Our Halloween Jack-o-lantern Activities for Kids with Free Printables are perfect for children in Montessori preschool and early elementary classrooms who prefer non-scary, kid-friendly work.

These activities focus on all that jack-o-lanterns are:

• Shapes
• Emotions
• Carving a Pumpkin

Halloween themed activities are so exciting to kids during October. 

There's just something about pumpkins that draws children close.

Here are just a few of the jack-o-lantern activities and printables we've used in our classroom this year.

Montessori-inspired Halloween Jack-o-lantern Activities for Kids with Free Printables

Shape Writing Strips

For kids who love to write, these shape writing strips are so much fun. 

When designing and carving a jack-o-lantern, a knowledge of shapes is very important. 

This activity invites children to learn shape names while practicing writing and spelling skills.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Halloween Jack-o-lantern Printable Pack.

Shape Syllable Clip Cards

Another way to practice shape names is through syllable counting.

In this activity Sunshine identifies the shape on the card and then claps out how many syllables the word includes.

She selects a pumpkin and places it on the correct answer.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Halloween Jack-o-lantern Printable Pack.

Pumpkin Emotions Book Activity

Understanding emotions is an incredibly important skill for children to develop.

In this activity, emotions are introduced using jack-o-lanterns. 

Sunshine identifies the emotion on the card provided.

She then draws her own jack-o-lantern face with the matching emotion and writes the emotion on the lines provided.

Once she goes through all of the emotion cards, she'll have a book of emotions to keep and enjoy.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Halloween Jack-o-lantern Printable Pack.

Emotions Nomenclature Cards

Understanding jack-o-lantern emotions is one thing, but applying those emotions to other children is another.

In this activity Sunshine is introduced to children's emotions using the same words that were in the jack-o-lantern activity above.

Once she mastered the jack-o-lantern emotion cards and the children emotion cards, we combined the two and played a matching game.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Halloween Jack-o-lantern Printable Pack.

Pumpkin Emotions on Halloween Night Graphing Activity

In this graphing activity, Sunshine rolls the dice, adding numbers up, and places the correct number of black buttons on the graph representing each emotion.

This graph could also be used after a jack-o-lantern scavenger hunt in the community.

Sunshine absolutely loves creating graphs. This is one of her favorite activities.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Halloween Jack-o-lantern Printable Pack.

Halloween Jack-o-lanterns Skip Counting by 2s

In this activity Sunshine reviews skip counting by 2s using the cards provided. 

She sequences the cards in order, counting by 2s. 

If she needs the manipulatives to figure out what number comes next, they are available for use.

For kids who are just learning to skip count, the manipulatives are a great control for the activity.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Halloween Jack-o-lantern Printable Pack.

Cutting Shapes

Carving a jack-o-lantern is a little bit different than cutting paper, but cutting out paper shapes is great practice for carving a jack-o-lantern in regards to developing fine motor skills and muscle control.

In this activity Sunshine cuts out the shape provided on each card, identifying them as she goes.

To add a Halloween theme, you could use orange paper, or glue shapes that have been cut out onto a paper pumpkin template.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Halloween Jack-o-lantern Printable Pack.

How to Carve a Jack-o-lantern Sequencing Activity

Carving a jack-o-lantern includes so many steps. 

For kids who may lack patience or who struggle to understand sequence, this activity is perfect.

Sunshine puts the cards in order to match the sequence of carving a pumpkin on the chart provided.

When we carve our own jack-o-lanterns we use the chart to guide our process. 

This helps Sunshine so much.

Source: The printable for this activity is part of our Halloween Jack-o-lantern Printable Pack.

Jack-o-lantern Adjectives Printable Pack

Sunshine has been enjoying grammar studies. 

I love that she loves grammar because it encourages so much reading practice.

Currently, Sunshine is enjoying both activities in this printable pack.

She loves matching up the word and picture cards.

As she becomes more confident with the word and pictures, she loves to use the clip cards and read all of the options provided there.

Source: The printable for this activity is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions below.

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6. Click on link.

7. Find the printable pack you are looking for listed in alphabetical order, click on it, and voila!

We hope you enjoy your free printable.

Note: If you are already a newsletter subscriber, open your most recent newsletter. At the bottom you will find a link to the Subscriber Only Freebies page, along with the password in case you forgot it.

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Apple Activities for Kids with Free Printables are perfect during the fall season when apples are ready to pick and enjoy. 

Sunshine is very excited about fall, picking apples in our yard, and baking all things apple related in teh kitchen.

She asked to learn more about apples this fall and I obliged.

Since we've studied apples before, I wanted to be sure to create activities and printables that were new but also a little more challenging.

They have been absolutely perfect for her, so much that she hasn't wanted to stop using them.

I love that they're not your typical apple activities.

