Halloween offers more than costumes and decorations — it’s a chance to spark curiosity and learning through hands-on, themed STEM activities. Below are some engaging ideas to bring into your service that will delight children while supporting key EYLF learning outcomes.
1. Bubbling Cauldron (Science & Engineering)
Experience:
Cut the top off a small pumpkin and scoop out the seeds or use a large cauldron-type bowl (you can paint a recycled container black), and place bi-carb soda inside. Add vinegar coloured with food dye, and watch the fizzy eruption spill over like a spooky potion.
EYLF Links:
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Outcome 4.2: Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, enthusiasm, and creativity.
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Outcome 5.1: Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes.
2. Shadow Monsters (Technology & Creativity)
Experience:
Set up a torch or light source and provide Halloween cut-outs (bats, spiders, witches’ hats). Encourage children to experiment with moving the objects closer or further from the light to see how the shadow changes.
EYLF Links:
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Outcome 4.4: Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, place, technologies, and natural materials.
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Outcome 5.3: Children express ideas and make meaning using a range of media.
3. Spider Web STEM Challenge (Engineering & Problem-Solving)
Experience:
Using tape, string, or yarn, create a giant “web” across a doorway or between furniture. Provide pom-poms or scrunched paper “flies” for children to toss and see if they can land them on the sticky web. Challenge them to make adjustments to improve their aim or strengthen the web.
EYLF Links:
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Outcome 3.2: Children take increasing responsibility for their own wellbeing.
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Outcome 4.1: Children develop dispositions such as persistence and problem-solving.
4. Floating Ghosts (Science & Numeracy)
Experience:
Draw ghost faces on white balloons. Inflate them with a mix of vinegar and baking soda using a small bottle and balloon experiment (place soda in the balloon, vinegar in the bottle, and attach the balloon before tipping). Discuss the “invisible gas” that makes the ghost rise.
EYLF Links:
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Outcome 2.4: Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment by noticing changes in materials.
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Outcome 4.2: Children develop a range of skills and processes such as investigating, imagining, and experimenting.
5. Slime Potions (Mathematics & Sensory Science)
Experience:
Mix slime using simple recipes (glue, water, borax, or cornstarch alternatives). Provide bowls with natural resources, lose parts, or toy spiders so children can create their own “Halloween potions.” Encourage measuring and comparing quantities.
EYLF Links:
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Outcome 4.2: Children transfer and adapt what they have learned from one context to another.
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Outcome 5.4: Children begin to understand how symbols and pattern systems work through measuring and mixing.
Final Thoughts
Halloween-inspired STEM experiences are a powerful way to combine play, creativity, and critical thinking. Linking these activities to the EYLF ensures educators can capture the learning, demonstrate intentional teaching, and support children’s natural curiosity in meaningful ways.
By weaving STEM into seasonal celebrations, educators provide children with opportunities to explore scientific concepts, test out engineering ideas, and engage in collaborative problem-solving — all while enjoying the fun of Halloween.
Looking for more spooky experiences? Here are 15 Halloween Experience ideas with links to EYLF.
