Halloween is just around the corner, and if you’re looking for a fun, hands-on STEM activity for your classroom, the Halloween Costume Design for The Bad Seed is a perfect choice!
Inspired by The Bad Seed Presents: The Good, the Bad, and the Spooky by Jory John, this activity encourages creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills—all while celebrating the Halloween spirit!
HallOween Costume Design STEM Activity
In the story, The Bad Seed is on a mission to find the perfect Halloween costume, but nothing seems to fit just right. Now, it’s up to your students to help by designing the best costume ever! Whether scary, funny, or completely unique, students will have the opportunity to get creative and craft a costume that will make The Bad Seed stand out this Halloween.
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Simplifying Your Planning Process
This lesson is available on Carly and Adam’s store. However, the best way to access this lesson is through the STEM Teachers Club Membership.
The STEM Teachers Club Membership not only provides high-quality lesson plans but also offers a structured approach to implementing them. With weekly themes and suggested read-alouds, you can easily integrate STEM into your daily schedule. Through the STEM Teachers Club you are able to gain access to our full catalog of lessons with unlimited downloads and you can cancel anytime.
Suggested Materials
Blank “Bad Seed” templates
Markers, crayons, or color sticks
Scissors
Glue
Fabric scraps, construction paper, pipe cleaners, and other craft materials (e.g., felt, stickers, beads)
Optional: The Bad Seed Presents: The Good, the Bad, and the Spooky book for reading before the activity
the Bad Seed Halloween STEM Challenge Overview
Introduce the Story: Start by reading or summarizing The Bad Seed Presents: The Good, the Bad, and the Spooky to your class. This will give students context and inspire them to design a costume that matches The Bad Seed’s unique personality.
Challenge Time: Explain the challenge to your students:
They must design a Halloween costume for The Bad Seed.
Students can choose any theme for the costume—whether spooky, silly, or something completely different.
Design Phase:
Give students 10 minutes to brainstorm and sketch their ideas on the provided template.
Encourage them to think outside the box and be as creative as possible!
Build the Costume:
After sketching their design, students will have 20 minutes to create their costume using the craft materials.
They can cut, glue, and decorate their templates to bring their vision to life.
Share and Reflect:
After completing the costumes, have a sharing session where students present their designs to the class.
Ask them to explain why they chose their design and what makes it a perfect fit for The Bad Seed.
STEM Connections
This activity ties into important STEM concepts, particularly in design and engineering:
Engineering Design Process: Students will use the steps of the engineering design process (Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve, and Share) as they develop their costume designs. They will learn how to take an idea from concept to creation and think critically about their choices.
Problem-Solving: By working within time and material constraints, students will practice problem-solving skills as they figure out how to construct their costumes using available resources.
While this resource is available on Carly and Adam’s store, the Carly and Adam STEM Teachers Club Membership offers the best value for educators. With this membership, teachers gain unlimited access to Carly and Adam's extensive library of STEM resources, including ready-to-use lesson plans, activities, and challenges including the Bad Seed Costume Design Challenge.
This activity provides a meaningful blend of STEM, literacy, and creativity. By integrating a beloved story with hands-on design, students are able to connect emotionally with the challenge, enhancing their learning experience. The simple materials required make it accessible for all classrooms, while the focus on the engineering design process helps develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
*This resource can also be purchased on Carly and Adam’s store, but the STEM Teachers Club Membership is the Best Deal.
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