As a teacher, I SO looked forward to Halloween.
I’m convinced my brain would erase the exhaustion from the previous year leaving only giddy, naive, anticipation…
There’s something magical about Halloween in an elementary school. From the parade, to the party, some of my favorite childhood memories revolve around them.
Halloween as a teacher is SO MUCH FUN and SO EXHAUSTING. How a day can be looked forward to as the best day, and remembered as the worst day will forever be a mystery.
If this is your first Halloween as a teacher or you’re a seasoned pro… embrace it, and do your very best to enjoy it.
I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts on Halloween from a teacher’s perspective, leave a comment below!
I wanted to share some of my favorite Halloween activities that work great the day of, week of, or even during the month of October. Many work well in elementary, upper grades, all the way up to High School!
***Word of caution: Don’t throw your management out the door. Treat the celebrations and special activities as rewards that are to be earned. DO NOT be afraid to pause or cancel an activity because of inappropriate classroom behavior. Follow through and be just as consistent, if not MORE with your management on a day like Halloween!
Few things before we dive in…
- If you have students that do not observe Halloween, make sure to check out the Digital Harvest Moon Art & ELA project. It’s lovely💛 CLICK HERE to learn more.
- If you find this post helpful I would love to hear from you in the comments!
- Do you have a favorite activity that I failed to mention? Please share it below or connect with our community through our Private Facebook Group or on Instagram!
- Lastly, if you’ve been here long you know that along with high-quality freebies…
- I also love to offer high-discount BUNDLES.
- So high TPT actually warns me about my discounts. 😅 If you want to try them all, I want you to be able to justify trying them all! There are few things that make me as happy as seeing my products in your classroom!
- I also love to offer high-discount BUNDLES.
Click Here to Shop the HALLOWEEN Mega Bundle
Let’s do this!
FREE Halloween Riddle Word Search & Crossword Puzzle
This is a really fun little FREE worksheet that can be completed DIGITALLY or used as a printable. I’ve included two versions, one with a word bank and one without.
I suggest assigning the version WITHOUT the word bank for an added level of difficulty. This will allow the students to use the crossword spaces and other riddles solved to work as the clues to answer other riddles. The answer key is also included.
BONUS: I couldn’t help myself and created a FREE Word Search to go along with this FREE Download. Best part… Word Search, like the crossword, can be used as both a DIGITAL activity or PRINTABLE!
This FREEBIE is perfect for Morning Work, Bell Ringers, or Fast Finishers! Have these fun freebies delivered straight to your inbox, simply fill out the form below!
Haunted House for Sale: Digital & Printable Writing Activity
This activity turned out so cool! This activity is ready to go and can be implemented as a digital or printable activity in a snap!
Essentially, students work for a real estate company, (they get to name it,) that specializes in selling Haunted Houses. Students will create an infographic using the EASY to use templates I’ve included. Along the way, students will dive deep into figurative language, sensory writing, persuasive writing…etc And will even dip their toe in narrative writing as they attempt a spooky story to explain how the house became haunted. Use one page or them all. This product is extremely adaptable.
My FAVORITE part about this product is that students can actually design and customize the digital illustration of the haunted house… Watch the sped-up sample video! Students do this by adding moveable clipart and details to the scene. As well as adding picture-place holder windows. the cool part about the windows is that students can add images from the web or their device to the windows…or even better… a picture of themselves…or a GIF of them waving from the window of their haunted house.
Click Here For a Quick and Easy Tutorial for adding a GIF (Moving Picture) to Digital Materials that both YOU and your STUDENTS can do!
This activity is FUN, and sure to be a hit in your classroom, all while reviewing and learning critical ELA concepts. You will be blown away by the creativity this type of project can foster!
This is available in my shop, as well as Teachers Pay Teachers
My Witches’ Brew Recipe: Digital and Printable ELA | Writing Activity
I intended for this project to be made with your lower elementary grades in mind… but once I got started it evolved into something much more than that! ***That being said. If you are in the lower grades or looking for a simpler activity, this like the design a haunted house art project mentioned below can be a great option. Both include extension activities for writing narrative, persuasive, or informative essays, however, you can simply just do the art project.
