Halloween is just around the corner—my favorite season for arts and crafts! This year, we’re giving the classic Halloween bat a creative twist with a Day of the Dead Bat Craft that’s both colorful and educational. It’s a fun way to introduce children to the beauty of Día de los Muertos traditions while exploring the concept of symmetry in art.
A Halloween Craft with Cultural Flair
Skip the usual orange-and-black decorations and bring a burst of color to your classroom or home. Inspired by the vibrant hues and patterns of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)—celebrated each year on November 2nd, the same day as All Souls’ Day—this craft uses bold designs and bright tones to honor both creativity and culture.
Materials You’ll Need
- Halloween Bat Template PDF
- Colorful or fluorescent printer paper
- Black and bright-colored markers
- Scissors
- Optional: magnets, string, or tape for decorating
Designs for Halloween Bats
- Print the Template: Download and print the Halloween Bat Template. You’ll find two different bat styles to choose from.
- Choose Your Paper: Print directly on bright paper for a bold look, or print on white paper and trace onto colored sheets.
- Decorate with Patterns: Use black markers on colorful paper—or colorful markers on white paper—to create Sugar Skull–inspired designs.
- Learn About Symmetry: Encourage children to balance their designs evenly on both sides of the bat’s body. Explain that symmetrical balance means one side mirrors the other.
I’ve put together two different styles for completely different looks. One example uses colorful florescent printer paper and decorating with black markers. You can also or print on white and trace on to other paper. While the other is printed on white paper and the designs are made with bright markers.
These examples utilize some of the images often found in Sugar Skull or Day of the Dead images. The bright colors most commonly used have specific meanings in the Mexican culture. These colors are; purple, pink, red, yellow and orange. Designs usually include flowers, hearts, squiggles and curls.
Most designs you’ll find online show symmetrical patterns. As an art project, you can teach children about Symmetrical Balance. Arrange the designs on either side of the center of the bat in an equally weighted manner. Symmetrical balance is where one side is a mirror image of the other.
Decorating Ideas
Create a little holiday swag by attaching the wings of your Halloween Bats together for a front door wreath or banner.
Another option is to attach a small magnet to the back of the bats and let them swarm your refrigerator for some Halloween cheer.
To make this an easier craft for younger children, print out the Halloween Bat Template PDF but only cut out the oval shape instead of the bat itself.
