No-Prep Bat-Themed Activities for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grade

Fun, differentiated classroom ideas for Stellaluna, Halloween, or Bat Week!

If you're planning a bat-themed unit for October—or just need some engaging fall activities—this post is for you! Below you'll find 3 no-prep bat-themed activities that require zero extra materials and work beautifully with your existing plans for Stellaluna, Halloween, or Bat Week.

Even better? Each idea includes suggestions for low, medium, and high-level learners, so you can easily adapt them for your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade classroom.

1. Bat Facts Brainstorm

Objective: Build background knowledge and activate prior learning.

What to do:
Ask your class, “What do you already know about bats?” Record responses on the board or have students jot down their ideas on a half-sheet of paper.

• Low learners: Draw or list 1–2 things they know (e.g., “Bats fly” or “They sleep upside down”).
• Medium learners: Write a complete sentence or short paragraph about one fact.
• High learners: Write 3+ interesting facts and use “because” or “so” to extend their thinking (e.g., “Bats sleep during the day because they are nocturnal.”)

Optional extension: Let students turn one fact into a mini "Did You Know?" classroom display!

2. Stellaluna Character Compare

Objective: Make text-to-animal connections using character traits.

What to do:
After reading Stellaluna by Janell Cannon, guide students in comparing the main character’s behavior to real bats.

• Low learners: Draw a picture of Stellaluna and describe how she acts.
• Medium learners: Use a sentence frame such as “Stellaluna is like a real bat because…”
• High learners: Write 3–5 sentences comparing and contrasting Stellaluna with real bats, using details from the text and what they’ve learned in science.

This is a great follow-up to your bat science unit or a quick writing activity for early finishers.

3. Bat Vocabulary Walk

Objective: Practice academic vocabulary with movement and review.

What to do:
Call out a bat-related word like nocturnal, mammal, wingspan, or roost. Students show what the word means using gestures, facial expressions, or a quick sketch on paper or whiteboards.

• Low learners: Choose from visual picture clues to identify the word’s meaning.
• Medium learners: Act it out or draw it.
• High learners: Use the word in a sentence or define it in their own words.

Bonus: This activity is great for kinesthetic learners and makes vocabulary review more memorable!

Looking for Printable Bat Resources?

You’ll love this Bat Science Worksheet Packet—a simple, ready-to-go resource that pairs perfectly with your bat unit!

What's Included:

• Label-the-parts diagram of a fruit bat (with coloring page)
• Life cycle of a bat cut-and-paste diagram
• Differentiated versions for low, medium, and high-level learners
• Both color and black-and-white formats
• Answer keys included!

This no-prep resource is ideal for:

• Morning work
• Literacy or science centers
• Early finishers
• Sub plans
• Homework or extra practice

👉 Download the Bat Life Cycle and Fruit Bat Diagram Packet here.

Tip: Use These Ideas During Bat Week or Halloween!

Whether you're teaching informational writing, reading Stellaluna, or doing a mini-unit on nocturnal animals, these bat-themed activities make it easy to engage your students without adding to your prep time.

Let your class soar into learning—no bat caves required. 🦇

Please feel free to message me with any requests or comments.

Thank you so much!

❤️ Shelly Anton

Promoting Success for You and Your Students!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Promoting-Success

Shelly Anton is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. ** This means there are Amazon affiliate links in these blog posts. This does not mean you pay a dime more when you purchase a product through the link. It just means I am trying to save you valuable teacher time by making it easier for you to find valuable resources for your students, and I earn a few cents for my research and time. Thank you for all you do for kids!