Apple Activities for Kids with Free Printables

Apple Names First Letter Sounds Clip Cards

Apple nomenclature cards are definitely a thing in most Montessori apple studies. 

We went a step further and created first letter sound clip cards.

Sunshine looks at the clip card and then identifies the first letter that's missing. 

If she needs help, I have provided apple control cards for her to sort through until she finds the one that matches.

Source: My husband created the printable for this activity as part of our Apples Language Printable Pack. 

Parts of an Apple Drawing Activity

Parts of an apple nomenclature cards are quite traditional in Montessori classrooms.

My husband created beautiful true-to-life images of parts of an apple that Sunshine is using as a control to create a book.

I love giving her the freedom to draw and write as she likes. 

It's definitely a way she enjoys learning.

Source: My husband created the printable for this activity as part of our Apples Language Printable Pack. 

Apple Desserts Nomenclature Cards

Apples are used in so many different dishes! 

To introduce our apple unit Sunshine and I headed a local grocery store.

We went down each isle on a scavenger hunt for as many items as we could possible find that were made with apples or had the word "apple" in the title. 

She had so much fun.

For the remainder of our unit she used these nomenclature cards to learn about multiple desserts and drinks that are made with apples.

When it came time to decide what dessert she wanted after dinner each night, she could pick an item from her cards for us to try to make.

Source: I created the printable for this activity as part of our Apples Language Printable Pack. 

Apple Activities Verb Clip Cards

Montessori grammar is one of my favorite things! 

These apple activity verb cards are no exception.

The true-to-life images are absolutely gorgeous.

Sunshine identifies the missing verb on the clip card and marks it with one of the wooden apples.

If she needs help, she can use her control cards to find the answer.

Source: I created the printable for this activity as part of our Apples Language Printable Pack. 

Apple Adjectives Match Up Activity

Sunshine thoroughly enjoys picture and word matching activities. 

I find that they're a great way to encourage reading skills.

In this activity Sunshine matches article, adjective, noun cards about apples with pictures.

Source: I created the printable for this activity as part of our Apples Language Printable Pack. 

Apple Writing Strips

Spelling is something that Sunshine still really struggles with.

In this activity she practices spelling the words: apples, red, yellow, and  green.

I love that this activity is simple and not overwhelming. 

In our classroom we laminate cards and use dry erase markers so we can practice over and over again.

Source: I created the printable for this activity as part of our Apples Language Printable Pack. 

Counting Apples Activity

This number activity focuses on Sunshine recognizing and reading her number words. 

If she struggles, she can count the apples on each card.

In this activity Sunshine identifies the number on each card and counts out apples to match the number. 

Hands on manipulatives like these plastic mini apples really help Sunshine feel motivated to work on her reading skills, which is why they're included.

As she becomes more comfortable with identifying number words, she will sequence numbers in order.

Source: I created the printable for this activity as part of my Apples Math Printable Pack.

Apple Activities Telling Time Activity

Sunshine really struggles with telling time.

There are so many fun apple themed activities out there.

In this activity I have combined the telling time with those activities.

Sunshine looks at the apple activity, description and time, and matches it with the clock and description.

Source: I created the printable for this activity as part of my Apples Math Printable Pack.

Apple Treats U.S. Coin Counting Activity

Sunshine also struggles with counting money, especially when there is more than one type of coin on the cards.

In this activity I've combined apple dessert items with U.S. coins. 

The dessert items have a coin amount on them.

Sunshine matches the coin amount and coin cards with the apple dessert cards.

Source: I created the printable for this activity as part of my Apples Math Printable Pack.

Life Cycle of an Apple

Sunshine loves understanding the life cycle of fruit trees, especially those that we have in our yard. 

This apple life cycle resource breaks down the process of growing an apple into six steps.

There are charts and sequencing cards included.

Source: The Apple Life Cycle Printable Pack is a Subscriber's Only Freebie. For your free copy, follow the directions below.

Directions on How to Obtain Subscriber Only Freebies

1. Click on the Subscriber's link at the bottom of this post.

2. Subscribe to our free newsletter.

3. Open the thank you message you receive in your e-mail, after subscribing. (Be sure to check your spam folder, as sometimes it ends up there.)

4. Click the confirmation link in the thank you message.

5. Once the confirmation is complete, you will receive another e-mail message with the Subscriber Only Freebies.

6. Click on link.

7. Find the printable pack you are looking for listed in alphabetical order, click on it, and voila!

We hope you enjoy your free printable.

Note: If you are already a newsletter subscriber, open your most recent newsletter. At the bottom you will find a link to the Subscriber Only Freebies page, along with the password in case you forgot it.If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the resources below.

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Over the last month I have found myself needing to ask for help from so many others due to the cost of raising a child with severe mental health struggles.

