draw stems on the paper and draw vines to connect some of the pumpkins. (You can do this for younger children or have older children draw the vines and stems themselves.)

Pin me!!

Fingerprint Spiders
Have the children use a black non-toxic ink pad to make fingerprints on a piece of paper. Have the children draw on eight legs on their fingerprints to represent spiders.

Spider Gum drops
Supply the children with large black gum drops and eight toothpicks per child. Have the children push the toothpicks in the gum drops to represent the spiders legs.

Witch Hat
Cut out triangular shapes from black material to represent a witch hat. Let the children decorate the hats with glitter and foil.

Broom Art
Supply the children with a broom, a large piece of butcher paper and some paint. Tape the paper on the floor and add the paint. Have the children use the broom to paint the paper. You may want to have the children take off shoes and socks, and roll up long pants… this is REALLY MESSY!!!

Halloween Prints
Obtain cookie cutters that are Halloween shaped. Have the children dip the cookie cutter in a shallow container of paint, then press onto a piece of paper to make prints.
Halloween Cookie Cutter Set

Games

Spider Webbing
Provide children with a chair and some yarn or string. Ask them to create a spiders web by wrapping the string around the legs of the chair.

Witch Match
You may be able to find witch stickers or Halloween stickers. Make sure that you have at least two identical sheets. Place two identical stickers on one index card. One on the left side and one on the right. Then cut the card in half in a funny shape. Follow with all the stickers. Then set out the cards and ask the child to pick out one, then find it’s match. Next, place the cards together. My son loves this one!!!

Spider Legs
Draw eight different spiders on index cards. The spiders should be drawn with 1 to 8 legs. Ask your child to arrange the spiders according to how many legs the spiders have.

Spider Walk
Have the children do a spider walk, by placing their hands and feet on the floor and lifting their bottom off the floor.

Spider Walk Race
Have the children race each other while walking like a spider. Or try a relay race.

Pumpkin Science
What is inside a pumpkin? Let the children explore the insides of a pumpkin. It’s a great sensory experience.

Pumpkin Seeds
Save the pumpkin seeds from a pumpkin. Boil 2 cups seeds in 1 quart water with 2 tbs salt for 10 minutes. Drain the seeds and toss them in 1 tbs of butter. Spread the seeds on a baking pan, and bake for 30 minutes. Stir frequently.

Pumpkin Faces
Provide the children with many different pumpkin faces. Ask the children which pumpkin is happy? How does this pumpkin feel? How does that pumpkin make you feel?

Halloween Print Match Up
Obtain cookie cutters that are Halloween shaped. Dip each cookie cutter in a shallow container of paint, then press onto a piece of paper to make prints. Have the children match the cookie cutters to the shapes they made.
Halloween Cookie Cutter Set

Dramatic Play

Pretend to be a Spider
Have the children pretend to be a spider.

Pretend to be a Witch
Provide your children with brooms, stuffed black cats, hats, and a box for a brew bowl. Allow the children to have fun pretending to be a witch.

Halloween Dress Up
Supply your children with costumes to dress up (website) in. Have them dress up, then ask them what they are. Some of my favorites are dresses, side heeled shoes, scarves, plastic hats, sports jackets, and children’s costumes.

Go Trick or Treating
Create an imaginary neighborhood for your child(ren) to trick or treat in. Have the children dress us in children’s costumes and pretend to go trick or treating from house to house (pretend) and practice trick or treating. You can use boxes for the houses, or tape on the floor.

Group Time

Halloween Safety
Talk with the children about Halloween safety rules. Ask your local police for a list of safety rules that you can send home to the parents.

Spider Watch
Place some real spiders in a clear container for the children to watch. Be sure to return them to their natural habitat.

5 little pumpkins finger play
Five little Pumpkins sitting on a gate
The First one said “Oh, my it’s getting late!”
The Second one said “There are witches in the air!”
The Third one said “Well, we don’t care!”
The Forth one said “We will run and run and run!”
The Fifth one said “We are ready for some fun!”
Whoooo oooo went the wind
And out went the light
and the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight!

Variation of song above
by Amber Louchart
Five little witches stirring a Halloween brew
The First one said “There is nothing to do!”
The Second one said “Let’s go out and have some fun!”
The Third one said “Halloween has begun!”
The Forth one said “Let’s go out and “trick or treat”!”
The Fifth one said “We will get a lot of candy to eat!”
Whoooo oooo went the wind
And out went the light
and the five little witches flew out of sight!

