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Fall is here, and so is Halloween! This festive time of year is packed with excitement, and kids are more open than ever to exploring and trying new things. That makes it the perfect opportunity to sneak in some fun activities that help improve their motor skills. Below are spook-tacular ways to boost motor skills and channel their Halloween energy into developmental play—without them even knowing!
Halloween Activities to Improve Motor Skills
- Every activity with your child offers a chance to build new skills. If your little one could use a boost in fine or gross motor skills, these playful Halloween-themed activities are just what you need to make learning feel like fun!
Rubber Bands on Pumpkins
- All you need are rubber bands and small pumpkins. Have your child stretch the bands around the pumpkins. It might take a few tries, but once they get the hang of it, they’ll love the challenge! This activity strengthens hand and finger muscles as kids practice stretching the bands and placing them on the pumpkin.
Pumpkin Wash Tub
- Grab some small pumpkins, fill a tub with water and bubbles, and give your child a brush and soap. Their mission? Clean “Mr. Pumpkin” and get him ready for carving! This activity encourages sensory play while working on grip strength.
🛑 Toddler Tip: Expect some splashing! Always supervise water play.
Color-Sorted Pumpkin Seeds
- Dye pumpkin seeds in various colors using food coloring or paint. Mix them up, and give your child tweezers and a tray or cupcake liners. Their task? Sort the seeds by color! This fine motor activity also doubles as a counting or spelling exercise—have them spell their name with the seeds for added fun.
Monster Print Trail
- Cut out monster paw prints and place them on the ground to create a trail. Challenge your child to hop, skip, or tiptoe along the path, practicing balance and coordination as they go. This outdoor activity is great for developing gross motor skills.
Halloween Playdough Fun
- Playdough is a fantastic tool for motor skill development! Write Halloween-themed words like “bat,” “spider,” or “pumpkin” on construction paper and ask your child to sculpt those shapes using playdough. Rolling, pinching, and shaping the dough helps strengthen small hand muscles.
Monster Walk Parade
- Let your child’s imagination run wild! Ask them to move like their favorite Halloween characters—flap like a bat, tiptoe like a sneaky witch, or stomp like a monster. You can even let them wear costumes and parade around the block for extra fun.
Spider Web Lacing Game
- Using a paper plate, write numbers 1-8 around the edge in a random order. Punch a hole next to each number, and place a spider picture or cutout in the center of the plate. With string or yarn, your child can “lace” through the holes to create a spider web pattern. This fun fine motor activity also helps build number recognition.
👉 Follow this link for more ideas on ways to boost motor skills
Share the Fun with Us!
We’d love to see how you and your child enjoy these Halloween motor skill activities! Tag us in your photos on Instagram or Facebook so we can share them with other Leaps and Bounds families on ways to boost motor skills.