Preschool Color by Number for Halloween

Kids are endlessly discovering things – when they’re ready, they tend to go all in.

It’s great to meet kids where they are and encourage their interests – this helps them stretch their creative wings and build confidence as they continue to develop. If you’re interested, it’s actually something I talk about in our online course, Wonder: Playing to Learn.

So here we are! Ready to color and improve pencil grip through play. Let’s get this Jack O Lantern coloring party started! 

RELATED: 31 Activities for Halloween at your fingertips! 

Color By Number Activities for Kids

One of the best things about color by number activities is that they are so straightforward – it consists of an outline of a drawing with numbers in the . There’s just something really satisfying about them – for kids and adults alike. There are so many ways to create Halloween color by number activities that you’ll be able to fill up your week with fun that also lets your child feel what it’s like to take initiative.

Like many other types of arts and crafts, color by number activities have a bunch of benefits for your child’s development. These hidden nuggets of learning really go a long way in helping young children not only with creativity and confidence, but also with motor skills, muscle strength, and a number of other soft and hard skills.

Arts, Crafts, and How They Help Your Kids

Pumpkins are also something my boys are really into right now. A Halloween color by numbers activity is great because it becomes a part of how your kids really get into the season. Using things like pumpkins and ghosts as the subjects of your art works can really motivate children to participate as they get more excited for Halloween.

We’ve played Halloween color by number in the past. I modified the coloring activity for each stage of my boys. 

• Toddlers may want to start with color by color. 
• Preschoolers may work on color by number.
• The older crown can do simple addition or even a compound word match up.

If this is a hit, play all week using the variations! I like to keep fun ideas on repeat. 

Color by numbers activities are wonderful for children not just as a form of entertainment, but also as a great source of growth for them both physically and mentally. When toddlers and preschoolers feel comfortable, they are more likely to take risks.

Coloring is just one of the 50 sneaky ways to practice fine motor skills through play.

There’s a bunch of things your child can take away from spending playtime on Halloween color by numbers, including:

• Strengthening their grip: We want to help our young children form letters and numbers, right? Let’s start by holding markers, crayons, and pencils in a casual work environment. Younger children will eventually learn to write, but before that we’d love for them to learn how to hold markers, crayons, and pencils. Inviting your kid to color casually will help them get acquainted with the feeling of a marker in their hand.
• Developing hand-eye coordination: Kids need a little bit of hand-eye coordination to accomplish a Halloween color by numbers activity. Being able to color within the lines using the right color is great practice for controlling their movements.
• Identifying numbers and colors. For kids that are just learning what numbers and colors are, this is a great opportunity for them to get familiar. Lots of children learn how to distinguish different colors and even a little bit of math from coloring by number.  
• Practice focusing and concentrating: Coloring is always great for toddlers because they’re so engaging and fun, but also because they draw kids naturally toward focusing on what they’re doing. They’ll be concentrating on how their marker or crayon is moving, as well as the colors that are being transferred onto the paper.
• Self-regulation and control: You don’t really have to get your child to work neatly or follow the color code perfectly. However, if they happen to get really into following the color plan, it can be a great opportunity for them to practice self-control by choosing the right color for the right spaces.
• Learning more language: Expanding your kids’ vocabulary for different objects, colors, shapes, and events in a Halloween color by number activity actually works quite well. Casually conversing with them while they work on their coloring is always a great bonding activity for parents

How to Prepare Your Halloween Color By Number Activity

Preparing your Halloween color by number activity is really quite simple. All it takes is a little effort and a kind invitation to give your child an afternoon full of fun and creativity.

What You’ll Need

You won’t need that many things at all. In fact, the list is only made up of two things:

1. White paper roll: A simple piece of paper that’s big enough for your child to color outside the lines of the drawing would be good.
2. Coloring materials: Markers, crayons, and colored pencils are quite popular with younger kids.

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What To Do (4 Steps)

Step 1: Make preparations and start sketching.

First, take your paper and tape it down on a table. Pumpkins are always really good for getting kids into the Halloween spirit, so you can start by sketching a simple smiling Jack-O-Lantern.

Step 2: Create a key and a color code.

Next, you can create a simple color code by writing a table that matches numbers to samples of colors. You’ll have to explain this to your child if they’re not yet familiar with how the game works.

Step 3: Breakfast invitations.

I call these Breakfast Invitations because I prep breakfast and drink my hot tea, and my child engages in play. 

You can gently invite them to participate in the Halloween color by number activity you’ve just prepared and then make conversation while they take the lead in their coloring. This is a fantastic chance for them to experience having freedom and flexibility.

I play it cool and make conversation from the sidelines. Here, I don’t want to hover. I look to give my four-year-old the freedom and flexibility to take the lead. This is a fantastic chance for them to experience having freedom and flexibility.

After getting started, he realized he had a purple marker in his cup, but purple was not in his key. That’s a simple fix! I keep my tone flexible and add what he is looking for. As I do, he directs me and feels in charge of his learning. 

Step 4: Give a little advice based on your child’s age.

You can opt to give your child a little guidance if you feel like it would help them. I’ve tried modifying the activity just a bit for each of my boys. Toddlers may want to start color by color, while preschoolers might prefer working by number. You could consider engaging older children in simple addition or even a compound word matching game if you feel like it.

You, Your Child, and Coloring By Number for Halloween

There’s really more to a Halloween color by number game than meets the eye. It’s a great activity not only to bond with your child, but also to help them learn so many things.

My own son realized he had a purple marker in his cup, but that purple wasn’t in the key, which I was able to easily fix by adding what he was looking for – it gave him the great feeling of being in charge of his play and learning.

Getting into the Halloween season together while giving your child a chance to take charge and be creative is one of the best feelings you can have as a parent, so I’m really excited for you to try this activity out if you’re interested! If you’d like to check out other pumpkin-themed ideas for your Halloween, you can check out Pumpkin Faces, Pumpkin Patch and Halloween Sticker Shirts.