By the time I completed this activity, and added extras like graphic organizers for your students to organize and scaffold their writing, it had become appropriate for your older students as well!
In this Halloween PBL for ELA students work to create their very own witches’ brew recipe for their spellbook. Students will name their recipe while trying to implement alliteration or rhyming. As well as list the limitations, dosage, and details of their concoction. Students will create a visual using the EASY to use template I’ve included. The graphics and art projects students can create are exceptional. Watch the GIF to get an idea of the types of adaptations students can make.
You also have the option for students to try writing a narrative, persuasive, or expository essay about their potion… Whether they are trying to sell someone their potion, describing their potion, or creating a story where their potion creates a problem… This product is extremely adaptable.
The pages are all set up to be used as a printable or digital activity. Students can even complete the project digitally, and then print their final versions to be displayed! I’ve also included fun extension ideas that you can do with your class, like making an ACTUAL witches brew… AKA my favorite Trail Mix recipe, or a fun drink recipe. I also encourage you to introduce your students (depending on their age) to Shakespeare’s Witches’ Song found in Hamlet, the fun song by Hap Palmer, or even the Cat Spell chant by the Sanderson sisters in Hocus Pocus!
This Halloween Activity Includes:
- Digital & Printable Versions of the Activity
- Digital Art Page/ Printable Art Page
- Spell Book: Create Recipe Page
- Finished. Examples
- Detailed Instructions
- Brainstorming Pages
- Narrative Writing Graphic Organizer
- Persuasive Essay Graphic Organizer
- Informational text / Expository Graphic Organizer
- Final Draft Pages
- Extension Ideas
- Literal Trail Mix Recipe for Making a Figurative Witches’ Brew in Class!
This is available in my shop, as well as Teachers Pay Teachers
In My Corner Halloween Edition (Digital Would You Rather)
Looking for a FUN Digital Halloween Activity that’s Perfect / Appropriate for Upper Grades or your older students? (Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School or Secondary) This Digital Halloween Would You Rather Game is the Perfect Virtual Activity that can be used in the Distance Learning Classroom, Social Distanced, the traditional classroom, or even a hybrid! Students will LOVE creating their own “In My Corner Slide” A fun Digital spin on the classic Four Corner Game. In this, Digital Activity students will also enjoy interacting and CONNECTING with their other classmates using the questions that THEY thought of!
This product also includes 25 READY TO GO Halloween Theme questions that students can respond to. This digital activity is editable through Google Slides. Not only is this spin-off of 4 Corners a fun way for students to get to know each other, but once you or the students complete the slides these can be a fun way to take attendance quickly each morning, a great way to start your morning meetings, exit tickets, OR use this as a game or center for your Class Halloween party. (Perfect for a Digital Class Halloween Party!) This can also be such a fun way to practice and introduce opinion or persuasive writing as well! Pick a favorite slide, then let students list reasons and debate to back their opinions. Take notes, then try writing a brief Halloween essay!
This product was created for Upper Elementary, Middle School, Junior High, or Secondary Students. It can be completed in one class period, then stretched out and enjoyed. When teaching this lesson I suggest you introduce it and model each step.
I’ve created a template that allows students to simply use a place holder for the image meaning they won’t need to worry about croppings or sizing their pictures to fit the slide! SO EASY AND FUN! This product was created in Google Slides and can easily be edited or assigned in Google Classroom or canvas. *** If using Canvas instead of making a single copy for each student to complete you will share the link to the presentation. This assignment was intended to be completed as a collaborative slide, not individually.
If using as a traditional Four Corners Get to Know you Game, use the pre-made slides, OR have the students create a slide with a question of their choice (I’ve included examples to help students brainstorm). You can then project the slides in your classroom and students will move to the corners of the room to show their response. I’ve included number pages you can print and hang in each corner!
If using as a strictly digital product, students will create a game piece and an “In My Corner” Slide. Students will use their game piece to show their response to each question by where they place it on the slide! Such a fun way to interact and connect digitally.
