Great Ideas for Halloween Activities in the Classroom

Halloween is a favorite holiday of students everywhere, thanks in no small part to the amount of candy they consume in the days leading up to and following the main event. You can add to the fun by incorporating a ton of fun Halloween activities into your classroom activities. Check out some of the ideas below for Halloween fun at school!

Math

There are lots of ways to make math fun by mixing it with Halloween. When the activity is over, hand out candy as a reward for participating!

• Candy Counter – Have students organize candy by type and then graph the results on a poster using markers.
• Pumpkin Measuring – Pumpkins serve as a great introduction to the concept of measuring. Have students measure the pumpkin's height and circumference, or bring in a scale and have them weigh it.
• Estimates – If you're ok with things getting a little messy, have students cut open a pumpkin and estimate how many seeds are inside. Now allow students to count the actual number of seeds and calculate the difference between the actual number and the estimate. Take this activity outside for easy cleanup! A less messy variation on this activity can be done with a pile of candy on the table or small plastic Halloween spiders.

History

• A good activity for older students is to listen to the “War of the Worlds” Halloween radio broadcast in 1938, which is famous for actually convincing a fair number of people that an alien invasion was actually happening. This is sure to come as a surprise to students who have grown up in the age of information and connectivity. Use this as a history lesson to show students just how far technology has come.

Reading

There are plenty of great Halloween reading activities to get students in the holiday spirit.

• Pumpkin story – There are several sites that allow kids to carve a virtual pumpkin. Have them carve their own and then create a story around it. Give them prompts such as a story about the pumpkin and it's family and friends, likes and dislikes, or a problem it encountered and overcame.
• Halloween-themed literature – Halloween is a great time to introduce older students to some classic spooky American literature. Do an in-class reading of some Edgar Allen Poe or Washington Irving followed by a Halloween-themed scary writing activity!

School Supplies

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