Pumpkin Song
by Amber Louchart
sung to Have you ever seen a lassie?
If I could be a pumpkin,
a pumpkin, a pumpkin,
If I could be a pumpkin,
Which face would I have?
Sad or Happy
frightened or scary
If I could be a pumpkin,
I would scare you now.

Itsy Bitsy Spider
The itsy bitsy spider,
climbed up the water spout.
Down came the rain,
and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun,
and dried up all the rain.
And the itsy bitsy spider,
went up the spout again.

Sing with a deep slow chanting voice. Make a big spider with your hands.
The GREAT BIG SPIDER,
climbed up the water spout.
Down came the rain,
and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun,
and dried up all the rain.
And the GREAT BIG SPIDER,
went up the spout again.

Sing with a very fast high chanting voice. Make a tiny spider with your hands.
The teeny weeny spider,
climbed up the water spout.
Down came the rain,
and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun,
and dried up all the rain.
And the teeny weeny spider,
went up the spout again.

There’s a Spider on the Floor by Raffi

Spider song
by Amber Louchart
Sung to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Spider, Spider
In the sky
Weaving your webs way up high
Catching bugs, and insects too
What a chore it is for you
Spider, Spider
In the sky
Weaving your webs way up high

10 little Witches
by Amber Louchart
sung to 10 little indians
1 little, 2 little, 3 little witches,
4 little, 5 little, 6 little witches,
7 little, 8 little, 9 little witches,
10 little witches in the sky!

10 little pumpkins
by Amber Louchart
sung to 10 little indians
1 little, 2 little, 3 little pumpkins,
4 little, 5 little, 6 little pumpkins,
7 little, 8 little, 9 little pumpkins,
10 little pumpkins for Halloween!

Where is pumpkin?
by Amber Louchart
Where is Pumpkin? Where is Pumpkin?
Here it is! Here it is!
This one has a happy face, This one has a scary face!
Roll away, Roll away!

You can provide the children with pumpkin puppets (see art project) or let them use their own that they made. Have each child say what kind of face their pumpkin has.

Pumpkin Man
by Amber Louchart
(sung to Yes I am the muffin man)
Yes I am the Pumpkin man,
the pumpkin man, the pumpkin man,
Yes I am the pumpkin man,
Who has a silly face.

Little Witch
by Amber Louchart
Sung to “I’m a little teapot”
I’m a little witch
All dressed in black
Here is my broom, Here is my cat
Halloween is my favorite night
I can dress up as a ghost in white

A Parent Letter
For those of you who are in the child care field… I believe that safety is very important. It is a great idea to send home a letter to the parents about Halloween safety. Also find out where parents can get their children’s candy checked… a lot of police stations or volunteer groups do it for free. Remind the parent to make sure their children wear reflective clothing, and know that they should never enter someone’s home.

Halloween Witches
by Amber Louchart
Sung to I’m a Little Teapot
Halloween Witches here and there
Halloween witches everywhere
You better watch out!
You better beware!
Or they will give you a great, big, scare!

Pumpkin Poem
by Amber Louchart
My little pumpkin
is round not flat
And if you step on it
It will go ker-splat. (clap hands)

Trick or Treat Poem
by Amber Louchart
Ghosts and Goblins
Witches and more
Halloween fun
Knocking on the door
Knock Knock
“Trick or Treat

Halloween Cookies
Make Halloween shaped sugar cookies. Have the children decorate with colored frosting after baking.
Halloween Cookie Cutter Set

Paint a Pumpkin
Children can paint their own pumpkin with tempera paint.

Halloween Cuties
Children can add jack o’latern faces to Mandarin oranges under supervision or adults can draw on the faces and kids can enjoy for a snack.

Pumpkin Faces
Have children paint a scary face on a pumpkin or use stickers to create a jack-o-lantern.

Doorknob Hanger
You can purchase pre-cut doorknob hangers or make your own from tagboard. The children can decorate these with Halloween stickers, paint, crayons, or orange and black paper.

Halloween Necklaces
Children can lace Halloween beads onto string or pipe cleaners to create a necklace or bracelet. Orange and black beads may be used as well.
Halloween Chenile Orange Orange Pipe Cleaners

Sticker Art
Children can place Halloween stickers onto a piece of paper to create a scary scene.

Halloween Rubbing
Cut out different Halloween shapes from tag board, lace or sandpaper. Tape a shape to the table. Have the child place a piece of paper over the shape and rub over the shape with the side of a crayon. Repeat with other shapes.