Sunshine has been increasingly unstable for over two months now. It seems there's no end in sight. 

We are desperate to find a way to stabilize her and keep her at home with her family.

Nothing feels more hopeless and helpless than not being able to help a child with severe mental health struggles, while you watch your other children, your partner and yourself struggle.

 I've been pondering a lot lately about the cost of raising a child with severe mental health struggles and came up with ten thoughts I wanted to share.

The Cost of Raising a Child with Severe Mental Health Struggles

Warning: This post contains content related to Mental Health Struggles that may be triggering to some.

 

Important: Children with mental health struggles are innocent. Behaviors mental health struggles are real and impact many. It is our goal to support healthy and loving families where children with mental health can receive help and heal, if possible.

1. Financial Hardship

I can't begin to describe the financial hardships a family experiences while raising a child with severe mental health struggles. 

There's the cost of therapy, medication, gas, and vehicle expenses.

There's the cost of destruction of property at home and in the community.

Right now we are trying to replace a door, fix a toilet, and patch a hole in the ceiling.

There's the cost of psychiatric ward stays, day programs, and residential placements.

Sometimes there are court related costs.

Insurance companies and community programs may pay for some expenses, but never all.

Unlike cancer or other medical issues, very few people line up to do fundraisers for families with a child struggling with mental health issues.

And if they do attempt, very few donate to the cause.

In our family, besides the financial expenses above, there have been hotel costs. 

Some of our family has had to live in hotels for safety on two occasions, both for five to six weeks at a time.

In most families a parent needs to remain at home for safety, child care, and to manage appointments, therapies, finances, etc. 

Currently in our home, Sunshine's situation requires both parents home at all times. We work when we can, but it's not enough.

The financial sacrifice is great and very rarely leads to positive outcomes.

It's very hard to find positive outcomes when working with a broken system.

What's even more difficult is that the financial burdens never end. 

There is no cure for severe mental health struggles.

2. Abusive and Unhealthy Relationships

More than anything parents want to raise their children in a safe environment without abuse of any kind.

Yet when a child suffers from severe mental health issues, everyone in the household is exposed to unhealthy relationships, emotional, verbal, and/or physical abuse.

I want to make it very clear that a child with severe mental health issues cannot control their own behaviors at times, nor does a child choose to have severe mental health issues.

Unfortunately, the very essence of severe mental health struggles is based on an inability to form healthy relationships.

The more severe the mental health struggles, the more severe the abuse for others becomes.

For caregivers who do not have experience with severe mental health issues, challenges are unprecedented.

Some caregivers resort to unhealthy and abusive parenting choices as they are desperate to make the behaviors stop.

It is so crucial for family members to receive continued help and support to ensure that all members of the household are safe and working through experiences taking place in the home and the community.

Even with help, there will be consequences for everyone.

3. Deteriorating Health

When raising a child with severe mental health issues, the caregiver's physical health most often takes a back seat to all that's going on with the child.

Appointments are postponed, rescheduled, cancelled, or aren't even scheduled because finding childcare can be so difficult or other situations arise.

So much money is spent on the child with severe mental health issues, that there is none left for the caregiver's health care.

Caregivers can be physically injured by a child with severe mental health issues.

Due to the severity of behaviors, caregivers may not be able to obtain the necessary rest, exercise, or nutrition that is required to be healthy.

High stress levels affect the body's ability to function.

The consequences to a caregiver's physical health are very real.

A caregiver's emotional health can also suffer serious consequences while raising a child with severe mental health issues.

Feelings of depression and anxiety become very real and can become quite severe without help and treatment.

Why Self-Care is So Dang Hard for Parents Raising Kids with Trauma

If the child's severe mental health struggles are inherited genetically, the caregiver's mental health struggles may increase and become more severe, due to the stress of caring for the child.

Depression and anxiety can also affect siblings of the child with severe mental health struggles, in turn the caregiver's mental health is affected. 

Life can easily spiral out of control with everyone struggling so much.

4. Isolation

There are very few people who understand and can be supportive of a caregiver who is raising a child with severe mental health issues.

Friendships are hard to come by.

Even if a caregiver does make a friend, it is extremely difficult to maintain the friendship with all that's going on at home.

Most often caregivers are unable to invite others into the home because of the severity of mental health issues, neither can they get out of the house often to do fun things with friends.

When it comes to family, unless mental health struggles are hereditary, very few understand.

And even when mental health struggles are hereditary, the handling of them and treatment for them is very different.

Invitations to family and friend events become less and less as others choose not to want to deal with all that comes with severe mental health struggles.

Then there's the reality that after spending so much time dealing with mental health struggles, a caregiver may not have the energy to spend time with others, or want to.

The feelings of isolation are very real.

5. Time

A caregiver raising a child with severe mental health struggles has so many meetings and appointments. 

