Preschool Halloween Activities - Halloween Hunt and Bite the Ghost

I have received so many requests for preschool Halloween activities!This is such a fun time for children and preschoolers are part of the mix.

It is important to keep this fun and not too scary. Remember these are 3-5 year olds; try to keep the "scary" part to a minimum but add lots of fun to the event.

Here are a couple of fun ideas that you can use with your class. Preschoolers love treasure hunts and to search the sand table for the large Halloween confetti is so much fun. Then use the "treasure finds" for sorting, counting, color recognition, shapes, etc.

Sand Table Halloween Hunt
This idea is great for 3's-- In your rice or sand table, sprinkle some of that neat shiny confetti--for fall you can use leaves, for Halloween you can use pumpkins or bats, etc. Have children go on a "treasure hunt" in the rice or sand and find the little pumpkins, bats, etc. When they have found all the confetti, each child can count how many they found-- you can also give the kids magnifying glasses to help with their search--the rice table has never looked so neat!


Play Bite the Ghost
Hang string from ceiling attaching other end to a frosted ghost shaped sugar cookie (I write children's name's on them). Children locate their name, place their hands behind their back and bite their cookie until it is gone! This is another version of bobbing for apples but everyone's germs stay on their own cookie and all of the children can (if you want to) play at the same time. This works well with preschoolers that have difficulty waiting, especially on an exciting day of a Halloween party! I place tables below the hanging ghost cookies so that when they fall, the children can pick up the pieces and finish them. This avoids upset to cookies breaking on the floor.


If you like these preschool halloween activities, check out the other ideas in the Preschool Planner.

http://www.preschoolplanner.com/thefullstory.html

There are Two Editions now for the Preschool Planner: Basic or Platinum.


Send me any ideas you would like to share and I will post them on my Blog.

Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com

Halloween Activities for Preschool - Black Cats & Trunk or Treat

Well the momentum is building and the preschoolers are so excited! Here are a couple of Halloween activities for preschool to help put some of that extra energy into a creative learning experience.

My mission is to tone down as much of thes scary aspects of the holiday and focus on the fun times that can be had together.

These ideas are ones I've used in the past; some were sent to me and others were introduced by parents. Give them a try. Send me any others you may have and they will be shared for sure.


Black Cat Hand Print
Paint the child's hand black. Make sure their fingers are spread open, put on white paper. The thumb is the neck of the black cat, cut out circles the size of about a big Gatorade bottle top. The fingers are the legs for the cat. We cut small triangle black ears, use goolie eyes and a tiny small red pom-pom for the nose. I hole punch white paper to glue two dots right under the nose. The kids glue the head at the end of the thumb, ears, eyes and nose on. We did the white hole punched paper ourselves. Once that is all done we had the children make their own tail.

Next we cut around the cats leaving just a little white showing. You can either trace a moon on yellow paper and let the kids cut out or you can cut out a moon out of yellow paper. I bought the white fencing that you use on bulletin boards so the children would glue the moon down on dark blue paper and then glue the fencing down and then glue their cat just above the fencing. This is a long process, but turns out so cute. Decorate your room or hallways with their creations.

Trunk or Treat
This idea was suggested to me and it has become one of our annual events and it is very fun and families love this too.

We have "Trunk or Treat" - Section off a part of the parking lot with cones for safety purposes. Invite parents and families to come and park their cars with the trunks open in our parking lot. They are invited to also come in costumes and to bring treats for the children. Most of them also decorate their trunks. We bring the children out with special treat bags that they decorated with markers and stickers(they are also invited to dress in costumes) and they trick or treat from car to car. Then we meet their families back inside and sing a couple of fun songs.

This gives everyone a chance to really see everyone's costumes - especially if the weather is a little cool and the children have to wear jackets outside. We love this activity!

Happy Halloween to all.

