5 Halloween STEM Activities for the Classroom

Krystal DeVille

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Halloween is a time when students can get easily distracted, but when you sneak in Halloween STEM activities in the classroom, they won’t stop learning.

Halloween is soon approaching, meaning everything is suddenly a little spookier. In general, any kid will love this, and look for spooks in their everyday lives during this season, including in the classroom. So why not introduce some fun Halloween STEM activities so that your students can learn while they’re in the Halloween season?

Don’t know where to start? Here are 5 Halloween STEM activities to introduce in your classroom this season.

Fun Halloween STEM Activities for Every Student

Halloween is always fun, but you may notice that some of your students become distracted during this time and lose interest in learning. However, when you combine the two, you can ensure that your students stay interested in their studies during this spooky season.

From science experiments to crafts, there is a wide range of Halloween activities that you can do with your students to ensure that they continue learning.

Here are 5 Halloween science activities to try out in your classroom to get everyone in the spirit.

Puking Pumpkin Halloween Science Experiment

puking-pumpkin

Pumpkin carving is a classic Halloween activity that allows kids to get creative with their designs, and even get a little competitive. Take this activity one step further by turning it into a STEM lesson. Using this Puking Pumpkin Kit from KiwiCo, you can create pumpkins that ooze an eerie chemical concoction that your students can make themselves!

The recipe is simple: the kit comes with baking soda, foaming gel, liquid colors, and everything else you need to create this mixture. Blend the ingredients together then pour the mixture into the carved pumpkin.

From there, add citric acid and water, and watch the chemicals react into a pumpkin volcano oozing out from your pumpkin.

Why We Love It:

  • Brings a classic Halloween activity to a new level
  • A fun experiment that teaches chemistry
  • Great for ages 3+ (with adult supervision)

Making slime is always fun for Halloween. You can see how to easily make slime in the classroom or at home in our article, Super EASY Slime Recipe With Just 2 Ingredients!

Make a Spider Web

What’s a spookier insect than a spider? They are, after all, known for giving everyone creepy crawlies.

Although not everyone likes them, spiders are arguably some of the best engineers in the insect world, meaning your STEM students can learn a lot from them. One fun Halloween activity to do in your classroom is to make spider webs.

To do this, you can use any string or a ball of yarn to create intricate webs like those that spiders create.

Not only do you get to teach your students about the lives of spiders, but you can also turn the activity into a STEM lesson by talking about the importance of their silk and exploring why spiders make the geometrical designs they do.

Encourage your students to test out different designs, in the same way that spiders store-bought. This isn’t only a STEM activity, but also a fun art activity that allows your students to get creative.

I recommend using a few different color yarns like these here.

Why We Love It:

  • Allows your students to get creative
  • Combines nature, art, and math
  • An activity for all ages (with adult supervision)

Chomping Mechanical Dinosaur Costume

chomping-dinosaur-costume

Many children spend the entire month of October coming up with their Halloween costumes. Even though costumes are typically store-bought or made by parents, having your students make their costumes is a great Halloween activity.

Better yet, you can turn it into a Halloween STEM activity by creating costumes that are functional and require your students to use skills they learn from their STEM lessons. This Chomping Mechanical Dinosaur Costume from KiwiCo allows your students to do just that.

This kit lets you build a spiky T-rex head with a matching dinosaur claw. This costume requires your students to engineer a dinosaur jaw that snaps shut with the pull of a string.

Through making this costume, your students learn about:

  • Hinges
  • Rotary motion
  • Fossil detective work

For a similar costume, check out the Glowing Horn Unicorn Costume, which includes a glow in the dark horn.

Glowing Horn Unicorn Costume

Watch this costume is so fun that your students may want to keep wearing it well after the Halloween candy is gone!

Why We Love It:

  • Allows students to put physics and math concepts into practice
  • Create a functional costume that requires work
  • Ideal for ages 5+

Make Slime

mega-slime-kit

For some reason, most kids love slime. Although it’s not the most appealing substance for adults, it sure is versatile and easy to make, making it the perfect Halloween STEM activity.

Making slime can be as simple as mixing school glue, water, and borax until you reach a particular consistency. However, several different slime kits can make the process easier and don’t require you to go out and find Borax.

This particular Mega Slime Kit and Putty Lab from National Geographic comes with everything you need to make 8 different varieties of slime, including:

  • Premade magnetic putty
  • Fluffy slime
  • Glow in the dark putty

This kit also comes with a learning guide that explains the science behind slime and putty to allow your students to further understand what they’re creating. Don’t worry about the mess, this kit also comes with 8 storage tins for your students to put their slime in for organization and future use.

Your students will have a better understanding of what slime really is after using this kit, and will have fun while doing it!

Why We Love It:

  • A very simple activity but a lot to learn
  • Easy to make and clean up
  • Fun for age 8+

Wrap Up

Halloween is a fun time of the year for students, and it’s a great time to add some Halloween STEM activities to your classroom to help your students continue learning.

There are a wide variety of activities to choose from that combine learning and the Halloween spirit, from chemistry experiments to building projects. Find the right activities, and candy won’t be the only thing your students are addicted to!

If you’re looking for my fun activies you can do in the classroom, please take a look at our article about Exploding Colors Experiment with Baking Soda & Vinegar. You can use red and green to give it the halloween effect.

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