Bats are one of kids’ favorite Halloween animals! They are amazing creatures and children find them absolutely fascinating. Here are some bat-themed activities for children:
Bat Craft
Materials Needed:
- Black construction paper
- Colored chalk
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Hole Puncher
Instructions:
- Fold the black construction paper in half and use a pencil to draw one side of the bat. (Folding the paper will ensure perfect symmetry when cutting it out.)
- Use scissors to cut out the shape of half the bat you drew. (Tip: Start cutting at the crease and make sure you are cutting through both sides of the paper.)
- Use colored chalk of your choice to decorate the bat.
- Use a hole puncher to create the two eyes.
B-A-T Letters Activity
Directions:
- Set up three bats around the room (You don’t have to use stuffed animals. Pictures of bats will do just fine.) and assign each of the three bats a letter (B, A, and T) by placing it next to them. (I used letter magnets, but again, pictures of letters will do just as well.)
- Have your child go on a bat search and collect all the bats and all the letters.
- Have your child sound out each letter to form the word “Bat.”
Upside Down Activity
Directions:
- Teach and show your child how bats sleep upside down.
- Have your child try to lay upside down on a safe surface (such as a couch with pillows underneath). Ask them if they think they could sleep like that.
- Set up five or six items on a table. Place some of them upside down and keep the rest right side up.
- Have your child point out which items are upside down.
Echolocation Activity
Directions:
- Teach your child how bats get around at night using echolocation. (I like to use this catchy song and video as a teaching tool: Echolocation, by JumpStart. Warning: The song will get stuck in your head. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!)
- Have your child pretend to be a bat by closing their eyes and creating an echo to try to get around the room. It’s much harder than it looks! (Warning: Please make sure nothing dangerous is in the child’s path and you are with them at all times.)
Bat Quesadilla
Ingredients:
- 3 Grilled Chicken Breast Strips (I get mine from Costco.)
- Tortilla
- 1/2 Cup of Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 Grape Tomato
- Dried Blueberries
- 1/2 TSP of Butter
- Cheese Grader
- Knife
- Skillet
- Spatula
Directions:
- Use a cheese grader to shred 1/2 cup of Monterey Jack cheese.
- Put the shredded cheese into the tortilla.
- Fold the tortilla in half.
- Melt 1/2 tsp of butter into the skillet over medium heat.
- Put the quesadilla on the skillet.
- Wait for the cheese to start melting. Check the bottom of the quesadilla for golden-brown spots. If it looks good, flip it over with the spatula.
- Check the bottom of the other side of the quesadilla for golden-brown spots. If it looks good, remove from heat.
- Use a knife to cut out bat wings out of the quesadilla as shown.
- Select one long strip of chicken for the “bat’s body” and two smaller strips for the “head” and “ears.”
- Use a knife to cut a slice of the grape tomato for the “bat’s mouth.”
- Use two dried blueberries for the “bat’s eyes.”
- Enjoy!