Halloween is a fun holiday for many kids, giving them an excuse to dress up as their favorite cartoon, movie, or book character and go trick-or-treating for candy. Whether you take your child door-to-door in your neighborhood, at a shopping center, or another location, there are some fun Halloween activities that you should try this year to add a little more entertainment to an already fun holiday! If you are at all concerned about the amount of candy your child may be getting this year, then you’ll be glad to know that almost all of these activities are candy free!
Young children learn through play, which is why it’s important to provide a number of different opportunities for them to have fun and explore. From developing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination to strengthening puzzle-solving skills and more, there are many ways that you can actively help your child to learn and grow. At Growing Room in Ft. Myers, we offer preschool education that is designed to help your little one learn to read, play with others, and have fun. Contact us today to schedule a free tour of our facilities.
1. Slime
Making slime is a perennial favorite for most kids, in fact, you alter the color and ingredients to suit the time of year or holiday! To make Halloween slime, you’ll need white, washable school glue, liquid starch, washable liquid watercolors, and googly eyes. The googly eyes are optional, but definitely add a Halloween element to the slime. If you choose to include them, make sure that the slime ingredients are fully mixed before adding in the eyes. Don’t forget to store the slime in an airtight container or plastic bag to keep it from drying out.
2. Halloween Tic-Tac-Toe
Tic-tac-toe is fun for little kids as they learn to spot patterns and develop their ability to strategize. With a few supplies, you can create your very own Halloween tic-tac-toe! You’ll need similarly shaped smooth rocks. If you don’t have these easily on hand in your yard, then you should be able to find a bag of rocks at your local hobby or craft store. You’ll also need school glue or glue sticks, googly eyes, opaque acrylic paint markers, and orange tape.
3. Pumpkin Toss Game
This activity is great at any time, but it’s especially great for those rainy days when your kids are stuck playing indoors. You’ll need miniature cauldrons, a flat playing surface, a glue gun, two, small plastic cups, and a variety of candy corn and candy pumpkins. If you prefer that your children not use candy in their pumpkin toss game, then look for ping pong eyeballs in the Halloween section of your local party store. One of the best aspects of this game is that your child will be practicing their hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills all while having fun.
4. Halloween Scavenger Hunt
Get your children moving, thinking, and having fun with a Halloween scavenger hunt! One of the best aspects of this game is that all you have to do is print, cut, hide all of the hints and get your kids started! Once you’ve done that, simply sit back and watch your children have fun scouring the home for each clue. Children love to play together and problem solve together, which is part of why they will have fun working together on this scavenger hunt, not to mention the prize at the end! At Growing Room in Ft. Myers, we offer preschool education that is tailored to challenge each child to learn and have fun with one another, just like your at-home scavenger hunt. Contact us today to learn more about our preschool education program.
5. Zombie Rocks
While there are certainly plenty of kid-friendly entertainment opportunities at Halloween, there are also over-the-top scary and gross things that you don’t want them to see. Sometimes it’s easier to create your own activities at home. With that in mind, try painting some fun zombie rocks with your children. You’ll need paint pens, green acrylic paint, smooth rocks, paintbrushes, and a clear sealant (optional). Experiment with a number of different facial expressions to create some seriously entertaining zombie rocks. When you’re done, you can spray the clear sealant on each rock so that their faces last longer.
Pro tip – use the white paint pen first to avoid transferring other colors onto the tip.
6. Ghostly Decorations
One of the best crafts that any child can make is one that freezes some aspect of them in time. For example, ornaments that have their picture on it, paintings that use their hands or feet to create objects, and more. With that in mind, you’re sure to love making these ghostly decorations with your little ones. You’ll need white card stock, white glitter tape, pencils, scissors, googly eyes, adhesive dots, a burlap banner, and double-sided tape.
Alternately, you can tape the cut out handprints to faux pumpkins or the window instead of a burlap banner.
7. Monster Cookies
What better way to have fun with your kids this Halloween then to make gooey monster cookies! Not only will they have fun with measuring and mixing, but they’ll also have fun decorating and eating. The recipe is easy to follow and includes candy eyeballs to add a touch of monster fun! They are so delicious that you might find yourself making another batch to share with friends and family. No matter what colors you use in the recipe, you and your little ones will share a tasty treat.
Pro tip – be sure to use neon food coloring to make the cookies more vibrant when they are done baking.
At Growing Room in Ft. Myers, we love getting to teach and work with little children each day at our child care center. Whether your little one is ready for preschool or is still in diapers, we have the right program for all ages. Contact us today to learn more and schedule a free tour of our facilities!
