Ghosts and Ghouls Halloween Counting Activities for Preschoolers

It’s fitting that preschoolers love Halloween because they love dressing up and dramatic play. This ghosts and ghouls game is a fun and non-scary way to add a little math practice to your preschool Halloween centers. It’s one of our favorite Halloween counting activities for preschoolers.

5 Halloween Counting Activities for Preschoolers Using Ghosts and Ghouls

There are all sorts of talk with my kids about what they want to be for Halloween. I really enjoy the holiday, but I am not the Pinterest Halloween Mom.

You know the kind.

I applaud those who are, but it’s just not me. I’ve written about that before in my Topographic Snowman post.

And this year my daughter wants to be a bat, which is unfortunate for me because typically my kids wear whatever fits them from the “Halloween tote” in the closet. So, we’re not going to get a third year out of that beautiful princess costume.

Needless to say, I like to keep Halloween simple, and that includes my Halloween preschool activities. This ghosts and ghouls counting activity is just that. It takes about as much prep-work as I’m willing to put in.

But the best part is that there are so many variations to this game to make it fitting for all preschool students. I’ll share all my Halloween counting games at the end of this post!

Ghosts and Ghouls Halloween Counting Game

I have briefly written about this Halloween ghosts and ghouls game before, but we have so much fun with it in preschool and at home that it was time to write a complete post about it.

Remember, I’m also sharing additional ways to use this activity to meet the needs of all your preschool learners.

Materials

• Large Lima beans
• Green acrylic paint
• Black permanent marker
• Tray or mat

The Set-Up

First, you need to prepare your ghosts and ghouls. Simple paint one side of each Lima bean green. This will be your ghoul. Leave the other side white for your ghost. Then add faces.

Place a set of ten ghosts/ghouls on a tray and invite your preschooler to join you for some Halloween counting activities.

Halloween Counting Activities for Preschoolers

Here’s how to play.

Invite your preschooler to pick up all ten Lima beans with two hands. Hold the handful above a tray or mat at about elbow length. (I have my preschoolers place their elbows on the table).

Then, drop all ten ghosts/ghouls onto the tray!

And they will tumble down onto the tray or mat. This is super fun because the results are different each time.

Do you love this shot as much as I do?! I love their little faces as they fall! I could make some sound effects…Ha, ha!

The Lima beans will fall as either ghosts or ghouls. Then invite your preschooler to count how many ghosts they dropped and how many ghouls they dropped.

I’ve written about this kind of “drop” counting activity before. I have an apple drop counting activity, as well as a hearts drop counting activity for Valentine’s day. (Be sure to check them out and grab your free printables that go with them).

This ghosts and ghouls counting activity doesn’t require a printable because the Lima beans are double-sided, so that changes things up a bit. But read the variations below to see how to make this Halloween counting activity even better!

But my preschoolers play this again and again. It helps that the Lima beans make this nice clicking noise as they fall onto the tray, which, of course, preschoolers love!

4 Variations to Halloween Counting Activities for Preschoolers

You know what it’s like to have a range of abilities in your preschool classroom, or in your home. Here are some variations on this activity to help you meet the needs of all your students.

1. Teach measurement skills by having your preschooler line up the ghosts and ghouls to see which is more.
2. Add the ghosts and ghouls to a ten frame to teach different ways to compose ten.
3. For younger preschoolers, start with only five Lima beans.
4. Make a set of rainbow-colored ghouls and invite your preschooler to graph them.

Need Some Halloween Printables for Preschoolers?

This Halloween activity pack makes great circle time activities and are also great for independent practice in your Halloween preschool centers.

Looking for More Halloween Activities?

Then you might like these!