Little games. Friendly Halloween fun.
7 Not-So-Spooky Halloween Learning Activities for Preschoolers
A pumpkin patch on the kitchen table. A monster made of shapes. A ghost with a familiar letter. These easy ideas turn Halloween into a chance to count, match and explore together.
By Geared Kids · For parents and preschool educators · Ages 2–5
Before you begin
Keep it playful. Keep it simple.
Pick one game that interests your child and try it for five or ten minutes, or stop sooner if they have had enough. There is no need to finish every activity or get every answer right. Use the simpler version or add a challenge to suit your child, whatever their age.
Keep an adult nearby, let a grown-up do the cutting and use large paper pieces rather than small loose decorations. Choose smiling faces and familiar characters; if your child finds ghosts unsettling, swap them for pumpkins, leaves or friendly animals.
1. Count a patch of paper pumpkins
You’ll need: Paper, an orange crayon and a sheet of card for your pumpkin patch.
An adult can cut out five large paper pumpkins. Place them beside the patch, then invite your child to move them onto it one at a time. Touch each pumpkin as you count together: “One, two, three.” Finish by saying how many pumpkins are in the patch.
Make it simpler: Use just one or two pumpkins and let your child copy you placing each one.
Try a little more: Write numbers from 1 to 5 on the patch. Choose a number together and add that many pumpkins. Try 6 to 10 if your child wants more.
Try saying: “There are three pumpkins. What happens if we add one more?”
2. Build a friendly shape monster
You’ll need: Paper shapes in a few colours, a large sheet of paper and crayons.
Prepare large circles, squares and triangles, then arrange them into a silly monster. A circle could be a body, triangles could be ears and squares could be feet. Name the shapes while your child chooses where they belong. Draw a smile and give your monster a name.
Make it simpler: Offer two shapes at a time. Ask your child to find another circle like yours.
Try a little more: Compare shapes together: count the triangle’s corners or look for shapes with straight and curved edges.
Try saying: “Which shape shall we use for our monster’s tummy?”
3. Go on a Halloween letter hunt
You’ll need: Large paper pumpkins or ghosts, a pen and a matching letter card.
Write one familiar letter on a card, perhaps the first letter of your child’s name. Put the same letter on two paper ghosts and a different letter on a third. Place them in easy-to-see spots around one room. Show the card and search together for a matching letter.
Make it simpler: Match plain pumpkin and ghost pictures instead of letters. Keep everything in sight.
Try a little more: Use a few letters your child already knows. Try saying a familiar letter sound together when you find its match; follow the sounds used at preschool if applicable.
Try saying: “This ghost has a letter just like yours. Can you find another?”
4. Sort the monsters by colour
You’ll need: Paper monster faces in two or three colours and matching sheets of paper.
Draw friendly faces on large coloured paper pieces. Spread out matching sheets as the monsters’ homes, then help each monster find the home with the same colour. Say the colours together and let your child mix them up for another go.
Make it simpler: Start with two contrasting colours and show one match before offering a turn.
Try a little more: Add another colour, then count the monsters in each home. Ask which home has more or whether any have the same number.
Try saying: “Our purple monster is looking for a purple home. Where could it go?”
5. Make a pumpkin-and-ghost pattern
You’ll need: Several large paper pumpkin and ghost pictures.
Lay out a simple repeating row: pumpkin, ghost, pumpkin, ghost. Say the picture names as you point along the row, then leave a space for your child to choose the next picture. Take turns adding to the row and read it back together.
Make it simpler: Copy a short row of two pictures together, with no need to predict what comes next.
Try a little more: Try pumpkin, pumpkin, ghost, then repeat. Invite your child to make a pattern for you to continue.
Try saying: “Pumpkin, ghost, pumpkin, ghost… what comes next?”
6. Find the friendly Halloween pairs
You’ll need: Six paper cards with three pairs of simple pictures: pumpkins, ghosts and cats.
Draw each picture twice, keeping its matching partner easy to recognise. Start with all six cards face up and find the pairs together. Once that feels familiar, turn a few cards over. Take turns revealing two cards and seeing whether they match.
Make it simpler: Use just two pairs, face up. Let your child point to or bring together matching pictures.
Try a little more: Play with three pairs face down. When pictures do not match, name them together before turning them back over. Add pairs only while it stays fun.
Try saying: “We found a smiling cat. Can you spot its matching friend?”
7. Visit a little monster classroom together
You’ll need: A phone or tablet with Halloween Monster Preschool installed.
Try a short shared play session in Halloween Monster Preschool. Choose one activity: match crayons to coloured shape outlines, drag numbered books onto their matching shelf spaces, or spot the letter balloon that matches the classroom board. Talk about what you notice and give your child time to choose.
Make it simpler: Explore one colour or one matching choice together. Demonstrate a tap or drag if your child would like help.
Try a little more: Ask your child to explain a choice: “How did you know that book goes there?” Then try a similar paper game away from the screen.
Try saying: “We matched a triangle in the classroom. Can we find one in our paper monster?”
One little game is plenty.
You can return to a favourite activity, change the colours or let your child invent the next round. Counting paper pumpkins and matching silly monsters work just as well on a rainy afternoon after Halloween. Follow your child’s curiosity and finish while you are both enjoying it.