Halloween & Thanksgiving Dot Marker Printables

If you have little kids, then you probably already know that sometimes the simplest activities, like dot marker printables, are the biggest hits! You can spend an hour putting together an elaborate craft, only to have your kids lose interest in five minutes. (Yep, we’ve been there!)

Then you hand them a sheet of paper and some dot markers, and suddenly they are happily sitting at the table for half an hour!

That’s why I love having easy, no-prep activities on hand. With Halloween and Thanksgiving coming up, these Halloween and Thanksgiving dot marker printables are a fun way to add a little seasonal excitement without adding another complicated project to your to-do list. Just print the pages, grab some dot markers, and let the kids get creative!

So…What Are Dot Marker Printables?

If you’ve never used dot markers before, they are basically large markers with a round sponge tip that makes a big, colorful dot when you press it onto the paper. (I won’t lie, they are so satisfying to use!) If you’ve played Bingo, they are very similar to what you would use to mark a Bingo card.

My favorite set of dot markers are these affordable ones which come with 12 fun colors!

They’re especially fun for toddlers and preschoolers because they don’t require the same level of precision as regular coloring. Kids can simply find a circle and *dab, dab, dab* until they’ve finished the picture.

Pro Tip: My kids can turn a blank printable into a rainbow of dots before I can even finish saying, “Please don’t get that on the table.” I would recommend putting down some scrap paper or keep a sheet of butcher paper like this on hand if the printable you’re working on is sitting on a surface you really like!

Plus, the kids will also really enjoy it if you just turn them loose with dot markers and a huge piece of butcher paper before or after they complete the printables!

Why Kids Love These Fall Dot Marker Activities

Dot marker pages are one of those activities that are easy enough for little kids to do independently but still give them plenty to work on.

As they place the dots on the page, they’re practicing hand-eye coordination and fine motor control. They’re also working on things like recognizing colors, following a simple pattern, and paying attention to where they’re placing the marker. BUT you don’t have to turn it into a formal learning activity.

Sometimes the best part is simply giving your child something fun to do.

Some of the printables have counting tracks to practice counting by 1s and 2s, but even the blank ones are a great learning opportunity too!

You can ask questions while they work if you want to sneak in a little learning:

What color are you using?
How many dots did you make?
Can you find all the circles?
What color should we use next?
Can you make a pattern?
Which picture is your favorite?

Or you can just let them have fun. There’s nothing wrong with an activity being just an activity!

Halloween Dot Marker Fun

Halloween is one of my favorite times of year to pull out seasonal activities. There are pumpkins, ghosts, bats, candy, spiders, and all kinds of other silly and spooky things that kids love.

These Halloween dot marker pages are a great activity to pull out during the weeks leading up to Halloween.

Need something to do on a rainy afternoon?

Have a preschooler who wants to participate while you’re working on something else?

Looking for something easy during a playdate?

Just print a few pages and you’re ready to go!

You could even put together a little Halloween activity basket with the printables, dot markers, crayons, stickers, and a few Halloween books. Then you have a ready to grab-and-go activity whenever the kids start announcing, “I’m bored!”

Don’t Worry About Using the “Right” Colors

One of the best things about this kind of activity is that there really aren’t any rules.

Sure, you might expect a pumpkin to be orange and a ghost to be white, but if your child decides that the pumpkin should be purple and the ghost should be covered in rainbow dots, that’s perfectly fine! Let them choose their own colors.

You could encourage your child to use traditional Halloween colors like orange, black, purple, and green, or let them go completely wild. If you have an older preschooler, you can also encourage them to make patterns. Try orange, purple, orange, purple, or see if they can create their own three-color pattern. And if your toddler simply wants to use every color they can find on one page and make a muddy mess?

That’s okay too.

Thanksgiving Dot Marker Activities

Once Halloween is over, you can get those dot markers back out for Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving can be a particularly busy time for families. Between cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, decorating, traveling, and getting ready for family to arrive, there isn’t always time for a complicated kids’ craft. That’s where simple printables come in handy.

Set a few Thanksgiving pages on the table with some dot markers and let the kids work while you finish making dinner. If you have butcher paper, you can even ask them to decorate a big piece and use it as a “tablecloth” for the kids table! This gives them a special job that includes something practical and fun while you cook.

Because as much as we love our little helpers, sometimes having multiple tiny hands reaching for the mixing bowl while we’re trying to make Thanksgiving dinner isn’t exactly relaxing. A simple activity can keep them nearby and entertained while you get things done.

No Dot Markers? No Problem!

Don’t have dot markers yet? You can still use these printables with regular markers! I still recommend dot markers eventually, because they are FUN and less frustrating for kids who have a harder time coloring within the lines.

Regular markers work just fine, although you may need to remind younger kids to color the circles rather than scribble all over the page. Crayons and colored pencils are another easy option.

You can also use stickers. In fact, stickers can be a great alternative for toddlers who aren’t quite ready to control a marker. These dot stickers are mess free and a really fun alternative!

Have a pile of random stickers left over from another project? Even better. The goal is simply to fill in the dots and have fun.

Want More Dot Marker Activities?

If your kids love these pages, there are plenty of other dot marker activities you can try throughout the year. Check these other posts out:

20+ of the Best Dot Marker Printables
Easter Egg Dot Marker Activity
Caterpillar Dot Marker Printable Math Activity

Many of these pages combine letters with simple pictures, making them a fun option for preschool and kindergarten-aged kids. There are also number recognition pages that give kids a fun way to practice early math skills!

I love finding activities like these because once you have the dot markers, you can keep using them for all kinds of different learning and play activities!

The Best Part? Almost No Prep!

As much as I love a good Pinterest-worthy craft, I’m also a big fan of activities that don’t require me to buy seventeen different supplies. These dot marker printables are about as easy as it gets.

You need:

Printed dot marker pages
Dot markers or bingo daubers
A table or other flat surface
Maybe some scrap paper underneath

That’s it!

No glue, no glitter, no paintbrushes, and no complicated instructions.

Most importantly, no hour-long preparation session before the kids can actually start the activity.

Just print and play!

Grab the Halloween & Thanksgiving Dot Marker Printables

Ready for a little fall fun? Join the email list and get the Halloween and Thanksgiving dot marker printables below and let your little ones get to work!

If you are an existing member, click here to head to the member’s only section and enter the password from your welcome email.

Otherwise, sign up below to become a member and get the library password. Your pdf download will come straight to your inbox. Once downloaded, just print and enjoy! And enjoy lifetime membership to the entire member library!

Whether they carefully choose every color or cover the entire page in a rainbow of dots, they’re sure to have fun with them. These printables are perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and young elementary-aged kids, and they’re easy enough to use at home, in a classroom, for homeschool, or during a playdate.

Sometimes the best childhood memories come from the simplest things: sitting at the kitchen table, making colorful pictures, talking about pumpkins and turkeys, and enjoying a little time together. So grab those dot markers, print a few pages, and let the dots begin!

Happy dotting!