Do you find October a little scary? Are your kids expecting you to come up with spooky, creepy, and crawly activities? If so, do not worry. I have you covered. I know many of us are looking for alternatives to teaching about witches and monsters this time of year, and these free spider activities are a great subject to have students focus on and still feel like they are getting some of that holiday eeriness.
I reached out to a bunch of my favorite teacher authors so I could come up with a list of great activities all in one location that you could click and download. I hope this makes your October lesson planning just a little less scary.
Super Spider Math Activities
- Fun Learning for Kids has a roll and cover math spider game. Lots of good suggestions for differentiation inclluded. The link is at the bottom of the post. CLICK HERE
- The Primary Playground has free templates for clip counting spiders. Look for the big green button at the bottom of the post. CLICK HERE
- If you can get hold of some plastic spiders, then grab these spider web counting mats from 123 Homeschool 4 Me. Link is at the bottom of the post. CLICK HERE
Creepy Spider Science Activities
- Proud to be Primary has a free All About Spiders activity book that aligns with common core standards. CLICK HERE
- Download this free all about spider webs circle map from my store. CLICK HERE
Crawly Spider ELA Activities
- Emily at Education to the Core has a super cute mini-book and writing reflection on spiders. So if you have those early or emerging readers, CLICK HERE to check it out!
- Jennifer at Engaging Activities for Little Learners has some really great things you can do with some magnetic spiders. You could even do these with just plain plastic spiders as well as long as you have a flat surface. Practice letters, names, and even filling in 10 frames with this cool activity. As a bonus, there is an emergent reader you can download for free as well. CLICK HERE to see all you can do!
- Lindsey’s Classroom Creations has 3 mini books with a Halloween focus and one is on (you guessed it) spiders! CLICK HERE to get your mini-books.
- Linda Nelson at Primary Inspiration has a spiderweb word wall partner game for your literacy centers, but you’ll find that this is incredibly versatile and be adapted to many other uses. CLICK HERE to check it out.
- A is for Apples has a download where students can write everything they know about spiders with these tree map graphic organizers and writing pages! CLICK HERE to get your kids writing.
Freaky Fine Motor and other cool Spiders Activities
- Jessica at Tot School is rockin’ it with this amazing blog post FILLED with really creative things to do with spiders that works those fine motor skills in truly unique ways. Be sure to check it out and CLICK HERE.
- Danielle at Fun Learning for Kids has a very clever way to work on those fine motor skills using some yarn, a basket, and some plastic spiders. Your kids will love it! CLICK HERE to see how to set it up.
Click the button below to grab the 2 free science-related downloads I have for you, pulled from my unit on Spiders.
Label the parts of a spider
Sorting things by the number of legs
If you are looking for even more, you can check out my units on Spiders in my store. The activities are interactive and engaging for your students. This is a great solution for students who have fine motor challenges, and it will work on an iPad as well. All you need to teach about spiders in October.
- Spider Unit print and digital click HERE
Finally, if you want to see how this digital version will work, watch this short video.
