🕷️ Learning Through Play: Our EYFS Spooky-Themed Adventures
This week, our EYFS children have been fully immersed in a wonderfully spooky week of learning and exploration! From hollowing out pumpkins and mixing magical potions to investigating spiders, creating playdough pumpkins and getting wonderfully messy with slime, every activity was carefully planned to support children’s development whilst making learning exciting and memorable.
At St Peter’s CE Primary School, we believe children learn best through hands-on experiences and purposeful play. Our spooky-themed provision provided countless opportunities for children to Love, Learn and Shine as they explored, questioned, created and collaborated.
🎃 Pumpkin Investigations
As the children hollowed out pumpkins, they used their senses to explore the different textures, smells and appearances of the pumpkin flesh and seeds. This linked closely to the Understanding the World Early Learning Goal as children observed similarities and differences and talked about what they discovered. They also developed important fine motor skills by scooping, squeezing and sorting the seeds.
🧪 Potion Making
Our potion station was a huge hit! Children measured, mixed and experimented with different ingredients, introducing early mathematical language such as more, less, full, empty and half-full. They worked together, shared ideas and developed their vocabulary as they described their magical creations, supporting both the Communication and Language and Mathematics areas of learning.
🕷️ Wonderful Webs and Curious Creatures
The children were fascinated by our spider-themed activities. They asked thoughtful questions, shared their knowledge and carefully observed spider pictures and models. These experiences encouraged curiosity about the natural world and supported the Understanding the World curriculum area.
🎨 Playdough Pumpkins
Creating pumpkins from playdough strengthened children’s hand muscles, helping to develop the fine motor control needed for future writing. Children used their imagination, talked about their creations and practised shaping, rolling and moulding, supporting both Physical Development and Expressive Arts and Design.
🟢 Super Slime!
Of course, one of the highlights of the week was making and exploring slime! The children loved investigating how it changed shape and texture. This sensory-rich activity encouraged descriptive language, scientific thinking and collaborative play as children shared their discoveries with friends.
💬 What Our Teachers Said
Mrs Renton said:
“It has been wonderful to see the children’s enthusiasm and curiosity throughout the week. They have been so engaged in their learning, asking brilliant questions and working together to explore all of our spooky activities.”
Miss Ward added:
“The children have shown fantastic creativity and imagination. Through play, they have developed important skills in communication, problem-solving and fine motor control whilst having lots of fun.”
🏠 Continue the Learning at Home
Why not try some of these simple spooky activities together at home?
🎃 Count and sort pumpkin seeds after carving a pumpkin.
🧪 Make a simple potion station using water, leaves, petals and kitchen utensils.
🕷️ Go on a spider hunt in the garden and talk about where spiders like to build their webs.
🎨 Create playdough monsters and pumpkins and talk about the shapes you can make.
📚 Share autumn and Halloween-themed stories together and encourage your child to retell parts of the story.
🍂 Collect autumn treasures during a family walk and discuss the colours, textures and changes you notice.
We have loved seeing the children’s excitement and engagement throughout this special week. Their creativity, curiosity and willingness to explore have been truly wonderful to see, and we are incredibly proud of how they continue to Love, Learn and Shine every day. ✨🎃🕷️💚