You can assign this as a collaborative slide and have students interact and comment with each other. Have students present their slide with a brief explanation of their question and a brief defense of their response. This can be done in the classroom or over a Zoom Call or Google Meet. Students can even meet as a small group in a breakout room during a zoom call with their other classmates that answered the same as they did! No matter what type of classroom setting you are teaching in, this activity integrates seamlessly.
This Digital Product Includes:
- 25 Ready to Go Pre-Made Questions
- Instructions & Tips for using this product in a Distance Learning Setting
- Instructions & Tips for using this product in your classroom
- A Collaborative Google Slide etiquette & Page that students must initial before starting activity
- A student instruction page with tutorials on how to complete the activity
- 3 completed examples
- 2 versions for Student Game Pieces
- Class slides up to 36 students (Let me know if you need more added)
- Printable number pages to use in actual Classroom
This is available in my shop, as well as Teachers Pay Teachers
Halloween Snapshots: Digital & Printable
Looking for a FUN Halloween Activity that’s Perfect / Appropriate for Upper Grades or your older students? (Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School or Secondary) This Digital Halloween Snapshot Activity can be used in the Distance Learning Classroom, the traditional classroom, Socially Distanced or even a hybrid! Students will LOVE creating their own “Halloween Snapshots.”
In this, Digital Activity students will also enjoy interacting and CONNECTING with their other classmates! This product mimics the idea of a social media profile, and is based on my best-selling back to school resource, “My Life in Pictures!” **Read the Reviews on this best-seller!
This digital or printable activity is great for Fall, the month of October, the week of Halloween or even as a day after Halloween craft. It was created for Upper Elementary, Middle School, Junior High, or Secondary Students. It can be completed in one class period and incorporates a get-to-know-you activity that allows students to share about themselves. When teaching this lesson you can model each step thus allowing your students to get to know you, and form connections with you in the process!
I’ve created a template that allows students to simply use a place holder for the image meaning they won’t need to worry about croppings or sizing their pictures to fit the slide! SO EASY AND FUN! This product was created in Google Slides and can easily be edited or assigned in Google Classroom or Canvas. *** If using Canvas instead of using this as a collaborative slide back to school activity it is my understanding you will instead make a single copy for each student to complete.
Students will insert 8 pictures plus a profile image and type a brief explanation or think of a relevant hashtag! These templates are so cool because not only are they SO SIMPLE to edit, but they are also BEAUTIFUL and age-appropriate. I’ve included over 10 styles and themes to pick from. Each one fit to a different type of personality. These technically all could be printed, however, I have also included an ink-friendly PRINTABLE version.
You can assign this as a collaborative slide and have students interact and comment with each others. Have students present their pages with a brief explanation in the classroom or over a Zoom Call or Google Meet. Students can even share as a small group in a breakout room during a zoom call, or have 2-3 students share slides each morning as a morning meeting! No matter what type of classroom setting you are teaching in, this activity integrates seamlessly.
This Digital Product Includes:
- Instructions & Tips for using this product in a Distance Learning Setting
- Instructions & Tips for using this product in your classroom
- A Collaborative Google Slide etiquette & Page that students must initial before starting activity
- A student instruction page with tutorials on how to complete the activity
- 2 completed examples
- 10 Different Digital Theme Templates for you or students to pick from
- 2 Printer Friendly (Still editable through Google) Version
This is available in my shop, as well as Teachers Pay Teachers
Mystery Place Value Puzzle: Halloween Edition
This Halloween Place Value Edition Puzzle is set up a little differently than the rest. Students will be given a riddle and in order to solve the riddle they must complete the Place Value equations found on the Tangram Puzzle. In order so solve students will match up the edges of the Tangram Puzzle. As they place the puzzle pieces, it will begin to form a picture! Not just any picture… A picture of the answer of the riddle! This can be completed on Google Slides, or use the printable! Print out the worksheet and cut out the pieces.
