4 Hands On Spider Activities for Little Learners
OOOOoooHHHhhh….with Halloween just around the corner, we’re learning about all things creepy-crawly and a little bit spooky. Spiders fit RIGHT into all of those categories in my opinion. Haha! I’m a “burn the house down” kind of girl when it comes to spiders, but my little guy thinks they’re very fascinating. So, here are 4 simple, hands-on activities that you can do at home with your toddlers, in the classroom with your kindergarteners, or anything in between! Scroll down to check out these 4 quick ways to play and learn this Halloween..
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Little learners need LOTS of practice with counting objects, subitizing, and one-to-one correspondence to get really good at it. And these FREE spider activities are a perfect way to practice!
This one is a digital resource that kids can practice counting with on their devices. Simply download the Boom cards, open them with the Boom app on your device, and kiddos can practice counting the spiders in the webs and tapping the correct answer.
This other free spider counting activity is perfect for learning at home, working with a small group, or passing out to each student as a math center in the classroom. Learners will match up the picture card and number card that show the same number and arrange them in the same column on their recording sheet. This can be used as a sensory bin at home with little ones, an independent cut and paste activity for kids in the classroom, or a “search the room” activity where kiddos need to go on a hunt to find the correct cards before racing back to match them to the mat. There are lots of possibilities with this freebie!
2. Spider Life Cycle Activities
Learning about how spiders are created and come into our world is a super interesting topic to learn about! By teaching my little guy how spiders are born, how they grow, and what they do as adults, it makes an instant science lesson when we’re out and about and see a spider’s egg sac or a spider in their web.
The life cycle activities included in this resource are perfect for learning at home with toddlers and preschoolers, assigning to students at home for distance learning, or printing out for students to complete independently in the classroom. There are a variety of small picture cards to match to different mats that show the sequence of events in a spider’s life, as well as a cut and paste activity, and a life cycle booklet to read, color, and complete together. Your kiddos will know all about the stages of a spider’s life when you’re done with these activities and can go out and find each stage in nature!
Books and retelling activities are a great way to build early literacy skills! I’ve included a retelling activity in this resource to go along with the story “The Very Busy Spider” from Eric Carle, as well as a spider-themed letter identification activity that can be used as a sensory bin if you want. And this literacy sensory bin is a great activity for little ones to retell the story of the itsy, bitsy spider using picture cards, matching mats, and play dough creations.
And, of course, SPIDER BOOKS!! :) Below is a list of books that are fun, informative, and great for little ones!
Making a craft of of these 8-legged creatures is simple and SO fun! I’ve included a few simple, spider crafts in this resource and there are a TON of other ideas HERE. And below are linked 4 FREE spider crafts for your learners to play with!
Spider Craft and Poem from Amy Lemons
Free Spider Craft and Activities from Miss Kindergarten Love
Caught Up! {Spider Craft FREEBIE} from Smitten with First
Spider Craft from Natasha’s Crafts
Wishing you lots of creepy-crawly fun this Halloween!
