The month of October can get a little crazy, especially around Halloween. That is why I want to share some simple and fun Halloween classroom activities.
Our school always has a fall carnival day for the students on or around Halloween. This along with the excitement of the fall season can add up to a lot of distractions for the students. Here are a few fun and simple Halloween classroom activities that can help your sanity during this crazy and busy season. Plus, you and your students will love them!
Read-Alouds for Halloween and Fall
I love a good picture book to read aloud to my students! Read-alouds are great to use any time, but they make a great Halloween classroom activity for a couple of reasons. Students love read-alouds and will be actively engaged in your read-aloud lesson, even on hectic days that are full of distractions. Another reason they are great to use is that they will keep learning at the heart of the lesson while still adding some seasonal fun.
One of my favorite read-alouds for October is The Widow’s Broom by Chris Van Allsburg. (no affiliate, I just love this book) This eerie tale will keep your students on the edge of their seats. It tells the story of a magical broom left behind by a witch, and how a widow uses it in unexpected ways. I love using it to teach character analysis, mood, and tone.
A simple activity to go along with this book or any book during October is to use some of the Halloween-themed graphic organizers in my Halloween Graphic Organizers packet. These are a great way to get students thinking about the story, plus they love the fun graphics!
Halloween Puzzles and Word Searches
Halloween puzzles and word searches can be great to have on hand for those hectic days with numerous interruptions. Assemblies, pep rallies, and fall festivals are just a few of the interruptions that you may experience during the month of October. Having puzzles and word searches ready and on hand for those crazy days when you need just a moment to regain your sanity can be a huge help. They are also perfect to sprinkle in as Halloween classroom activities for Halloween day.
This set of Halloween puzzles contains sudoku-type puzzles, dot-to-dots, this or that, mazes, finish the picture, and more. Your students will love these fun activities.
Word searches are a simple, yet effective way to keep students’ attention, especially on high-energy days like Halloween. They are an easy-prep activity that will keep your students engaged. Completing word searches promotes concentration and critical thinking. So, they are a win-win for Halloween classroom activities. I think they make a perfect Halloween day activity or fun Friday activities during the month of October.
Halloween Classroom Activities: Poetry
Poetry doesn’t have to wait until springtime. Encourage your students to write poetry all year round. When students are encouraged to write poetry, students can enhance their creativity and expression. Writing poetry can help to expand students’ vocabulary and deepen their understanding of figurative language. Halloween topics are the perfect opportunity for students to practice figurative language and enhance their overall writing skills in a fun way.
Your students will love writing poems for October and Halloween. You can easily have your students write Halloween acrostic poems or Halloween haikus. Or try my fun Halloween Poetry Quilt Templates for ready-to-use writing templates that your students will love. This resource includes 20 poetry templates and instructions for writing 20 types of poems: cinquain, couplet, haiku, limerick, acrostic, tanka, and more! Once completed, they are perfect for creating bulletin boards or displaying on your walls or in the hallway.
Try These Simple Halloween Classroom Activities
As the excitement of October builds, keeping your lessons simple but engaging is key, and these Halloween classroom activities are just what you need. Whether you’re diving into a spooky read-aloud or encouraging creative expression through poetry, you’ll have your students learning and having fun at the same time.
Plus, keeping ready-to-use resources like puzzles and graphic organizers on hand will help you stay calm amidst the October chaos. So, take a deep breath, enjoy the fun, and know that you and your students are set for a memorable and productive Halloween season!
For more Halloween ideas check out this blog post.
