This extensive list of activities for Halloween at school is a little bit of a diversion from my normal content, but I wanted to give you a list of usable classroom Halloween activities. If you are looking for a simple math center, try these 2-step word problem Boom Cards. Learn more about the benefits of adding games into your classroom here!
I have always loved Halloween. The fall weather, my birthday is in October, and the memories of trekking through the snow to trick or treat, soon forgetting the winter coat I was wearing that covered my costume. I love to try to do as much as I can to add in activities for Halloween at school. (I’ve been lucky to work at a school that still does a Halloween school costumes parade).
Activities for Halloween at School Requirements:
- The Halloween school activities must be no or very low cost
- These Halloween Activities need to be low to no prep – we do not have time for Halloween school crafts
- Ideally, each activity should tie into our curriculum in some way
- The activities can be done whole group or individually at their desks
I came up with a list of how to celebrate Halloween at school for low-to-no cost. If you use one activity a day, it will last all month! Most of these activities require little to no prep and can be used throughout the month (such as the Halloween math centers). You can even use them as ideas for a Halloween party at school. I have made a printout of the links in this post and created the activities that I couldn’t find elsewhere online. If you would like the printout delivered directly to your inbox, you can find it here.
Halloween School Activities for Every October School Day
Halloween Reading Center
Collect a basket of Halloween books from the school and local library to put out for the students to read. Remember, older kids still enjoy picture books (or “everybody books,” as some libraries call them). They are written to be read aloud to younger kids. Some of my favorite Halloween books include:
Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams
Popcorn! By Frank Asch
Weird but True Halloween Facts: 300 Spooky Facts to Scare you Silly by Julie Beer
The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons
Halloween Math Centers
One of the easiest ways to add some Halloween into your month is to use Halloween-themed morning work or math centers throughout the month. I created these common core aligned Halloween math centers for my 3rd graders that I use every year. My students absolutely love them as I have taken the math standards and turned them into puzzles, secret codes, and games. There is enough to last for weeks!
Festive Pencils
Use Halloween Pencils. Grab a few packs of Halloween pencils from the dollar store or the Target Dollar section (enter if you DARE!) to put out to use in Halloween math or writing centers or give one to each student.
Halloween Brain Break
Have a Halloween dance party for one of your brain breaks. Play a song such as “The Monster Mash” or “This is Halloween” during your brain and movement breaks, and have kids bop and dance to the silly tunes.
BINGO
Play a game of Halloween Bingo. Growing up Gabel has a nice set of free, printable Halloween games. You could print up cards with Halloween words on them for lower grades and have them match the pictures to the words.
Reverse Trick or Treat
Reverse Trick-or-Treat your buddy class. All the kids will love this one! Tape the tag available here onto a pencil (or small treat) and have your students tuck them into their buddy’s backpacks, where they will be sure to see them! Instead of taking a treat, your class will be leaving them.
Spooky Lunch Viewing Party
Have a Halloween movie viewing party during lunch. On a stormy day, choose an age-appropriate video to watch during lunch. The movies available on streaming services change often. Still, your local library is also a great place to find a free, G-rated movie to watch, such as Halloween Magic School Bus or Series of Unfortunate Events.
Halloween School Door Decorations
Try these fun Halloween school door decorations! I have put together a Pinterest board with some spookily easy door decorations. The kids will love walking into the classroom through one of these creations!
Coloring Contest
Have a Halloween Coloring Contest for your classroom. Send the pictures home with the kids and give them a few days to work on them. The winner earns a small prize from the dollar store or one of these free classroom coupons. I LOVE this free Halloween coloring page by Melonheadz.
Put your Bad Habits to their Eternal Rest
Create a “Bad Habits Graveyard” Have each student jot down a bad habit that they want to stop and write it on the tombstone. Have students carefully color, cut out and hang up in your classroom for everyone to see. This can be an excellent bell-ringer activity that can be referred back to throughout the year. It can even go next to your “pencil graveyard”! A free Bad Habit Tombstone printable can be found here.
The Desk Witch
Have the desk witch visit once a week through October. When the Desk Witch visits our classroom, she leaves a small treat for one or two students who had a clean desk when she came to visit. It can be challenging to get students to keep their desks clean, but once the Desk Witch visits, you will have kids straightening up their desks for her next visit. You can grab printable tags here.
Flashlight Reading
Read by flashlight. Turn out all of the lights in your room and have students read by flashlight one day. You can even add some ambiance by playing a Halloween spooky soundtrack you can find on any playlist app.
Howl-o-ween
Kids LOVE to show off their adorable pets dressed in Halloween costumes. Have students post a picture of their pet dressed up in a Halloween costume on your class Seesaw or class website. In your writing center, have your students write a caption for the photo or write out what the pet is thinking while dressed in a silly costume!
Guess How Many
Play a game of “Guess How Many” with a jar of candy corn. Take a small mason jar and fill it with candy corn. You will be surprised how many pieces fit in one jar. On the bottom of the lid, jot down how many pieces are in the container. Throughout the day, allow the students to submit their guesses on how many pieces are in the jar. The closest guesser wins the jar of candy corn (whether they want it or not!).
Spooky Read Aloud
Choose a few stories from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark for the day’s read-aloud. Sometimes the pictures are even scarier than the stories themselves, but they still make for a fun read-aloud!
Halloween Podcast
Play this episode of the Tumble Science Podcast for Kids- “We Ain’t Afraid of No Ghosts: A Tumble Halloween.” I love a good ghost story all year long. My criteria for visiting a town is if it has a ghost hike available! With Halloween around the corner, you are sure to find many people putting out scary stories, but this isn’t a scary ghost story. This episode explores WHY people believe in ghosts.
Here is the description of the episode from Tumble-
“Why do people believe in ghosts? And can science ever prove that they don’t exist? We take a road trip with Dennis Waskul, a sociologist who traveled to graveyards and “haunted” houses to hear ghost stories, from the people who lived them. He wanted to find out why 50% of Americans believe in ghosts. What he discovered might spook you – in a good way! (Note: This episode is NOT scary.).”
This podcast is about twelve minutes long (after ads finish) and would make a great listening center. The content starts at the 3:30 minute mark. Getting and retaining important information from an alternative text is part of the 4th grade standards. After listening to the podcast, ask students to respond to the text with a written response or jot down notes of the most important parts.
“I Have, Who Has” Halloween Jokes for Kids
Time for more Halloween games at school! Play “I Have Who Has” with the jokes and their answers! You can get the printout here.
Online Games
Play an online Halloween Math game during choice time or center time. Here is a selection from Math Playground for all grade levels!
Halloween at School Sing Along
Teach your class a fun Halloween song, such as all the words to the theme song from the Addams Family.
Move Like a Monster
Do a Halloween Go Noodle like “Monster Moves” by Koo Koo Kanga Roo (one of my favorites!) for your brain break.
Halloween Quiz
Kids just love whenever you can fit games into your day. For a brain break, do this fun Halloween Around the World Kahoot!
More Activities for Halloween at School
You can find a wide variety of Halloween at school ideas in my store. I have math products for upper elementary, Halloween creative thinking, and Halloween games for the classroom! Learn more about the benefits of gamification here!
FUN Halloween Party!