Both printable and digital version includes a reflection sheet and cover the following concepts:
- Rounding
- Relationships Between Values
- Greater Than, Less Than, Equal To
- Base Ten Models
I love a good tangram puzzle because of the trial and error they lend so well to… (Grit and Growth Mindset Practice) This Place Value Tangram puzzle will add another level of complexity because the students do not know what the end picture will be. Instead, they must work to match up the edges of their puzzle pieces in order to reveal what the final image is! To make it extra fun, the final picture will also solve the riddle posed at the beginning of the activity!
This is available in my shop, as well as Teachers Pay Teachers
Design a Haunted House Digital Art Project:
One of my favorite Halloween Art projects is the watercolored sunset, behind the construction paper or black marker silhouettes! I wanted to see if I could create this art project digitally! This turned out better than I was expecting, I’ve been so excited to share it with you and hear what your students think!
The template is SO easy to use and is a great/FUN way to practice digital skills. This product is great as a stand-alone, however, I think it BEGS to be coupled with writing. Couple this art project with the poetry lesson below or even the Sell a Haunted House (above), or simply have students practice writing a narrative about the Haunted House they created! (***My Sell a Haunted House Includes Digital and Printable Planning Pages/Graphic Organizers for writing a Haunted House Narrative)
When students design their own Haunted House, they are able to customize the backdrop, the characters, and silhouettes, colors…etc. One of the best parts about this project is the windows! The windows are actually templates that allow the students to add pictures, images, and even GIFS to!! Consider having your students take a picture of themself in their Halloween costume, and then insert that picture into their haunted house! This project is sure to be memorable and to quickly become a new holiday favorite!
This product is editable through Google Slides and is perfect for Upper Elementary, Middle School, and even High Schoolers. Use it in a traditional classroom setting, distance learning, hybrid, or even socially distanced. You can even print off this digital art project to be displayed!
This is available in my shop, as well as Teachers Pay Teachers
Halloween Poetry Project:
Holidays are the PERFECT time to work on language and poetry. Especially with language, and figurative language if gives you a bass to build on and tie into. It also keeps everything fun, exciting, and different. Each holiday I try to have a project that encourages and examines figurative language. Halloween is no different. This project is SO FUN. The kids eat this one up.
Students create a “Flap” Bat book. Here you define the different parts of figurative language and brainstorm different “Halloween” examples. My original book is listed to use as a reference. I glue their flap books in their interactive notebooks to act as an anchor chart throughout the year and during the activity.
Next, we move onto the writing activity. This poem template came from one of my dearest friends and colleagues. It is PERFECT for Halloween. To start we use the brainstorm page to think of as many “Halloween” nouns, adjectives, and verbs we can. You can have the students work in small groups, then come together and share or keep it a whole class activity. They LOVE this part and are so creative! Next, you challenge them to put them all together to create “Halloween” descriptive language, take it a step further by using alliteration. (Warty, witches, wobble…) Give them time to experiment with their list. Have them work in small groups, then share their favorites with the class keeping a list they can use when it comes time to format their poems.
I’ve included different poem templates to meet your student’s needs. One basically acts as a guide where they are guided with what type of part of speech to insert. When they are finished they have a wonderful Halloween poem that is sure to please. Once everyone is done I have them rewrite their poem so I can display it in the hall with their Halloween art! Keep reading to see the GENIUS idea I use to create Halloween Art.
This is available in my shop, as well as Teachers Pay Teachers
Roll a Monster Review
I LOVE this one! I feel like this is one of my best-kept secrets when it comes to the products I create. Roll a monster is a review game that is so fun students don’t realize how much work they are doing, let alone the practice they are getting in. I enjoy using this as a whole class review, however, it would work great as a reteach, and enrich activity, individual center, or rotations, test prep…etc!