Mary

P.S. If you like these ideas Check out my Preschool Lesson Plans here:

http://www.preschoolplanner.com/thefullstory.html

Preschool Halloween Resource - Painted Pumpkins

If you like Fall and Halloween as much as I do with all the
decorations, costumes, and fun for all, I want to share this preschool Halloween resource I found. I think you'll love it just as much.

My preschoolers absolutely love decorating their own pumpkins for fall decorations, for Halloween or Thanksgiving. They control the image--fun, scary, or just unique to them.

Parents had as much fun receiving these as the kids did making them. The best part is that they don't spoil like carved jack-o-lanterns and can be used for display for the season.

The feedback I had last year from all the families suggested I should share this here for everyone.

Check out this website:


http://preschool3.learnitnow.hop.clickbank.net/


This incredible ebook gives you and your kids the ability to make
Halloween Pumpkins or even Thanksgiving Centerpieces that will be
the envy of everyone who sees them!

Even better--these pumpkins will last SO much longer than carved
jack-o-lanterns. Not days but weeks longer!

Imagine setting up a classroom for an Open House, an October/Halloween party for your kids and having the best classroom ever!



I hope you enjoy this preschool Halloween resource as much as I did. Please send me any holiday ideas you have and I will be sure to share them here.

Until next time,

Mary
marys.plans@gmail.com


P.S. If you would like to receive my free newsletters for ideas for your preschool class, enter your name and address at the site below:

http://preschoolplanner.com/preschool-activities.html

Preschool Halloween Crafts

Halloween is next week and the count down is on!

I do believe that this holiday is getting more and more popular every year and the excitement is mounting.

Preschoolers love it and get a little scared too... I try to keep the "scary" part to a minimum but add lots of fun to the event.

I want to share a few last minute craft ideas and snack suggestions that should be a hit with your preschoolers.

These come courtesy of one of my moms, Carol, who volunteered last week with these great, easy ideas.

GHOST Craft

Need: White foam trays or foam core
Black marker
Bells
Black yarn
Hole punch

Trace out a ghost shape. We made a couple of templates from cardboard so that the children could trace around them. It was a "buddy" effort where one child traced and the other held the template still. Cut out the shape. This is a good fine motor lesson and it doesn't matter if the edges are scraggly..that makes it more ghostly!

Then punch out two holes at the top for his eyes or use the black marker to draw the eyes. Next punch out one hole at the top center and also at bottom center. Tie one of the bells on a string and tie it through the bottom of the ghost for the noise effect and use the other string to attach the ghost to the ceiling to move in the breeze.

Hand SPIDERS

Need:
Construction Paper
Black Paint
Googly eyes

This is a quick and immediately successful activity for all ages. It can be messy so be sure to have a helper around to wash off hands.

Paint your student's palm and 4 fingers with the black paint. Be sure you don't paint the thumb. Have them press their handprint on the paper with their fingers pointing out to the side. Next paint the other hand and place it on top of the other print but with the fingers going out to the other side.

Voila! You have a spider print from their hands. Add the googly eyes and make a Spider Wall or bulleting board.

SNACKS

Cutout Sandwiches
Make some sandwiches--Cheese sandwiches, peanut butter(if no allergies), tuna or just bread and butter...whatever your kids like. Use large Halloween Cookie cutters--ghost, large dog bone, pumpkin, ghost etc and cut out the sandwiches.

Bones were the biggest hit for snack time with my class.

Marshmallow Pops
Need:
Large marshmallows, green or orange candy melts, icing gel, lollipop sticks.

Stick a lollipop stick into each marshmallow. Place them in the freezer to harden for about 15-30 minutes. Use your microwave or stove to melt the candy. Dip the frozen marshmallows into the melted candy and set on waxed paper or parchment paper to dry. Once they harden, add eyes, and mouth if you want, to the hardened lollipops and enjoy!

Kids love them and they made them.

Happy Halloween to all.

Mary

P.S. If you like these ideas Check out my Preschool Lesson Plans here:

http://www.preschoolplanner.com/thefullstory.html