Spider Themed Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Oh hey, it’s Fall! Perfect time to get all spooked out with some creepy spider stuff. I came up with a bunch of cool ideas for my homeschool co-op after we read the classic The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle. But you know what? These ideas would totally rock for Halloween or any Fall shenanigans too. So, check ’em out! I also have a printable available at the end of this post.

Want more fall ideas? You gotta check them out here!

The Ultimate Toddler and Preschool Fall Activity Round-Up

For these activities you’ll need:

Playdough
Googly Eyes
Popsicle Sticks
Fine Motor Tools
Spider Rings
Small Dowel Rod or Paper Straw
Spider Web
Spider Pasta (I’ve used a Halloween themed bag from Aldi for years!)
Ten Frame (This printable is available in my TPT shop!)

Make a Spider

Your kiddo can get super creative with this cool tray activity. They’ll have a blast making playdough spiders using popsicle sticks and googly eyes. And hey, I even threw in a spider web and some spider playdough mats for extra fun! You can find these awesome printables in the pack.

Spider Ring Stacking

I’ve got these cute little cutting boards that are perfect for this ring stacking game. Just plop a blob of playdough on it to hold the stick (or you can use a straw) in place. Your kiddo can then stack the rings onto the stick. If you’ve got some colorful spiders, you can even make it a color-matching or pattern-making game. How fun is that?

Spider Ten Frames

Here’s a cool idea to use those spider rings or pasta! I made these awesome spider ten frames (you can find them here). Your kid can put spiders in each frame or you can play a fun game and take turns adding them.

Free the Spider

Some of my co-op buddies weren’t too thrilled about the fake spider web on this tray. Not their cup of tea, I guess. You can totally use yarn instead, just wrap it around the tray and it works like a charm! Then, give your little one some cool tools to pick up those spiders from the web. Oh, and we even threw in some spider-shaped pasta in the tray for an extra surprise!

My printable pack also includes a color song, a color matching game, and an active learning journal activity