Students work in teams of 4. Each member is assigned a number 1-4. If you don’t have teams of 4 partner students up that need extra support. Each of the four teammates will solve at least one problem per round, then take turns bringing their answer sheet to be checked by the teacher. If a team answers all 4 problems correctly the teacher gives them the next round of problems to complete. When a round is completed the same teammate that brought the answers to be checked off, rolls a dice and draws the specific body part of their unique monster. After each round, the teammate that brings the answers to the teacher rolls the dice and draws the monster rotates. ***Make sure to watch the video below for a brief explanation of the activity and a tip for splitting your students into their groups!
***To make this review a bit more challenging I simply answer yes or no when the sheets are brought back to me to pass off. If the students answer all of the questions correctly I say yes and hand them the next round. If even one of their answers is wrong all I say is “no”. This requires the students to go back together to determine their mistakes, which results in extra practice and a more solid understanding of the concept.
It’s incredible to see the collaborative art piece students come up with while they work together as a team. Each round is specific to a part of the monster. For example, in round 3 the dice roll determines the type of nose their animal will have. Depending on the number they roll their monster could have a beak, a snout, or even a trunk…etc! The dice roll and drawing keeps things fun, and the kids stay engaged as they anticipate what their final monster will look like!
You can play as many rounds as you choose! Typically, I would play a minimum of 8. However, in the 5th-grade version, I created there are as many as 12. Trust me this one is a winner. If you are a 5th-grade teacher, make sure to check out the Math review I created that goes over Prime Factors, Powers of 10…etc! Anyone else make sure to snag the editable version that allows you to create your own review through PowerPoint. Simply type in the review questions from the boring textbook and watch the problems come to life.
TIP: Before starting the Roll a Monster Relay, I always make sure to have a discussion with the class about the main objective of this activity. Many like to think it’s for fun…Wrong. Though that is a top concern, learning the material is always number one. Everything else comes secondary. To reinforce this I motivate and facilitate by giving 3 awards at the end of the activity. 1 goes to the team to finish first, another to the team with the best artwork (I let the students decide this with a vote), and lastly, I reward the team that worked together the best, where I felt the most learning was taking place. This REALLY helps. Please please please tag me when you use this in your classroom! I want to see the monsters your students create!
These are available in my shop, as well as Teachers Pay Teachers
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YouTube Guided Halloween Art:
***I pair their drawing with their poem from above
This one is genius and will give you a much needed mental break to avoid a mental break down due to Halloween in the classroom overload. After students have finished their poems I turn the time over to YouTube to direct the class in a How-to-Draw Video. Because YouTube can be sketchy, especially in the school setting. I’ve scoured the tutorials and bring you my very tried and true favorites. In the past, I have done the Frankenstein and a couple of Haunted Houses. Both of which the students absolutely love. The Frankenstein especially holds a special place in my heart! When students have finished their drawing I give them time to spruce them up with details, shading, and color if desired. From there, students mount both their drawing and finished Halloween Poem on construction paper to create a treasure that can be displayed in the hall or taken home.
A few tips that allow this to work swimmingly.
- Mute the video. On Halloween, all it takes is the tiniest corny joke from the YouTube illustrator to send your class into a frenzy. I like to play Halloween music, or classical, or a mix of both with the Harry Potter Soundtrack. You’re. Welcome.
- Slow the video WAY DOWN. Did you know you can change the playback speed of the video? I’m not too proud to tell you I learned this nifty little trick from my very own 5th graders. You have a couple of different options. As a class figure out a good pace to play the video.
- Play the video all the way through for the class to watch and observe before beginning. This will allow for fewer stops as the students will have a better idea of what to anticipate.
- Make sure students have a good eraser, and more than one pencil before beginning.
A list of my FAVORITE YouTube Halloween Directed Drawings:
Halloween Stem | Steam Ideas
I’m always on the lookout for fun holiday-inspired STEM | STEAM ideas to try in the classroom. There, of course, are a lot of fun Halloween ideas to try. ***If you do attempt to do a little Stem in your classroom come Halloween day, my only piece of advice would be to structure it as much as possible. The more free reign, the more room for chaos. As a teacher, a teacher on Halloween Day, chaos is your enemy.
