15+ Skeleton Crafts and Activities for Halloween and Day of the Dead

Last fall Monkey was fascinated with scarecrows.  This year?  He loves skeletons!  I guess my little boy is growing up! 😉

Luckily he’s not into the spooky stuff yet (not sure I’m ready for that!).  He likes skeletons mainly because he thinks x-rays are so cool.  The fact that they are also associated with Halloween just adds to the fun!

(See my X-ray post, part of the 31 Days of ABCs series!)

So here are great posts from some blogging friends about skeletons – perfect for Halloween and Day of the Dead!  For more ideas, check out my Fall Fun for Kids Pinterest Board or the Day of the Dead Pinterest board from Multicultural Kid Blogs.

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Skeletons Everywhere!

To get us started, For the Love of Spanish has some wonderful crafts and activities, as well as book recommendations, for teaching the letter “E” for esqueleto (skeleton).

Of course, skeletons can also be used to teach about the human body, as shown with this Montessori-Inspired Skeleton Unit on Living Montessori Now.  You will find lots of great resources here!

Treats

You can learn how to make Skull Cake Pops at Red Ted Art…

… or candy bone snacks from Frogs & Snails & Puppy Dog Tails.

Halloween

I already have my Q-tips and glue ready for Monkey and I to do this skeleton craft from You Are the Roots!

How much fun are these play dough x-ray skeletons from Fantastic Fun and Learning?

And what kid wouldn’t want to make a skull out of marshmallows, like this one from No Time for Flash Cards?

Ooh, do you have skeletons in your closet?  They do over at Crystal’s Tiny Treasures!

And here’s an easy skeleton costume from Red Ted Art.   They also made these great skull and cross bone cards!

Teach your kids Spanish with this fun skeleton song from Spanish Playground!  She also recommends the book Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes. “It has Spanish Halloween words woven into the text and is just scary enough that certain kids love it. It is not strictly about skeletons, but there are plenty in the book.”

Day of the Dead

Ever wonder why there are so many skeletons and skulls for Day of the Dead?  Here is a great explanation of the holiday from Kid World Citizen.

I love this adorable popsicle stick calaveras craft from Spanglish Baby!  It really shows how Day of the Dead is not meant to be scary.

You can also find great coloring pages and other printables for Day of the Dead at Spanish Playground.

Love these fancy Day of the Dead skulls from Kid World Citizen.  As her daughter says: “Glitter makes everything better!”

I never would have thought to make skulls out of packing peanuts like these from Green Owl Art!

Toddling in the Fast Lane made a fun matching game to go with the Calavera Abecedario.

For more on Day of the Dead, visit this wonderful slideshow from Kid World Citizen.

Thank you to all of the bloggers who let me share their amazing posts here!  Are you ready for Halloween and Day of the Dead?

This post has been shared at Pinning for Play, Share It Saturday, and Crafty Moms Share’s Sharing Saturday.