Friday, November 22, 2024

74 Frightfully Fun Halloween Activities, Crafts, and Games

A chill is in the air, costumes are filling the stores, and Halloween is right around the corner. That means spooky season is upon us! Celebrate the season with these fun and creative Halloween activities and games. You’ll find party games perfect for a class Halloween celebration as well as more educational finds like writing prompts and STEM and math challenges. There are enough Halloween activities on this list to do something different every day in October and then some!

Still from a Halloween themed counting video
Toddler World TV

1. Watch a Halloween video

Looking for quick and easy Halloween activities? Check out our roundup of terrific educational Halloween videos. Get some math practice, learn about Halloween around the world, or try some spooky yoga.

Try it: Educational Halloween Videos

A little ghost stands in front of an orange background and the title 30 spooktacular poems for kids
We Are Teachers

2. Read Halloween poems

Poetry is a great topic to weave into Halloween celebrations. Try “My Next Door Neighbor Is a Witch,” “I Wouldn’t Live in a Haunted House,” and many more.

Try it: Halloween Poems

Printable Halloween word list with decorations scattered next to it.
We Are Teachers

3. Do Halloween vocab activities

Capitalize on your students’ Halloween excitement and build their vocabulary skills with great words like eerie, spooky, bizarre, and more!

Try it: 225+ Halloween Words

Spooky Jack O Lanterns sit on a wall in a graveyard
We Are Teachers

4. Take a dance break set to spooky Halloween music

Take 10 and do the Monster Mash, swim with Halloween Baby Shark, or get down to “The Purple People Eater.”

Get the playlist: Thrillingly Fun Halloween Songs for Kids

Free Halloween Coloring Pages
We Are Teachers

5. Hand out Halloween coloring pages for free time

Have a supply of these adorable Halloween coloring pages on hand for fast finishers or during transition or free time.

Get the downloadable: Free Halloween Coloring Pages

Halloween math problem of the day card on a purple background.
We Are Teachers

6. Work on Halloween-themed word problems

There are so many spooky situations that could easily be turned into a math word problem! From trick-or-treating to ghosts and goblins, check out the fun collection below.

Try it: 25 Spooky Halloween Math Word Problems

25 Spooky Halloween Jokes for Kids
We Are Teachers

7. Tell Halloween jokes

What’s a witch’s favorite subject in school? Spelling, of course! Share some belly laughs with our favorite Halloween jokes for kids.

Try it: Halloween Jokes

Examples of teacher Halloween costumes, including Trolls dolls and Rock, Paper, Scissors
We Are Teachers
Two brooms and two small pumpkins are shown (Halloween Activities)
I Dig Pinterest

9. Have a pumpkin and witch’s broom race

Gather your brooms and a few small pumpkins, break the class into teams, then watch them race to see who can push the pumpkin across the finish line first!

Get the tutorial: Broom and Pumpkin Game

A skeleton on a black piece of paper made from segments of drinking straws
Education.com

10. Make straw skeletons

Insert a little biology lesson about the skeletal system when you work on these bone-chilling skeletons for Halloween.

Get the tutorial: Straw Skeletons

Little kids are shown wrapping each other up in toilet paper (Halloween Activities)
Group Games 101

11. Race to wrap up your friend like a mummy

Halloween activities can be a fun way to get kids moving. Grab some rolls of toilet paper, select teams, and then watch the hilarity ensue as the kids race to wrap up their friend like a mummy before the other team does!

Get the tutorial: Mummy Wrap Game

Plastic spider magnets on a filing cabinet spelling out I and S
Early Learning Magnets

12. Turn plastic magnets into spiders

Make your own spider magnets for only a few bucks by gluing small magnets to the back of plastic spiders from the dollar store. Then, use them for Halloween math activities, arrange them to spell letters or words, or just decorate your classroom with them.

