It’s that time of the year that everyone eagerly awaits to surprise, scare, and give gifts to their friends. Preschoolers are also interested in wearing costumes, eating candies, and playing with friends and family.
When we refer to the acronym “STEM” activities, we mean science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. These activities combine learning with the fun of playing games, which is a win-win situation for everybody.
So, for this article, we’ve decided to write about the best Halloween STEM activities for preschoolers, which are so interesting and exciting, especially for kids.
Let’s discover the fantastic world of Halloween STEM activities for preschoolers, where kids improve their knowledge and develop skills that will shape their future well:
What is a Halloween STEM Activity for Preschoolers?
As mentioned above, a Halloween STEM activity for preschoolers is when we choose a subject like science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
We can mix the Halloween season with these subjects and create a STEM activity.
Kids always love games, and STEM activities are beneficial in achieving learning by playing games and doing exercises.
The Halloween STEM activities below will surprise you; we bet a few may even be new to you.
Without wasting another minute, let’s dive into the best 6 Halloween STEM activities for preschoolers that they will love.
Note: Got high schoolers? Try these projects for older kids!
Pumpkin Geology
When Halloween is around, the first thing that comes to our minds is orange pumpkins! Pumpkins are the eternal symbols of Halloween that have been around for many decades.
Pumpkin geology includes the measurement, investigation, and observation of the size and shape of different pumpkins. The only requirement for this STEM activity is to choose various pumpkins, from minor to giant, with other forms, from round to oval.
Introduce a more advanced activity like the float or sink game for older preschoolers. You let kids guess whether the pumpkin will sink or float on the water based on its characteristics.
Tip: Adding more action and fun to the activities, you can also let the kids predict which one will sink or float the fastest or slowest.
Candy Corn Math
With its distinctive tricolor design, candy corn provides an excellent opportunity to teach preschoolers basic math concepts and let their minds think. Explore counting, sorting, and patterns using these tasty treats.
Begin by asking children to count the number of candy corn pieces in a small pile. As they become more comfortable counting, introduce addition and subtraction by asking questions like, “If I eat three candy corns, and you eat two, how many are left?”
Tip: To make it even more enjoyable, you can create color patterns with the candies—for instance, patterns like yellow, white, and orange. Subtract white candies from the yellow ones, resulting in the remaining orange candies! Does it sound interesting yet?
Bat Wing Aerodynamics
A bat is another classic symbol of Halloween, which is a great way to introduce it as a STEM activity for preschool kids. Print a bat wallpaper on an A4 sheet and craft bat airplanes with your preschoolers!
Once you are done with the airplanes, head outside the classroom, find ample outdoor space, and fly them to experiment with aerodynamics. Encourage kids to observe how bats fly and mention physical terms like gravity and lift.
It is a great way to introduce them to an interactive way of fundamental physics and show them how nature works. The curiosity of learning these essential physics will encourage them to learn even more things about nature that they don’t know!
Tip: Consider incorporating storytelling before taking the bat airplanes outside for flight experiments. Share a simple, child-friendly story or fact about bats’ flight capabilities.
Spider Web Engineering
Spiders and their elaborate webs are a frightening Halloween fixture. Make your arachnophobia into a STEM exercise by having toddlers make spiderwebs out of yarn and tape. Begin by talking about how spiders weave their webs and the strength and structure of these silk strands.
Preschoolers can create their webs connecting two items, such as chairs or trees, independently or in groups.
As students experiment with various web designs and consider variables such as stability and balance, this exercise fosters creativity and problem-solving. It’s an excellent introduction to fundamental engineering fundamentals.
Potion Science
Turn your kitchen into a laboratory of enchantment with potion-making activities. Gather ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, food coloring, and various containers.
Let preschoolers mix and experiment with these ingredients to create “magical” potions. Discuss the chemical reactions when certain substances are combined, emphasizing safety and responsible handling of materials.
Tip: Set up a “Special Potion Recipe Book” where preschool kids can think and add the correct portion of each ingredient. It will help kids think, observe, and follow the guidelines for the best possible outcome.
Bonus: Ghostly STEM Challenges
Preschoolers are like little sponges, soaking up knowledge through hands-on, colorful activities. One fantastic way to introduce them to the fascinating world of chemistry is through the gooey, colorful wonderland of slime.
But since it’s Halloween season, let’s take it up a notch and create some “spooky” slime!
Halloween Spooky Slime Step-by-Step:
- First things first, gather your ingredients. You’ll need glue, liquid starch, and Halloween-themed food coloring – think eerie greens, purples, and oranges. Invite your budding scientists to the table and let the magic begin.
- Start by explaining that we will create something special today that looks like spooky slime. Preschoolers will be all ears at this point. Show them the ingredients and ask them to predict what will happen when we mix them. It’s where the scientific method sneaks into the play as they make their first predictions.
- Mix the glue and a few drops of the Halloween-colored food dye in a bowl. Watch their eyes light up as the mixture transforms into an eerie hue right before their eyes.
- Next, add liquid starch gradually while stirring. As you do this, explain that something exciting is happening – a chemical reaction!
- So, these were our best six Halloween STEM activities for preschoolers! Whatever you choose, we are sure they combine fun with subjects to offer the best experience. Apply all our tips to get the best possible outcome for each above activity.
Enrich Preschooler’s Knowledge
This blog post mentioned six of the most popular Halloween STEM activities for preschool kids. We are sure you will both have a great time doing these activities with the kids. From building blocks to observing gravity and counting colorful bricks, STEM activities are the way to enrich preschool kids’ knowledge. We hope you found our article helpful. Let us know with some new STEM ideas you have already tried or are planning to do for this Halloween season.