October Craft Ideas and Activities for Social Emotional Learning

If it smells like children and you’re feeling like you put the hag in haggard lately, you might be ready for October. Here are some of my favorite social-emotional learning activity ideas for Grades 1 to Grade 3 this spooky season.

Hocus Pocus Check Out our Mental Health Focus

Halloween is spooky, but that doesn’t mean that talking about our wellness goals has to. This bulletin board is a frighteningly fa-boo-lous addition to your counseling office, school hallway or primary classroom. 

 How it works:

Another Halloween bulletin board alternative, is the Let Your Feelings Fly decor and craft, where students are encouraged to celebrate all emotions. 

Free Confidence Mini Lesson

World Mental Health Day is October 10th. Use this engaging, free lesson plan as a springboard to talk about such social emotional learning topics as: resilience, reaching out for help when we need it, growth mindset, and using visualization as a coping tool.

Click the image below to grab your free lesson:

Peek a BOO- Who Are You?

To continue the theme of self-esteem building, this Halloween costume craft is the perfect way to reinforce the importance of having empathy (don’t judge a mummy by his bandages) and of being authentically you. 

How it works:

Students will write down something that others might not know about them. Then, they will choose one of four Halloween costumes and color the coloring pages and glue them together in a way that creates a flip ‘peek-a-BOO’ craft to reveal the child underneath the costume.

The Grateful Pumpkin Fall Craft

Whether you are in Canada, celebrating Thanksgiving this month, or simply looking to reinforce gratitude skills, this SEL pumpkin craft is the perfect pick of the patch!

How it works:

Write a compliment on each sinister ingredient to slip into someone's cauldron, to help boost morale and to encourage "fill a bucket" mindset. 

✓ What others like you are saying: 

∙ Such a great resource both to help kiddos compliment themselves and others! -Angela W.

The Haunted Growth Mindset Manor

How it works:

Your class or counseling groups will decorate their haunted house and then choose from the pre-written ghoulish growth mindset mantras, or write their own.

 

✓ What others like you are saying: 

∙ We LOVED Mindset Manor - the perfect way to discuss different mindsets during spooky season! So adorable and fun!

-Colleen H.

Spooky SEL Coloring Page Activities

Nothing screams horror like having 30 students bombarding you to ask what they can do after they’ve finished their work. These social emotional learning prompts and spooky story center are the perfect pick for mindful morning work or for early Franken finishers.