One of the ways I structure my Stem projects is by having students complete my STEM | STEAM planning sheet, and reflection page. This keeps them focused on the task at hand and requires them to think. Too often I think Stem projects miss the mark simply because students didn’t quite get there and only saw the fun. Though Stem | Steam projects SHOULD be fun. They should also be a building, learning experience that shapes how students think and view the world. These planning pages help scaffold just that. To learn more click here.
These are available in my Shop, as well as Teachers Pay Teachers
Halloween Stem Ideas:
- Create a Pumpkin Catapult
- Create a Q-Tip Bridge Challenge
- Make Frankenstein Come to Life, or a Ghost Fly in the Night!
- Witches’ Hat Challenge:
- Challenge students to create a witches hat out of paper and tape.
- It must be able to be worn by a teammate
- None of the tape can be showing.
- Paper Bat Flying Contest
- Make a Skeleton Hand
In order to access the download, you must be logged in. Not a member? Not a problem! Sign-up is FAST, FREE and Easy-Peasy Lemon Squeezy! Click here to become a member!
Spider and the Fly:
Make time for a read-aloud. No matter the age. Period. My Favorite Halloween book of ALL. TIME. Is the famous poem, The Spider and the Fly set to illustrations by Tony Diterlizzi. I don’t even know where to begin with this text. This is an ageless story that just screams for rigor. This can be enjoyed and analyzed by 1st graders, all the way up to High Schoolers and beyond. The stage is set for wonderful and meaningful discussion, and the illustrations though black and white, are completely enchanting. Everyone has a handful of books they consider beloved. This is one of mine. If Halloween has been the day it has every potential of being as a teacher and even the thought of a read-aloud brings dread. You’re in luck, though I don’t think it has the same magic as holding the actual book. You can still share the story through the video below.
Reader’s Theatre
I love a good reader’s theatre and this one is no exception. The Boy who Wanted the Willies, is SO FUN. My 5th graders loved it. Remember when you are printing all those scripts that you can actually save them from year to year. The first time you print them, after assigning roles. Have each student go through with a red pen or marker highlighting their lines. Writing the name of their character at the top of the page. This simplifies things for everyone, including you come next Halloween.
When assigning roles I try to keep things as fair as possible. I begin by writing each role on the board. I make sure the students know which roles require A LOT of reading. This allows students to be more accountable for their choice when they pick which character they would like to read for. After that, I start randomly drawing class numbers. When a student hears their number, they are to write their name next to their desired role. With this specific Reader’s Theatre, I would need two casts for the entire class to have a part. You can also add a couple of roles such as director, and sound technician. The sound technician is in charge of sound effects. With the smaller roles or multiples, you may consider assigning students to more than one role.
With any reader’s theatre, the focus in on fluency. Once mastered let them move to actions, movement, sounds, props…etc. I suggest working on this throughout October and then performing for the grade level, their classmates, or even the school come Halloween!
Blackout Math
If you haven’t tried Blackout Math in your classroom. Halloween is the PERFECT day to give it a try. All you need is a black light and highlighters. Use black butcher paper to block out light from the room. You can, of course, add to the effect with glow sticks and anything neon! Consider it a glow day and have a blast with this unique way to add a little zest to your teaching!
Halloween History
Another great way to celebrate Halloween is by learning a little bit about it’s history and origin. One of my favorite ways to do this is through a QUIZIZZ. “Quizizz allows you to conduct student-paced formative assessments in a fun and engaging way for students of all ages.
Benefits of using Quizizz:
- Student-paced: Questions appear on each student’s screen, so they can answer questions at their own pace, and review their answers at the end.
- BYOD: Can be played by students using any kind of device with a browser, including PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
- Lots of options: You can pick from pre-made quizzes that were added by teachers, select applicable questions from different quizzes to create your own, or simply start from scratch.
- Reports: Data. Data. Data.
- Quiz Customization: You can customize the quiz to the needs of your class.
Click here to see a list of Ready to Go Halloween Quizizzs’
Like These? Check out this FREE Halloween Hand-Out Printable!
Don’t Forget to Check Out My FAVORITE Activities for the month of November | Thanksgiving!
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