desktop activities – Autismade

Halloween is such a magical time for young children, filled with pumpkins, spooky decorations, and fun costumes. It’s also a perfect opportunity to introduce hands-on activities that engage kids’ imaginations, foster creativity, and support early learning. Here’s a couple of easy Halloween activities and worksheet ideas for preschoolers and kindergartners to enjoy in the classroom or at home!

PUMPKIN COLOR SORTING

A classic hands-on activity that helps with color recognition, sorting, and fine motor skills!

Materials Needed:

•Paper cut-out pumpkins in different colors (or small pumpkin toys)

•Small containers or bowls

How to Play:

•Have the children sort the pumpkins by color.

•Ask them to name the colors out loud as they sort them (e.g., “This one is orange!”).

You can increase the challenge by introducing a “mystery color” where kids have to find pumpkins that match a color you describe, like “Find the pumpkin that’s as yellow as the sun!”

Why It’s Great:

•This activity helps kids develop color recognition and basic sorting skills.

•It’s also a good exercise for hand-eye coordination.

2. BUILD A SCARY PUMPKIN FACE

Hands on activity that will help with shape recognition, fine motor skills, follow directions and shape orientation!

Materials needed:

•Cut out large pumpkins in different colors

•Prepare Small shapes (squares, circles, triangles, stars) card or paper.

•Bowls to hold the different shapes

•Paste/glue stick

How to play:

•Have children choose the color pumpkin they want to design.

•Let them choose the visual direction cue cards of what face they want to make.

•Offer the cut out shapes for them to paste to their pumpkin face following the direction cue card.

Why its great! This activity is great for shape recognition and manipulation, following instructions and fine motor skills.

3. CREEPY HALLOWEEN WORKSHEETS

Dressing up, what you want to wear, List your favourite Halloween games, List your favourite Halloween treats, Write a creepy story sheet, Color coded coloring sheet, Count and write the number of Halloween items they see.

Why they’re great!

fine motor skills, color recognition, writing skills, counting and number recognition

These Halloween activities and worksheets are easy, fun, and educational for preschool and kindergarten children. They provide opportunities for creativity, fine motor development, and early learning in a way that makes the holiday extra special.

Subscribe for latest Freebies

Visit my TPT Store

Halloween Worksheets

Building a pumpkin face with shapes

FREE Halloween writing patterns

It’s such an exciting time, especially for our littlest learners who thrive with hands-on, visual, and sensory-rich activities. If you’re working with children in a preschool/Kindergarten, special education setting, these transition table-top activities can be a gentle and engaging way to ease into routines while learning to transition between tasks. Here’s a list of 5 simple tabletop activities perfect for those early days back, with a focus on fine motor skills, early literacy, and numeracy:

1. Playdough letter & Number Mats

Squish, roll, press! Create custom laminated mats with each child’s name and numbers 1–5. Let them form the letters and numerals using playdough snakes, encouraging finger strength and shape recognition. Add cookie cutters or rollers for extra sensory fun.

2. Pom-Pom Drop with Tongs

Set up cups labeled with numbers and a bin of colorful pom-poms. Children use tongs or adapted tweezers to transfer the pom-poms into the correct cup—fantastic for counting practice and fine motor coordination. Try textured pom-poms for added tactile input.

3. Alphabet Soup Sensory Tray

Fill a shallow bin with dry pasta or rice and scatter plastic or foam letters inside. Provide spoons, scoops, or small ladles for learners to “scoop” letters out and match to visual cue cards or alphabet mats. Engages multiple senses while working on letter ID.

4. Stickers, Dots, Letters and Numbers

Offer large printouts of letters and numbers and invite children to place small circle stickers (like garage sale dots) along the lines. It’s calming, fun, and fantastic for developing finger dexterity and spatial awareness.

5. Build-a-Tower Counting Game

Provide numbered cards (1–10) alongside a set of stacking blocks or Duplo bricks. Kids draw a card and build a tower with the matching number of blocks. Add visual supports for non-verbal communication—like number boards or thumbs-up visuals—for celebrating each success.

Visual supports are a superpower in the special ed classroom—especially for non-verbal learners! They make abstract concepts concrete, help with transitions and understanding, and boost independence.

These low-prep, hands-on activities are not only accessible for non-verbal kiddos, but they’re also filled with opportunities for choice-making, shared attention, and joyful participation.

For more back to school resources try my TPT Store

Tag: desktop activities

Fun and Easy Halloween Activities for Centers in Preschool and Kindergarten