Spooky decorations, costume planning, and aisles full of candy all shout that Halloween is coming soon. Like other holidays that children anticipate with joy, it’s fun to countdown to the big day, and using a calendar helps cut down on the daily question of “how much longer until Halloween?”!

Print out an empty countdown page, then fill it with cut out treats or numbers each day as you get closer to October 31st.

• Printable Halloween Countdown Calendar (download here)
• Scissors
• Glue stick

Step 1
Choose either the pumpkin or the treat bag, and the number or the candy circles from the PDF and print the pages onto heavy paper or lightweight card stock. Cut out the circle pieces just inside the dotted lines so that the cutting lines don’t show.

Step 2
For each day in October, glue one circle onto the countdown page.

Step 3
For children learning their numbers, the numbered circles are a great opportunity to work on counting up to 31, or even counting backwards. Older children may want to cut their own circles, doing one per day.

If you’ve cut all of the circles ahead of time, why not keep them in a bowl close to your countdown calendar? A bowl full of paper sweet treats is colorful, but less sugary!

For a Halloween countdown calendar that can be used each year, laminate the sheet and the circles, then add a magnet piece to the back of each circle. You can keep track of the days on your refrigerator!

Happy countdown crafting!