By Isabella King
Halloween is a great time of year for sparking creativity, as pupils can engage with a range of vibrant colours and characters that come to life in October.
This time of year also provides an opportunity to take part in arts and crafts activities and, in this blog, we will explore how to use Tuff Trays to inspire learning – from supporting children’s vocabulary, helping with counting, and recognising colours and sounds.
Here are three Tuff Tray activities to explore this Halloween…
Spelling Spiders
The “spelling spiders” tuff spot activity is designed to support children’s vocabulary learning in a fun and engaging way. Using a variety of arts and crafts materials, children can create spiders with words on their legs, encouraging them to explore and learn new vocabulary.
This activity promotes creativity while reinforcing spelling skills, making it an exciting educational experience. The interactive nature of the task helps children to expand their vocabulary and associate new words with visual and tactile elements, enhancing their retention.
Place the glow people around the scene, perhaps one by the house, another by the riverside, and a third on the road. As the lights dim, the glowing figures will stand out, drawing children’s attention and making the environment feel magical.
Paper Pumpkins
The “paper pumpkins” tuff spot activity is designed to support children’s counting skills, specifically counting in 2s up to 10. Children can create pumpkins using a range of arts and crafts materials, helping to enhance their fine motor skills in a fun and engaging way.
This activity incorporates A3 and A4 paper, allowing students to explore and compare sizes as they craft their pumpkins. This task not only strengthens maths skills, but it also promotes creativity and size comparison, making learning both enjoyable and educational.
Magic Potion Pictures
The “magic potion pictures” tuff spot activity is designed to support children’s recognition of colours and phase 2 phonics sounds. Children can create vibrant bubbles by mixing food colouring with washing-up liquid and then gently pressing potion outlines onto the bubbles to capture the colourful patterns.
This task not only makes learning phonics and colours exciting but also encourages speech and language development as children blow into straws to create the bubbles. The hands-on nature of this playful activity fosters sensory exploration and creative expression, allowing children to develop their language and cognitive skills.
These Halloween Tuff Tray activities were created by Isabella King, a Primary Special Needs Teacher.
Find out more about Isabella and her activities with step-by-step guides, here.
