Easy Jack-o-Lanterns

Exploration of shapes and patterns is a breeze with these two easy Jack-O-Lanterns. No tricks, only treats as preschool students learn and explore through play.

Visual Discrimation – Easy Jack-O-Lantern Faces

Visual discrimination is an essential part of early math and pre-reading skills. It is the ability to recognize similarities and differences among items. Preschool students love practicing this skill, as evidenced in games like “Memory” or “Concentration.”

With these easy Jack-O-Lanterns, students can practice visual discrimination by recreating faces they see on an example card.

How-To Set Up the Easy Jack-O-Lanterns

1. Start with small pieces of orange construction paper. Quarter sheets are perfect!
2. Glue shapes to create different faces on each card. Alternatively, print different faces on the cards in the printer.
3. Place three bowls in the middle of the work area filled with black foam shapes.
4. Fill one bowl with circles and label the outside with the names of the shapes.
5. Cut out large orange pumpkins from craft foam sheets. (Pre-cut foam pumpkin sheets may also be available at craft stores in the fall.) Orange construction paper cut-outs, laminated for durablity, also work!
6. Provide each student with a large pumpkin. The student will choose a small jack-o-lantern card and work to create the same face on their pumpkin.

Differentiate the activity by implementing patterns for students that need that extra bit of challenge.

These jack-o-lantern faces are sure to be a hit in any classroom. Better still, they are reusable as the students can reposition the foam pieces again and again!

Light Table Easy Jack-O-Lanterns

The light table is such a fun and versatile addition to the preschool classroom. More open-ended easy jack-o-lanterns fun can be had using easy-to-find materials.  

First, cut an orange plastic folder into pumpkin shapes. Next, cut out foam shapes and add them to the middle of the table. Then, students select a shape and create their unique masterpieces. They choose shapes for the eyes, nose, mouth, and even hair!

• 

• 

Students are free to create unique jack-o-lanterns that show off their personalities. These are sure to be a hit in any preschool classroom!