Halloween Activities for Preschoolers

As Halloween approaches, it’s the perfect time to engage little ones in exciting, age-appropriate activities that spark their creativity and curiosity. At Little Bear’s Nursery, we understand how important it is to provide enriching experiences for children, especially during special occasions like Halloween. If you’re looking for engaging ways to celebrate at home, our guide is full of creative Halloween activities for preschoolers that are sure to keep little hands busy and imaginations running wild!

From pumpkin decorating to spooky sensory play, these activities are designed to be both enjoyable and educational, helping your child develop essential skills while embracing the scary season. Let’s explore some of the best Halloween activities for preschoolers that are safe, fun, and easy to set up!

Pumpkin Decorating without Carving

Pumpkins are a classic Halloween symbol, but carving can be a bit challenging for preschoolers. Instead, you can encourage your child to decorate pumpkins using paints, stickers, glitter, and even googly eyes. This activity allows your little bear cubs to unleash their creativity without the safety concerns of using sharp tools. Plus, it’s much less messy!

Here’s how to get started:

• Provide small pumpkins for easier handling.
• Set out washable paints, markers, and child-safe glitter.
• Offer a range of fun stickers and decorative accessories like ribbons or felt shapes.
• Let your preschooler decorate their pumpkin any way they like and display their masterpiece at home.

This Halloween activity is a great way to foster fine motor skills and creativity.

Halloween-Themed Sensory Bins

Sensory play is incredibly beneficial for young children, helping them explore different textures, colours, and shapes. Create a Halloween-themed sensory bin using a variety of spooky materials that preschoolers can enjoy.

Here are some ideas for your sensory bin:

• Dried pasta dyed orange and black.
• Mini plastic pumpkins, bats, and spiders.
• Soft cotton balls to represent “spider webs.”
• Orange and black pom-poms for a soft touch.
• Scoops and spoons for digging and mixing.

The sensory bin provides a hands-on experience where children can sort, scoop, and explore, supporting their sensory development. For an added educational twist, ask children to count the number of spiders or match the colours.

Spooky Story Time

Preschoolers love stories, and Halloween offers the perfect opportunity to introduce some spooky (but not too scary) tales. Story time helps develop language and listening skills while also sparking imagination.

Select a few preschool-friendly Halloween books, such as:

• Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson – A delightful tale of a kind witch and her animal friends.
• Meg and Mog by Helen Nicoll – A fun story about a witch and her cat, perfect for younger children.
• Spooky Pookie by Sandra Boynton – A cute, not-too-scary story about a little pig dressing up for Halloween.

For even more book ideas, you can explore these 22 spooky Halloween books for children, filled with suggestions to delight and captivate young readers.

At Little Bear’s Nursery, we often follow up story time with related craft activities. For example, after reading Room on the Broom, children could create their own broomstick or witch’s hat using craft materials.

Trick-or-Treat Treasure Hunt

If your child loves treasure hunts, why not adapt the idea for Halloween? Instead of trick-or-treating door-to-door, you can organise a mini treasure hunt either at home or in an outdoor area.

Here’s how to set it up:

• Hide small Halloween treats or toys around the house or garden.
• Create simple maps or use clues to guide children from one hiding spot to the next.
• For a healthier twist, include items like small fruit or sugar-free snacks alongside traditional Halloween treats.
• Provide little bags or baskets for collecting the “loot.”

This activity encourages problem-solving and teamwork while still incorporating the fun of trick-or-treating. Plus, it can be done safely during the day, avoiding the late-night outings typical of traditional trick-or-treating.

Halloween Arts and Crafts

Craft activities are fantastic for enhancing fine motor skills and boosting creativity, and Halloween offers endless crafting possibilities. At Little Bear’s Nursery, we love incorporating themed crafts into our day-to-day routine, and Halloween is no exception.

Here are a few craft ideas perfect for preschoolers:

• Paper Plate Ghosts: Using white paper plates, cotton balls, and black construction paper, children can create cute and spooky ghosts.
• Handprint Spiders: Trace your child’s hand onto black paper, cut out the shape, and use it to make spider crafts. Add googly eyes and hang them around the house.
• Toilet Paper Roll Bats: Paint toilet paper rolls black and attach black construction paper wings. These make great decorations for a Halloween display.
• Pumpkin Collage: Cut out a pumpkin shape from orange paper and let children glue on bits of tissue paper, glitter, or anything else that captures the essence of Halloween.

Crafting is a wonderful way to help little bear cubs express their creativity while practising fine motor skills like cutting, gluing, and drawing.

Monster Dance Party

Preschoolers love to dance, and what better way to get them moving than with a Halloween-themed dance party? Music and movement are not only fun but also great for developing coordination and balance in young children.

Here’s how to create a spook-tacular monster dance party:

• Create a playlist of Halloween favourites like “The Monster Mash,” “Thriller,” or “Ghostbusters.”
• Encourage your little bear cubs to dress up as their favourite Halloween characters and dance around.
• Set up simple dance games like musical statues or pass the pumpkin (a Halloween twist on pass the parcel).

This is a fantastic way to burn off some energy, especially on those chilly autumn afternoons. Plus, it’s one of the easiest Halloween activities for preschoolers to organise!

Halloween-Themed Baking

Get your little ones involved in some simple Halloween baking! Not only does this activity encourage creativity, but it also allows children to practise basic maths skills as they measure and mix ingredients.

Here are some easy Halloween-themed baking ideas:

• Ghost Biscuits: Use a simple sugar cookie recipe and cut out ghost shapes with cookie cutters. Let your preschooler decorate them with white icing and chocolate chips for the eyes.
• Pumpkin Cupcakes: Bake cupcakes and let your child frost them with orange icing. You can also provide green icing or sweets for the stem.
• Witch’s Hat Treats: Use chocolate biscuits and ice cream cones to create edible witch’s hats, decorating them with colourful sprinkles.

At Little Bear’s Nursery, we often use baking activities to teach children about following instructions and understanding different ingredients.

Halloween Science Experiments

Introducing simple science experiments to preschoolers during Halloween can be both educational and fun! Children are naturally curious, and experimenting with spooky-themed activities can nurture this curiosity.

Here are a few easy Halloween science experiments to try:

• Ghost Balloons: Blow up a white balloon, rub it on your child’s hair to create static electricity, and watch as it “magically” moves tissue paper ghosts!
• Witch’s Potion: Combine baking soda and vinegar in a cauldron (or bowl) to create a fizzing, bubbling “potion.” Add food colouring for extra Halloween flair.
• Dancing Ghosts: Cut out small ghost shapes from paper and place them over a speaker. Play some music and watch them “dance” as the vibrations move the paper!

Science experiments are a great way to introduce early STEM concepts in a playful and engaging way.

Special Halloween Events at Little Bear’s Nursery

Wanstead Green is hosting a special Harry Potter-themed Halloween party on the 31st of October. Step into the wizarding world and join us for an enchanting party filled with spellbinding activities!

Wanstead Village is holding a Spooky Halloween Party on the 31st of October. Make sure to wear your scariest costume!

If you’re looking for a high-quality nursery that offers exceptional care, exciting activities, and an all-inclusive package, we invite you to Get in touch to book your visit!