Halloween Maths Activities for Early Years

Are you on the hunt for Halloween maths activities for your early years students? We’ve got a handy set of peg cards to help your students practise number recognition and one-to-one correspondence. This hands-on activity will have students look at groups of objects (up to 10) and count them.

To play, students will look at the pictures on each card and count them. They will then clip a clothes peg on one of the answer choices. Afterward, students will flip the card over to see if the clothes peg matches up with the correct answer (indicated by a teacher-drawn star on the back of each card).

Through this activity, students will show they can count objects up to ten.

Tips for Differentiation + Scaffolding 

In addition to individual student work time, use this Halloween maths activity to enhance learning through small groups or whole class lessons.

If you have a mixture of above and below-level learners, check out these suggestions for keeping students on track with the concepts: 

🆘 Support Struggling Students

Help students who need support by inviting them to reference posters or anchor charts from previous lessons. This activity can also be completed in a small group.

➕ Challenge Fast Finishers

For students who need a bit of a challenge, encourage them to create their own peg cards or flash cards by drawing objects to count.

🛴 Scoot Activity 

Place the cards around the room and give each student a clothespin. Assign students or pairs to a starting point card. Give students time to review the card and place their clothespin on the correct answer. Students can flip over the card to check their answers on your mark. Students will rotate to the next card when you say, “SCOOT!” Remind students to bring their clothespins with them. Continue in this manner until students return to their starting point. 

👋 Exit Ticket 

Use these cards as a formative assessment after your lesson. Pick a random assortment of cards and project them on the board for the whole class to see. Students can record their answers on paper, sticky notes, or notebooks. 

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the colour PDF, black and white PDF, or editable Google Slides version of this resource. 

Provide each student with a collection of clothes pegs to use for this activity. On the back of each card, draw a star behind the correct answer. 

Print on card for added durability and longevity. Place all pieces in a folder or large envelope for easy access. 

To keep the task cards out of pockets or under desks, punch a hole in each corner to place them on a binder ring. 

Don’t stop there! We’ve got more Halloween maths worksheets and resources that cut down on lesson planning time:  

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Printable Halloween Masks – Assorted

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Number Ordering Puzzles - Halloween Theme

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Search and Find – Year 1 Halloween Maths Worksheet

Get your students counting up to Halloween with this fun search and find maths worksheet.