Halloween Stamps
I have seen many different Halloween themed stamps at the dollar stores. Children can use these stamps to create a Halloween picture.

Halloween Stamp Patterns
Use the stamps to create a pattern, say pumpkin, spider, pumpkin, spider. Have the children create the same pattern on their own paper.

Halloween Stamp Patterns 2Have the children create their own stamp patterns on strips of paper. Ask the child to tell you about the pattern.

Halloween Stamp Patterns 3Create a pattern using stamps, have the child extend the pattern on the paper.

Halloween Stamp SortUse the Halloween stamps with different colors of ink on index cards. Use one stamp per card. When the ink has dried, have the children sort the cards based on the color of the ink or the image (spider, pumpkins)

Halloween Stamp Sort 2 
Use the Halloween stamps to make two images on each card. On some cards make the image the same, and on some make the images different. Have the children sort the cards into two piles, images that math and images that don’t match.

Halloween Memory
Use the Halloween stamps to create a set of memory cards. For a simple version, use a different color for each different shape. For a intermediate level, use the same colors for all the shapes. For an advanced level, use different colors and different shapes. (red spider is different than a black spider)
Where the Wild Things Are
This is such a great everyday book. I usually read the book and have them get up and dance, march and pretend to be monkeys when I hit the two page spreads in the middle with no words.

Monster Art
Have the children draw their own monsters based on the book “Where the Wild Things Are”.

Pretend to be the Monster
Have the children “roll their terrible eyes”, “show their terrible claws” and “gnash their terrible teeth”. The teacher can be “Max” and tell them to “be still” and all the children have to freeze. The teacher will then say “Let the wild rumpus begin” to get them started again.
Cupcake Sprinkles
Use Halloween shaped confections to decorate cupcakes, cookies or pancakes.

Cupcake Fun
Decorate cupcakes with orange or black frosting with orange or black sprinkles.
Ms. Potato Head
Children can create their own Ms. Potato Head by placing precut paper shapes on a orange pumpkin piece of paper. Attach arms and legs by gluing on accordion style strips of paper.
Halloween Prints
Obtain cookie cutters that are Halloween shaped. Have the children dip the cookie cutter in a shallow container of paint, then press onto a piece of paper to make prints.

Halloween Print Match Up
Obtain cookie cutters that are Halloween shaped. Dip each cookie cutter in a shallow container of paint, then press onto a piece of paper to make prints. Have the children match the cookie cutters to the shapes they made.

Halloween Cookies
Make Halloween shaped sugar cookies. Have the children decorate with colored frosting after baking.

Halloween Cookie Cutter Patterns
Use the cookie cutters to create a printed pattern, say pumpkin, spider, pumpkin, spider. Have the children create the same pattern on their own paper.

Halloween Cookie Cutter Patterns 2
Have the children create their own cookie cutter print pattern on a strip of paper. Ask the child to tell you about the pattern.

Halloween Cookie Cutter Patterns 3
Create a cookie cutter print pattern, have the child extend the pattern on the paper.

Halloween Cookie Cutter Sort
Use the Halloween Cookie Cutters with different colors of paint on index cards. Use one image per card. When the paint has dried, have the children sort the cards based on the color of the paint or the image (spider, pumpkins)

Halloween Cookie Cutter Sort 2 
Use the Halloween Cookie Cutters to make two images on each index card. On some cards make the image the same, and on some make the images different. Have the children sort the cards into two piles, images that math and images that don’t match.

Halloween Memory
Use the Halloween Cookie Cutters to create a set of memory cards. Obtain cookie cutters that are Halloween shaped. Dip each cookie cutter in a shallow container of paint, then press onto an index card to make a print. For a simple version, use a different color for each different shape. For a intermediate level, use the same colors for all the shapes. For an advanced level, use different colors and different shapes. (red spider is different than a black spider)
Pumpkin Cupcakes
Use pumpkin shaped molds to make cupcakes.

Playdough Pumpkins
Children can use pumpkin shaped molds to create their own pretend pumpkins with playdough.
 Halloween Sticker Sort
Halloween – Super Sticker Pack
Place one sticker on each index cards. Have the children sort the cards based on the item on the card.

Halloween Sticker Art
Halloween – Super Sticker Pack
The children can place the Halloween stickers on a sheet of construction paper to create a scary scene.

