Have you ever played with a balancing bird before? You know, the birds that balance by their beak on the tip of your finger? They are such a fun little toy and are wonderful for introducing concepts like weight, gravity, balance, and counterbalance! Today, I’m going to show you how to make your very own balancing toy, but instead of a bird… we’re going to make a balancing bat for Halloween!

Halloween School: A Hands-On Halloween Unit Study!

This balancing bat activity is one of the 10 hands-on activities found in Halloween School. As you make the balancing bat, you will also learn a bit about why bats are a symbol of Halloween, watch a video where you learn some cool facts about bats, practice math skills with addition and subtraction dot-to-dots, and have some amazing conversations along the way. Check out Halloween School and grab your copy right here: https://shop.howweelearn.com/pages/halloweenschool

How to Make A Balancing Bat

Let’s make a balancing bat! To start, you will need the balancing bat template. After you enter your email address below, you will be sent the template, along with a sample of Halloween School:

Materials

To create your balancing bat, you will need:

• Balancing Bat Printable
• Scissors
• Tape
• Toothpick
• Two dimes (or other small coins)

Directions

Start by printing out the Balancing Bat Template on cardstock (regular printer paper will also work but won’t be quite as sturdy). Cut out the bat and fold it in half.

Now tape the forward half of the bat’s head together.

     

Gently crease the wings along the line indicated (this is especially helpful to stiffen the paper if using regular printer paper).

Flip the bat over, and tape a toothpick to the underside of the bat’s wings, as indicated on the template.

Roll two pieces of tape and stick them each to a dime, then stick the dimes to the underside of the bat’s wings.

Check the bat’s balance and adjust the dimes if needed. When the dimes are in the right place, secure them with a piece of tape each.

Now you’re ready to balance your bat on the tip of your finger!

Extension

Try placing the coins in slightly different places. Can you still get your bat to balance?

You can also try making your own balancing animal—or maybe a made-up spooky Halloween creature! Use the template as a guide, making some tweaks and modifications to customize it. Cut out your design, color it in, and see if you can make it balance with toothpicks and coins!

And don’t forget to take your bat for a stroll around the house to see where you can make him balance!

I hope you enjoyed creating your balancing bat! If you did, you’re going to LOVE Halloween School!

Imagine waking up each day this month and jumping right into the spirit of Halloween, making special memories, and having so much fun with your children, while still learning all day long. That is Halloween School.

Ready to make this Halloween extra special? Check out Halloween School!

https://shop.howweelearn.com/pages/halloweenschool

Happy SpooOOOoky Season, my friends!

xo
Sarah