This spider and web craft is a wonderful activity for toddlers and preschoolers to build fine motor skills while having fun. It combines a simple Halloween craft with a weaving activity that keeps little hands engaged and curious.
Spiders and cobwebs are classic seasonal motifs, so to kick off the spooky season in my daycare we made several spider crafts this week. We started with these fluffy pom-pom spiders and used them in a cozy yarn-web weaving activity. This project works well as a fine-motor exercise for young children and complements a preschool unit on bugs and insects.
Materials you’ll need
- styrofoam produce tray
- yarn or wool
- pom-poms
- googly eyes
- pipe cleaners
- glue
Making the spider web
For the web base, I used a cleaned styrofoam produce tray and some yarn. I ran the tray through the dishwasher first to ensure it was clean. Then I cut the tray into roughly 5 x 5 cm squares and smoothed the edges with a nail file so they were safe for little hands.
Next I made small v-shaped notches all around the edges and secured a long piece of wool to the back of the tray with tape. The children then enjoyed weaving the yarn back and forth around the notches to create their own webs.
Weaving is an excellent way for kids to develop fine motor control; wrapping and winding the yarn strengthens hand-eye coordination and concentration.
Making the pom-pom spiders
There are many ways to make spiders, but pom-poms and pipe cleaners are an easy, child-friendly option. I cut four pieces of pipe cleaner for each spider and pushed them through a pom-pom to form the legs. This step can be tricky and is best done by an adult or an older child with supervision.
While I assembled the spiders, the toddlers practiced scissor skills with leftover pieces of styrofoam. Cutting the tray into small pieces is a satisfying task that helps beginners learn how to use scissors safely.
After cutting, the children used their fingers to break the styrofoam into even smaller bits — another sensory, motor-building activity that produces a small “snap” as the pieces separate.
Once each spider had legs, I glued on googly eyes to give them personality. Then we placed the pom-pom spiders on their wooly webs and tucked the legs under the yarn to help hold them in place.
Simple materials and a little guidance turn into charming results — who knew a spider could look so cute?
More spider craft ideas for preschoolers
Handprint spiders
Paper plate spiders
Egg carton spiders (by Krokotak)
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