You and your child may or may not be strangers to color by number activities. My four-year-old wasn’t really into coloring but to my surprise, he dove into the Halloween number I prepared.
It’s great to meet kids who are encouraged to pursue 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.
In this article, you’ll learn why coloring by numbers is incredible for a kid’s development, answers to frequently asked questions, the supplies you’ll need, and how to do this great activity. Let’s get this Jack O Lantern coloring party started!
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An Easy Halloween Activity
There are so many ways to create Halloween color by number activities. You’ll be able to fill up your week with fun and let your child know what it’s like to take the initiative.
One of the best things about color by number activities is that they are so straightforward. They consist of an outline of a drawing with numbers. There’s just something really satisfying about them – for both kids and adults!
A Halloween version is great because it helps your kids get into the season. Using things like pumpkins and ghosts as your artwork’s subjects can motivate children to participate.
RELATED: Coloring is just one of the 50 sneaky ways to practice fine motor skills through play.
Benefits of Color by Numbers
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 other soft and hard skills.
- Develops hand-eye coordination – kids need a little bit of hand-eye coordination to accomplish a Halloween color by numbers activity. Coloring within the lines using the right color is excellent practice for controlling their movements.
- Focus and concentration – coloring is always great for toddlers because they’re so engaging and fun. Coloring draws kids naturally toward focusing on what they’re doing. They’ll be concentrating on how their marker or crayon is moving and transferring the colors onto the paper.
- 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. Here is how the AAP explains hand-eye coordination in school aged children.
- Identifies numbers and colors – lots of children learn how to distinguish different colors and even a little bit of math from coloring by numbers.
- Language development – expanding your kids’ vocabulary for different objects, colors, shapes, and events in a Halloween color by number activity works quite well. Casually conversing with them while they work on their coloring is always a great bonding activity for parents.
- Self-regulation and control – you don’t have to get your child to work neatly or follow the color code perfectly. However, if they really follow the color plan, it can be a great opportunity for them to practice self-control by choosing the right color for the right spaces.
- Strengthens their grip – we want our little ones to form letters and numbers, right? Younger children will eventually learn to write, but before that, we’d love for them to know 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.
Supplies for Your Color by Numbers Halloween Activity
You won’t need that many things at all. In fact, the list is only made up of two things:
- Coloring Materials – Markers, crayons, and colored pencils are quite popular with younger kids.
- 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.
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How to Set-Up Preschool Color by Number
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
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: Invite your Child to a Breakfast Invitation
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 and then make conversation while they take the lead. This is a fantastic chance for them to experience freedom and flexibility in play.
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.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 guidance if you feel it would help. I’ve tried modifying the activity for each of my boys.
Top Tip: Adapt Color by Number to Suit Your Child’s Age
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 crowd 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.
Seasonal Activity Cards
No more searching for ideas. Here’s exactly what you need to celebrate fall, Halloween, winter, and Noon Year’s Eve.
You will ADORE these 20 all-new ideas.
Color by Number Activities for Physical and Mental Growth
Color by number activities are wonderful not just for entertainment but for development.
When children feel comfortable, they are more likely to take risks.
Getting into the Halloween season together and allowing your child to take charge and be creative is one of the best feelings you can have as a parent.
RELATED: 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.
Other Halloween Number Activities to Try
- 31 Halloween Activities for Preschoolers
- Halloween Frozen Water Play
- Halloween Water Play
- Room on the Broom Paint by Number
- Spider Web Dots – The Best Preschool Halloween Activity
Frequently Asked Questions
No! The main objective of this toddler and preschool activity is to get comfortable holding a marker. This practice is helping your child with pencil grip and forming lines and curves that make up letter formations. Allow your preschooler to take the lead when coloring and add any creative changes.
Crayons, watercolors, and oil pastels work great!
I know. Artwork and paperwork can take over the home! We hang our completed artwork in my child’s bedroom or my child’s bedroom door. When the holiday is over, recycle it or roll it up for the following year.