Driving to and from appointments, near and far, takes so much time.

Then there's the unwinding from appointments, whether good or bad, the brain needs time to process.

At home there are behaviors. 

Each and every one takes time away from other things. 

Again, none of this is the child's fault, but the consequences of behaviors are very real to all involved.

Time spent handling behaviors is time spent away from work, home responsibilities and other children.

All of that time has to be made up for somehow.

And one would think that time would be freed up when a child is in a pediatric psychiatric ward or residential facility, but it's not.

Our Pediatric Mental Health Crisis Up Close and Personal

There's travel, appointments, and grief. 

So much grief.

Grieving takes time.

6. Charity and Unconditional Love Towards Others

A caregiver of a child with severe mental health struggles knows how to love in the darkest of circumstances.

Severe mental health struggles mean that the child is most likely abusing a caregiver in some way.

There is such an awareness, acceptance, and acknowledgement of love not being based on behaviors, because a caregiver knows that there are many times the child has no control of those behaviors.

The caregiver sees how much the child wishes for change, improvement, and healing, to no avail.

A caregiver sees the child's strengths, where they may seem nonexistent to others.

 Negative feelings come because a person cares. 

Grief is the most intimate form of love.

Goodbye Sunshine

A caregiver of a child with severe mental health struggles feels deeply and continues to advocate ferociously no matter what.

A caregiver of a child with severe mental health struggles does not ever give up.

Even when circumstances are such that a child cannot live safely with a family, a caregiver never stops loving.

7. Increased Mindfulness

In order to survive day to day, a caregiver of a child with severe metal health struggles has to learn mindfulness.

There's an emphasis on celebrating every win, no matter how small.

A caregiver learns to pause, breathe, and take each situation one step at a time.

Four Prompts to Encourage Mindfulness in Children

Being present focused becomes automatic.

Managing all of the chaos while staying sane requires the utmost mindfulness of self and surroundings.

So much of parenting is about the caregiver understanding their own triggers and fears and NOT acting on them.

A caregiver of a child with severe mental health struggles learns how to find their peace and calm in the most difficult of situations, and somehow be okay afterwards.

8. Empathy

A caregiver of a child with severe mental health struggles feels deep empathy towards others because she knows that struggles are real and sometimes impossible to overcome.

There is no judgement from a caregiver of a child with severe mental health struggles because the caregiver knows how bad things can get no matter how hard everyone tries to find answers and treatment.

Watching others suffer is extremely difficult for a caregiver of a child with mental health struggles, because a caregiver knows just how deeply suffering can affect families.

A caregiver of a child with severe mental health struggles never wants others to struggle as she has and will do all she can to provide comfort, peace, and safety.

9. Leadership Skills

The caregiver of a child with severe mental health struggles would make the best CEO of a company.

Their communication skills are refined and superb after speaking with doctors, specialists, therapists, insurance, and so many others.

A caregiver of a child with severe mental health struggles knows how to work in a team, even when other members aren't pulling their weight, are bullying, or making the situation worse. 

She knows how to collaborate.

Acceptance of life's circumstances is never more real than it is to a caregiver of a child with severe mental heath struggles.

A caregiver of a child with sever mental health struggles knows how to advocate without giving up when things don't work out.

8 Important Facts Parents Need to Know About the IEP Process

Caring for a child with severe mental health struggles requires the utmost organization of environment, schedule, and more.

It also requires the utmost flexibility, as life changes in the blink of an eye.

A caregiver of a child with severe mental health struggles is incredible under pressure.

She's the one you want to have around when things go wrong and there are emergencies.

The caregiver of a child with severe mental health struggles is so flexible and can easily accommodate any situation.

10. Patience

There is absolutely nothing that occurs quickly when raising a child with mental health struggles.

A caregiver waits for appointments.

A caregiver waits for medications to work.

A caregiver waits for supports to be put in place and actually be carried through with.

A caregiver waits for the child with severe mental health struggles to get better for years and sometimes decades.

A caregiver of a child with severe mental health struggles waits for safety over and over and over again.

A caregiver of a child with severe mental health struggles waits for abuse to stop.

A caregiver of a child with severe mental health struggles waits for the world to acknowledge and accept that mental health struggles are real, for the stigma to disappear, and for the world to actually take action for change.

The System Failed Us Horribly

A caregiver waits for a broke system to be overhauled, while her child suffers.

There is not a more patient on this planet than a caregiver of a child with severe mental health struggles.

The cost of raising a child with severe mental health struggles is great. 

In the midst of the darkest moments, it can be very easy to feel defeated, especially when you can't see the light.

If possible, take the time to think about the investments you are making in yourself and in your child. 

You will never be the same after the experiences that you've had.

You've gone through or are going through the refiner's fire.

You may feel broken, but you are more capable than you have ever been before. 

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