Preschool Halloween Spider Craft

Preschool Halloween Spider Craft Lesson Plan (45 Minutes)

Age Group: 3–5 years

Theme: Halloween Spider Craft

Duration: 45 minutes

Lesson Objectives:

• Understand the basic body parts of a spider (head-thorax, abdomen, and legs).

• Develop fine motor skills through gluing and threading.

• Learn basic counting by attaching Cheerio "legs" to the spider.

• Encourage creativity and independence in completing the craft.

Materials Needed:

• Cardboard (one piece per child)

• Yellow paper (one piece per child)

• 4 twisting sticks per child

• Black colored paper

• Glue sticks

• Wiggle googly eyes (2 per child)

• Cheerios (enough for threading onto the legs)

• Pencils

• Hole punch or similar tool to make holes in cardboard

Pre-Class Preparation (To Be Completed Before the Lesson):

• Prepare Cardboard: Attach yellow paper as a background on each piece of cardboard.

• Draw Spider Outline: Draw the spider's head-thorax, abdomen, and pincers on each piece.

• Punch Holes: Punch 8 holes around the body for the spider’s legs and label them 1–8.

• Organize Materials: Pre-sort materials (twisting sticks, Cheerios, googly eyes, glue) into individual sets for each child.

Lesson Procedure (45 Minutes):

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Discussion (2 minutes):“Today, we’re going to make a fun spider for Halloween!”Show pictures of spiders to explain their body parts: head-thorax, abdomen, and legs.“Do you know how many legs a spider has? That’s right! 8 legs!”

• Instructions (3 minutes):“We’re going to make a spider with yellow paper, black legs, and fun googly eyes!”

2. Hands-On Activity (35 Minutes)

Step 1: Color the Spider (5 minutes)

• Coloring (3 minutes):

  Children color the head-thorax and abdomen with black crayons or markers.

  Attach googly eyes to the head-thorax using glue.

Step 2: Attach the Legs (15 minutes)

• Threading Twisting Sticks (10 minutes):“Let’s add the spider’s legs! Start with holes 1 and 2, then 3 and 4, and so on.”Children thread twisting sticks through the holes and secure them to form legs.Teacher Support: Assist children with threading and securing the legs.

• Add Cheerios (5 minutes):“Now let’s count and add Cheerios to the legs!”Children thread Cheerios onto each leg, counting from 1 to 8.

Step 3: Final Touches (5 minutes)

• Add the Abdomen (3 minutes):Children glue the black paper abdomen to the body. Create a 3D effect by folding black strips.

• Finishing the Spider (2 minutes):Ensure all parts are securely attached and assist with any final details.

3. Clean-Up and Reflection (5 Minutes)

• Clean-Up (3 Minutes):“Let’s clean up our tables now! Put away glue sticks and twisting sticks, and wipe your workspace.”

• Reflection (2 Minutes):“Look at your amazing spiders! How many legs does your spider have? Let’s count together! "Discuss colors and the steps of making the spider.

Key Vocabulary:

• Spider: An 8-legged creature that spins webs.

• Head-thorax: Combined head and chest of the spider.

• Abdomen: The back part of the spider’s body.

• Legs: Parts of the spider used for walking.

• Cheerios: A type of cereal used for threading.

Learning Goals:

• Fine Motor Skills: Develop hand-eye coordination through threading and gluing.

• Counting: Practice counting to 8 while adding Cheerios.

• Creativity: Foster independence and creativity in making a Halloween spider.

Assessment:

• Engagement: Observe how children stay engaged and follow instructions.

• Fine Motor Skills: Check how well children use twisting sticks and thread Cheerios.

• Counting: Assess if children correctly count while adding Cheerios.

Optional Extensions:

• Spider Dance: Pretend to be spiders and move like them after the craft.

• Story Time: Read The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle to reinforce the spider theme.