Get the tutorial: Spider Magnets

An example of a picasso inspired jack-o-lantern for a halloween activity
Little Bins for Little Hands

13. Create Picasso jack-o’-lanterns

Study Pablo Picasso and cubism, then use jack-o’-lanterns to practice a little cubism of your own. Encourage students to get creative as they mix up shapes and faces.

Get the template: Picasso Jack-o’-Lanterns

Young student feeding construction paper letters through a large paper ghost's mouth (Halloween Activities)
Toddler Approved

14. Feed alphabet letters to a ghost

Keep little learners busy by taping a large paper ghost with an open mouth to a doorway. Have kids feed letter magnets through the mouth as you call them out. This works with numbers and sight words too.

Get the tutorial: Ghost Game

Students do a STEM challenge using pumpkin candies and toothpicks
Lemon Lime Adventures

15. Build STEM structures with toothpicks and pumpkin candies

STEM building challenges make great Halloween activities. Give this classic example a Halloween twist by using gummy pumpkins in place of marshmallows. And for more, download our free STEM challenge cards.

Get the tutorial: Pumpkin STEM Challenge

Little black cutouts of people are wrapped in white strings with googly eyes
The Best Kids Crafts and Activities

16. Wrap a mummy with yarn

These little mummies are just oh-so cute. Have the cutout people prepared and then let kids go to town with some white yarn and googly eyes.

Get the tutorial: Mummy Craft

Plastic cauldron holding small toys next to Halloween themed boxes labeled with letters
Mrs. Jones’ Creation Station

17. Sort by initial sounds

Early readers and spellers can get some practice at initial letter sounds with this cute idea. Label Halloween-themed boxes with letters, and fill a plastic cauldron with small toys or mini erasers. Then, have students sort the items into the correct boxes by their initial sounds.

Get the tutorial: Halloween Sorting Activity

A bat is made from different shapes of black construction paper
MathFour.com

18. Assemble a geometric bat

Sesame Street‘s The Count would definitely approve of this bat. It’s made up of ONE rectangle, TWO squares, SIX triangles … mwah ha ha!

Get the tutorial: Bat Activity

Green painter's tape is laid out on the floor in the shape of a spider web. little ghosts are scattered around it. A young boy is trying to keep his feet on the webbed lines
No Time for Flash Cards

19. Play a spiderweb walking game

Some Halloween activities, like this one, work on gross motor skills. Use some painter’s tape to create a spiderweb on the floor, then spread spiders or ghosts all around. Finally, let students try their hand at collecting them without losing their footing.

Get the tutorial: Spiderweb Activity

Pumpkins made of pipe cleaners and orange plastic beads
Cutesy Crafts

20. Sculpt pony bead pumpkins

This easy Halloween craft will give kids some fine motor skill practice. You can also have them count the beads as they string them. When you’re done, they’ll have a cute little pumpkin to decorate their room for fall!

Get the tutorial: Pony Bead Pumpkin

Five examples of halloween themed writing paper
We Are Teachers

21. Do some Halloween-style creative writing

What is your favorite Halloween costume and why? Would you spend a night in a graveyard for $100? Why or why not? We have 18 more Halloween writing prompt ideas plus free printable writing paper for you to use!

Get the prompts and paper: Halloween Writing Paper and Prompts

Several rocks are painted orange with black jack o' lantern faces painted on them
Easy Peasy and Fun

22. Paint rocks to look like jack-o’-lanterns

So simple and yet so fun. Go on a nature hunt with your students and have them collect as many flat rocks as they can. Then let them bring their jack-o’-lanterns to life with some orange and black paint. Be sure to use non-washable paint if you plan on displaying them outside!

Get the tutorial: Pumpkin Rocks

A fun letter sequencing activity using the book Room on the Broom
Pencils to Pigtails

23. Practice sequencing with Room on the Broom

Sequencing is a key skill for kids to master, so use the beloved book Room on the Broom to work on the concept.

