3 Halloween STEM Activities for Kids!

The fall season is creeping into our lives and Halloween is almost here! The best part about fall is making everything Halloween-themed, so we are going to share three Halloween STEM activities for kids to do at home! Your kids will have a blast learning about STEM topics while getting excited for the spooky holiday.

Bat Paper Airplane

Want to take your paper airplanes to the next level? Check out how to make a paper bat with wings that flap in the wind! This is a super easy activity that has a lot of room for creativity. All you need is a piece of paper and you’re good to go. Follow along with the YouTube video to learn how to create a paper bat and customize it anyway you’d like. The video uses lined notebook paper but we recommend using colored construction paper for a little more fun. The lined notebook paper can be used for a practice run but once you’ve got the folds down, you can get really creative with it.

To make this paper bat activity educational, talk to your child about aspects of physics, such as gravity, force, and resistance. You can also experiment by gluing or taping weighted items to the bat. Ask your child to make observations about the paper bat as it flies with different weights attached to it.

Slime Making

If your child wants to be a scientist for Halloween, we have the perfect experiment to go along with their costume! Kids love playing with slime, or goo, but did you know that it’s actually super easy to make at home? The best part is that you probably have everything you need at home. Here’s everything you’ll need to get started:

Slime Recipe:

• 1 cup of white or clear glue

• 2 tablespoon of baking soda

• 8 drops of food coloring

• 1 tablespoon or contact lens solution

• 1 teaspoon of glitter or confetti (optional)

Tools and Materials:

• Mixing bowl

• Measuring cups

• Measuring spoons

• Airtight container

• Rubber gloves

Here are the full directions with a video tutorial. This activity is great for the young ones who may be interested in chemistry. Kids will experience how mixing together different elements can turn into something interesting.

Glow in the Dark Paint

What’s even better than paint? Glow in the dark paint! Turn off the lights and have fun designing some spooky glow in the dark signs for Halloween. You could even paint some pumpkins this year. Making your own glow in the dark paint is easy, just add some luminous zinc sulfide powder (glow powder) to your paint and you’re good to go. After you’ve painted a design, let the paint charge under regular white light so it can absorb the light. Then, afterdark the glow powder will make the paint glow in the dark!

You can buy glow in the dark paint already made but it’s more exciting for children to make it themselves. Glow powder is nontoxic, easy to work with, and can be purchased online.

Conclusion

Spend the month of October getting the kids excited for Halloween by doing fun activities all month long. With these fun Halloween STEM activities, your kids will have a blast while learning. With each activity, consider using an “activity journal” to keep track of what your child is learning.

Check out our stem Maker Kits!