Halloween Sticker Memory
Halloween – Super Sticker Pack
Place pairs of identical stickers on separate index cards. For an easy version, use different shapes, like one set of pumpkins, on set of bats etc. To make the game more complex, use many different images of the same shape, all pumpkins or all bats.

Halloween Sticker Patterns
Halloween – Super Sticker Pack
Use the stickers to create a pattern, say pumpkin, spider, pumpkin, spider. Have the children create the same pattern on their own paper.

Halloween Sticker Patterns 2
Halloween – Super Sticker Pack
Have the children create their own sticker patterns on strips of paper. Ask the child to tell you about the pattern.

Halloween Sticker Sort 2 
Halloween – Super Sticker Pack
Place two Halloween stickers on each card. On some cards make the image the same, and on some make the images different. Have the children sort the cards into two piles, images that match and images that don’t match.

Halloween Sticker Match Up
Halloween – Super Sticker Pack
Obtain pairs of identical stickers that are Halloween themed. Place on set on small index cards (one per card). Place the other set on a sheet of sturdy paper or on a file folder. Have the children match the stickers on the cards to the cards on the folder.

Fun Brad Spiders (Older children)
SUGAR COATED BRADS ASSORTMENT 50/PKG-HALLOWEEN
Children can use a hole punch to make several holes in a piece of paper. Children will place one brad in each hole and fold the tabs out. The brads are the spider’s body, children can use a pen to add legs to each spider.

Halloween Ducks 
12 Rubber Duck Ducky Duckie Halloween/Fall Party Favors
Add them to you block area.
Add them to your sand or water table.
Children can sort the ducks based on their costume.
If you buy more than one set, they can be used to create patterns.

Pumpkin OOze
Mix 2 cups water with a little orange food coloring, add 6 cups of cornflour/cornstarch to make pumpkin ooze.

Pumpkin Lantern
Have each child fold a piece of orange paper in half so that the two longest sides are together. Have the children cut slits in the paper starting at the fold and going almost to the edges. Have the children make four or five slits. Then roll up the paper connecting the two shorter sides with tape or glue. Then the children may glue a strip of green paper to the top of the lantern for the handle. Finally, the children can draw a pumpkin face or glue on shapes cut from black or yellow paper to create a Jack O’ Lantern.

Pumpkin Balloons
Printed 12″ Pumpkin Balloons (6 count)
Decorate the room with these balloons.
Children can play balloon bop, inflate the balloon and try to keep it in the air.
Inflate a balloon. Ask your child, “What will happen if I let go?” Let go!!!
Inflate the balloon. Stretch the neck of the balloon so the air escapes slowly causing the balloon to “sing” or vibrate.

Pumpkin Balloon Prints
In a pie tin, place 3 to 5 teaspoon sized portions of orange tempera paint evenly spaced about the area. Inflate a small balloon to a size which will easily fit in the palm of your child’s hand. Show your child how to “dip” the balloon in the paint and press firmly onto a piece of paper. This is messy, but the results are wonderful. After the paint has dried, the children can add faces with black paint and green ribbon can be used for the stem.

Pumpkin Numbers
Calendar Days
You can use these numbers for your calendar. Children can place the cards in order. You can make your own calendar cards but cutting out pumpkin shapes and gluing them on square cards. Then place black sticker numbers on each card.

Pumpkin Sort
Pumpkin Cutout Value Pack, 30ct
Children can sort the pumpkins by size or by their facial features. You can make your own pumpkin sort game as well but creating different sized pumpkin shapes from orange card stock and drawing on the face with black markers.

Pumpkin Juice
Add a couple of drops of orange food coloring to milk to create “pumpkin juice”.

Pumpkin Bean Bag Fun
Frighty Night Bean Bag Baggabeans Pumpkins Set of 3
Have the children toss the bean bags into a laundry basket.
Add the bean bags to the block area.
Use the bean bags with a parachute. Place the bean bags on the parachute and have the children try to shake the bean bags off or have them try to keep them on.
Have the children toss the bean bags into a pumpkin shaped piece of cardboard.
Cut out a Jack O Lantern shape from cardboard. Cut out large eyes and mouth shapes. Paint it orange. After dry, have the children toss bean bags into the eyes and mouth.
Have the children balance bean bags on their head on the back of their hand or on their elbow.
Play hot potato with the bean bag.

Pumpkin Blocks
Stack’ems – Pumpkins – 96 pieces, by Guidecraft
Children can build with these blocks.
Have the children sort the blocks by color.
Have the children create a pattern with the blocks.