Get the tutorial: Room on the Broom Literacy Activity

A poster board titled Poke a Pumpkin with a collection of cups covered with orange paper to look like a pumpkin
Project Whim

24. Play Poke-a-Pumpkin

Fill solo cups with cute Halloween-themed prizes, cover them with orange tissue paper, and then hang them on a poster. Kids will love poking through a pumpkin to reveal their prize when it is their turn.

Get the tutorial: Poke-a-Pumpkin Activity

A collage of the 15 Best Pumpkin Books for the Classroom
We Are Teachers

25. Read a pumpkin book or two

If you’re looking for some not-so-spooky stories, try our roundup of pumpkin books. For kids who love to be scared, check out some of the (slightly) terrifying tales below instead.

Get the book list: Pumpkin Books

Book covers for Halloween books
We Are Teachers / Amazon

26. And more Halloween books!

Check out our collection of the best Halloween books for your classroom shelves.

Get the book list: Halloween Books

Foam erupts from a pumpkin
Little Bins for Little Hands

27. Create a pumpkin volcano

Every kid loves the standard baking-soda-and-lemon-juice volcano. So why not add some Halloween flair by doing the experiment in a pumpkin?! Also, check out our 20 Favorite Halloween Experiments.

Get the tutorial: Pumpkin Volcano

A child's hand is shown carrying a skeleton arm that has a fake eyeball in the hand portion (Halloween Activities)
Joy in the Works

28. Have an eyeball relay race

Divide students into two teams, then have them race up and back trying not to drop the eyeball off their skeleton’s hand.

Get the tutorial: Eyeball Race

Three carved pumpkins lined up on a bookshelf
We Are Teachers

29. Carve up some pumpkin pi

How amazing would these look in your classroom or flickering away in the background of your Zoom screen? And they’re easy to make with our free printable templates.

Get the templates: Teacher Pumpkin-Carving Templates

A halloween paper craft of a black spider web and a green spider
San Diego Zoo

30. Craft a climbing spider

Teach your students how spiders use their sticky webs to catch their food. Then have them make their very own spiders that really climb!

Get the tutorial: Climbing Spider Craft

A plastic bin filled with sand and plastic halloween toys
One Sharp Bunch

31. Dig for witch fingers

Fill a tub or sand table with sand and some creepy, crawly Halloween items, then blindfold your students and have them race to see who can find the witch’s finger first!

Get tutorial: Creepy Sand Bin

The remnants of a vanishing ghost activity for kids
Growing a Jeweled Rose

32. Conjure up vanishing ghosts

Save and clean your hollowed-out eggshells, then fill them with cornstarch to create vanishing ghosts! Experiment with dropping or throwing them from different angles and heights to see what sorts of patterns you can create.

Get the tutorial: Vanishing Ghost

Two towers, one of red plastic spiders and one of black plastic spiders and a pair of die
Learning With Mrs. Langley

33. Roll and stack spiders

The best Halloween activities involve simple supplies and simple setup. Stick a drinking straw into a ball of play dough, then roll the dice and add that number of spider rings to your stack. The first to fill up their spider tower wins!

Get the tutorial: Spider Game

A yellow balloon with a small plastic ghost in front of it
Science Bob

34. Make a ghost dance

Nothing spooky here! Make this cute little tissue ghost dance with just a balloon and a little static electricity.

Get the tutorial: Dancing Ghost

Boy solves large word search puzzle taped to the wall
Busy Toddler

35. Do a giant Halloween word search

Work on word recognition while having fun at the same time! Remember to use painter’s tape so you can easily remove it from the wall when you’re done.

Get the tutorial: Halloween Word Search

An image of a diy halloween dice template next to a cartoon of a young witch
Pre-K Printable Fun

36. Crawl like a spider, tiptoe like a cat

Need a movement break? Roll this free printable Halloween die, put it together, and let the fun begin!

Get the printable: Witch Activity

A girl dangles gummy worms into a glass of water
Scholastic

37. Experiment using Halloween candy

There’s always plenty of candy to go around on Halloween, so kids can definitely spare some of it for a cool science experiment like this.

