Halloween Made Easy

Looking for some fun, low key activities for Halloween?  Fun and low key are my jam.  I like to keep it simple, but I also like to make sure that my students have a great day.

Fun and Easy Halloween Ideas for the Classroom
This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.  I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase through one of my links.  For more information about my Disclosure Policy, please visit this link.

I've found that it's best for my own sanity to keep my classroom activities fun, but simple.  The students are riled up because it's Halloween, and they are wearing costumes, and they are looking forward to the school parade.  And, of course, they are pretty psyched about trick or treating later in the day.  So, I like to keep it as mellow as possible because we are cooped up inside a teeny, tiny classroom.

Every year, our school hosts a school wide costume parade.  The parade takes place in the afternoon, so I've found that if I have my students write first thing in the morning I can still get some quality work from them.  By the afternoon, they are too excited about the parade, and asking them to complete tasks that require a great deal of focus just doesn't work.  I love using these Roll a Story boards.


Not only are they easy to prep, but they guide the students' thinking, and encourage my students to get creative with their writing.  I like to photocopy the boards on colored paper, and on special occasions, like Halloween, I also like to copy the writing paper on colored paper too.  It's a simple way to add a little more spice to the activity.



On Halloween, you won't find me teaching the regular math curriculum.  Instead, we review skills by playing math games.  A few of my favorites are  Five in a Row (read all about it HERE) and Boo Bump by SunnyDays. They are both high interest and give extra practice with addition.  

I usually let the students rotate through the games every 15 minutes.  This get us through a good chunk of our math time.


Another fun math activity are these festive characters I purchased from Pink Cat Studio.  I was going to save them for Halloween, but after a big test last week, it actually became the perfect "chill out activity."



Throughout the day, I like to read aloud a various Halloween books. These are a few of my favorites.



Monster Trouble
This is such a cute story!  I don't want to give it away, but the little girl has a sweet, but hilarious solution to her monster problem.  Perfect for problem and solution!
Fright Club
This is such a funny story and the illustrations are great for practicing interpreting character reactions and emotions.
Little Boo 
Just a sweet story all around.   
Creepy Carrots
I read this book for the first time last year.  I love it!  Jasper the rabbit is constantly eating carrots and they are fed up.  Soon, Jasper begins seeing the carrots everywhere.  Again, I don't want to give it away, but it has a great ending!
Room on the Broom
This is a fun read that my students always enjoy.  I'm not usually a fan of witches, but this one is at least nice.  ;)  This book would work well if you wanted to work on sequencing.  
Crankenstein
The text in this book is super simple, but it's still high interest.  It's a great way to explore emotions and could be used to facilitate a discussion about controlling and diffusing negative feelings. 

You could easily use any of these books to cover the standards, but I usually read aloud just for the heck of it.  Yep, I'm a rebel like that.

There may not be any Common Core standards that directly address art in the classroom, but we all know that it is valuable.  Maybe even more so on a crazy day like Halloween. Ha!  Directed drawings and craft projects are always my favorite go to projects.

Last year, my students made these adorable Frankenstein faces from First Grade Blue Skies.  It was a quick and easy craft that kept my students engaged.  You could use it after reading Crankenstein and have your students create a face that resembles the character.


This directed drawing is so stinkin' cute and would be a fun follow up to a read aloud about a witch (like Room on the Broom).  Original Source: Art Projects for Kids.



Whether you like Halloween or not, it is a day for kids to have fun. I love to bring out Halloween Bingo. It's a great way to have some fun. It is always a hit with my students.  Always. 


My students always have fun playing this game.  It's the perfect activity to use as we wait for our parade time to roll around.  The students get to make their own Bingo card, and that's half the fun!   You can download this freebie from my TPT store.  :)

Prizes certainly aren't necessary, but handing out privilege cards makes for a super easy prize.  You can grab these for free by clicking HERE.  :) 


I also like using fun game board markers.  You could have your students cover their squares with candy corn, wiggle eyes, creepy felt eyes, mini erasers, or even marshmallows.


Don't worry, math counters work just as well.  There have been many years where mine used those red/yellow counters to mark their spaces.




When Halloween falls on a school night, homework is out of the equation for me.  I usually just don't assign it, but this year, I'll do even better than that.  Not only will I not assign homework, but each student will also get a homework pass to use whenever they want.  No tricks in my class, just treats.  Hehe.  Best of all, it's a treat that costs nothing!

Halloween Homework Pass Freebie

You can grab this freebie by clicking HERE.

I hope you'll be able to use an idea or two from this post!  Happy Halloween!

DON'T FORGET IT, PIN IT!

Fun and Easy Halloween Ideas for the Classroom


Share It: