Here is a quick printable to enjoy some Halloween Preschool Fun today! Join us in creating these adorable Halloween Lacing Cards! Print, cut, and lace!! You can choose either the premarked “punch hole” lacing cards or the “plain set”. They also make a wonderful Halloween Printable.
Benefits of using Lacing Cards with Preschoolers
To begin with, they are enjoyable – although some children may not agree. I personally have fond early childhood memories of LOVING lacing cards. They were among my favorite preschool activities. I believe I enjoyed the order, colors, and lovely “results”. Naturally, they are “obvious” fine motor activities for children, but educationally, lacing cards support several areas of development:
- Fine Motor practice/ abilities,
- Visual Motor development,
- Hand-Eye Coordination,
- Bilateral Coordination,
- Grasping abilities
- Early sewing skills
Ways to use your lacing cards
Lacing cards are not only an entertaining activity for young children to try, but they can also be enjoyed in several ways afterward:
- Decorate a bulletin board with the Halloween lacing cards
- Join the lacing cards together to create a spookily adorable Halloween garland
- Turn the Halloween lacing cards into small ornaments (especially if you print them at half size, they would look wonderful hanging from a tree)
- Attach them to folded card and use them as greeting cards
Which Lacing Card Designs are included?
There are four simple lacing card designs for you to select from! Each design is available with hole punch marks or as a “plain” version – the plain set is ideal if you would like to place the holes closer together for older or more capable children and use a needle instead of a hole punch!
First, there are the Pumpkin Lacing Card and Candy Cane Lacing Card designs – both feature friendly faces, so you might even want to use them through Thanksgiving?
Next, we have Ghost Lacing Cards and Bat Lacing Cards. The bats would naturally be excellent for a “bat study unit” as well, so you do not need to use them only in a Halloween setting!
Materials needed to create your Halloween Lacing Card
- The Halloween lacing card printables (a complete set is available for a very (!!) small fee, while you can download the unmarked set for free)
- Some lightweight cardstock (a cereal packet works perfectly!) or a laminator (although I prefer to avoid plastic
- A hole punch or needle for making the holes (adults should use the needle, while the hole punch can help develop finger-strengthening skills)
- Yarn with a large rounded needle for little hands, or yarn with sticky tape wrapped around the end to create a “shoelace” for threading
- Scissors & glue for trimming the templates and attaching them to the card
How to use these Halloween Printables
Print your preferred Halloween Lacing Card – either the version with marked punch holes or the unmarked set.
Attach it to recycled cardboard (as noted, cereal boxes are an excellent thickness for lacing cards).
You or your child can try cutting out the shapes. They do not need to be cut “perfectly”, just as neatly as possible. The candy cane and bat are the “easiest” designs for practicing cutting, while the ghost and pumpkin are great for developing more advanced cutting abilities.
Make the holes with a hole punch, or use a sharp needle if you would like to add extra holes. Please note: only adults should use a needle.
Get the yarn ready: use either a large plastic needle or place a little sticky tape around one end of the yarn to turn it into a “shoelace” for your child.
Pass the yarn through the first hole and secure it with a small knot.
Then invite your preschooler to continue threading. The wonderful thing about lacing cards is that toddlers and preschoolers can complete them in whichever way they prefer. They might practice a “running stitch” or try a yarn-over stitch. It is a great opportunity to explore sequencing and pattern-making!
Have fun!!
If you liked this free printable activity, you may also enjoy our Halloween for Preschoolers collection and our Halloween Printables here. We also offer more Lacing Cards for every season for you to discover!