Get the tutorial: Dancing Frankenworms

Hello, Wonderful

38. Decorate pumpkins with string art

Pumpkin carving is pretty messy in a classroom, so try this clever string-art activity using thumbtacks instead.

Get the tutorial: Pumpkin String Art

Math worksheets featuring Halloween candy corn
We Are Teachers

39. Use candy corn for Halloween math activities

Pick up a few bags of candy corn and grab our free printables, then engage your students in meaningful Halloween math activities, from matching to multiplication.

Get the printable: Candy Corn Math Activities

Wooden tops painted like pumpkins
Buggy and Buddy

40. Spin inverted pumpkin tops

Paint wooden inverted tops to look like pumpkins, then give kids a lesson in physics as they try to spin them so they land on their stems!

Get the tutorial: Pumpkin Tops

Plastic baggie filled with orange hair gel with the letter N written on it
Pocket of Preschool

41. Write on hair gel baggies

Fill a zipper baggie with hair gel and a few drops of orange food coloring, then knead to mix. Add pumpkin seeds or googly eyes, then lay it flat for kids to practice tracing letters or numbers.

Get the tutorial: Gel Baggie Activity

A bat craft made from a section of egg carton painted black with googly eyes and a pipe cleaner
Crafts by Courtney

42. Conjure up some spooky bats

So simple and so cute! Simply cut egg cartons into three cup sections and have kids paint them black. When the paint is dry, add googly eyes and a pipe cleaner and they’re ready to swoop.

Get the printable: Egg Carton Bat

A puzzle made from craft sticks with a pumpkin painted on it
Active Littles

43. Stencil craft stick puzzles

Activities using wood craft sticks are inexpensive and lots of fun. Tape sticks together, then turn them over and stencil or draw a Halloween design on the front. Remove the tape and shuffle up the sticks, then reassemble your DIY puzzles.

Get the tutorial: Craft Stick Puzzles

A skeleton made from Q-tips
Recycled Crafts

44. Make a skeleton “you” with cotton swabs

Take and print photos of all of your students before getting started with this craft/anatomy lesson. Have students cut up different-size cotton swabs and then glue them to form the skeleton.

Get the tutorial: Skeleton Craft

A line of colorful construction paper pumpkins on a bookshelf
Runde’s Room

45. Explore story elements with pumpkins

Craft 3D paper pumpkins, then use them to break down a story into elements like plot, theme, and characters.

Get the tutorial: Pumpkin Story Boards

A bridge made from cotton swabs
Feel-Good Teaching

46. Construct bone bridges

Cotton swab “bones” turn a bridge-building STEM challenge into a Halloween treat. You’ll need wood craft sticks, pipe cleaners, and rubber bands too.

Get the tutorial: Bones Activity

A plate of snack mix is set out next to a worksheet for a science experiment
Third Grade Thinkers

47. Learn about mixtures and solutions

Students learn about mixtures and solutions in this STEM activity using homemade snack mix. They get practice counting and graphing too.

Get the tutorial: Mixtures and Solutions Activity

Small white plastic cups with spooky faces stacked into a pyramid
Turner Tots

48. Stack paper cup ghosts

This is bound to become one of your favorite Halloween activities. Draw faces on disposable cups to turn them into ghosts. Then challenge kids to stack and unstack them quickly, build the highest tower, and more.

Get the tutorial: Ghost Cups

Halloween task cards
Teaching With a Mountain View

49. Comparison-shop for candy

Learning how to add and subtract decimals is fun when candy is involved! Get the free printable task cards at the link, then use Halloween candy ads for a comparison shop of the best candy prices in town.

Get the printable: Candy Task Cards

A blue plastic jack-o-lantern resting on a craft stick catapult
There’s Just One Mommy

50. Catapult pumpkins through the air

This is the perfect STEM activity for Halloween. Gather some large Popsicle sticks, rubber bands, bottle caps, and candy corn pumpkins, and get ready to see who can shoot their pumpkin the farthest!

Get the tutorial: Craft Stick Candy Catapult

A math worksheet with a spiderweb and a ten frame on it
Fun Learning for Kids

51. Count with spiderweb 10-frames

Ten-frames are excellent learning tools for early math students. We love these free printable spiderwebs, which add a spooky seasonal twist to the learning.

Get the tutorial: Halloween Ten-Frames

A black piece of construction paper with white ghosts painted on it
Crafty Morning

52. Blow-paint silly ghosts

Pucker up and blow some strange and eerie ghosts using straws and white paint. Add googly eyes and a mouth with a black marker to give them each their own personality.

Get the tutorial: Ghost Painting

A bingo card and spinner for an emotions Bingo game
The Kindergarten Connection

53. Play Pumpkin Emotions Bingo

Pumpkin faces help kids learn about different emotions as they play special Halloween games of bingo.

Get the tutorial: Pumpkin Emotions Bingo

A robotic hand made from blue construction paper, segments of a drinking straw and string
Instructables

54. Engineer a robot hand

Nothing says Halloween like a skeleton. Teach your students how our joints, muscles, and tendons work together to move our hands using just construction paper, plastic straws, string, and tape.

Get the tutorial: Robotic Hand

Two children painting spiderwebs taped to the wall
Busy Toddler

55. Create spiderweb resist art

Grab some sturdy cardboard, washable paint, and painter’s tape, then let your little artists go to work. Ripping off the tape to reveal the masterpiece will be oh-so satisfying for your little ones.

Get the tutorial: Spiderweb Tape Resist Art

A colorful I-spy worksheet with images like pumpkins, witch hats, bats and more
And Next Comes L

56. Seek and find Halloween images

Use this free printable when you need a quick Halloween activity for your little monsters. It gives them counting practice with a seasonal theme.

Get the printable: Halloween I Spy Game

Small plastic pumpkins hold craft sticks with math problems on them
Kids Activities Blog

57. Calculate and match with pumpkins

Label mini pumpkin bowls with numbers, and write equations on wood craft sticks. Kids calculate the sums and place the sticks into the correct pumpkin.

Get the tutorial: Pumpkin Math Activity

Orange play dough with shapes cut out
Natural Beach Living

58. Make play dough and cut fall shapes out of it

Play dough is the perfect sensory activity for little learners, so why not put a fun Halloween-themed spin on it? Make some homemade play dough or buy some pre-made if you are short on time, then have students cut shapes from it with Halloween cookie cutters.

Get the tutorial: Play Dough Pumpkins

An orange pumpkin ball hits bowling pins made from plastic bottle
No Time for Flash Cards

59. Go bowling for ghosts

Stuff empty plastic bottles with cotton balls to turn them into ghost bowling pins, then have fun knocking them down. You can even turn this into a math activity by having kids tally or graph the number of pins they knock down on each turn.

Get the tutorial: Halloween Bowling

Film canisters with black eyes drawn on laying on the pavement with spilled white liquid around them
Growing a Jeweled Rose

60. Explode ghost rockets

What kid wouldn’t love to see a ghost rocket flying through the air? This is a science demo that’s always fun to see in action.

Get the tutorial: Ghost Rockets

A spider made from construction paper with math equations written on its legs
Mr. Elementary Math

61. Complete spider equations

If you’re looking for Halloween activities that help kids practice math facts, check this out. How many different ways can kids make equivalent equations? They’ll need at least eight for this silly spider craft.

Get the tutorial: Spider Equations

A beading activity laid out with witch's brooms, a bowl of beads and a foam die
Happy Toddler Playtime

62. Make a witch’s broom

Create a broomstick from cut-up yellow construction paper and a brown pipe cleaner, then let students personalize them by stringing beads of their choosing onto it.

Get the tutorial: Broomstick Craft

A smiling girl wears a spider headband made from black construction paper and many googly eyes
Fantastic Fun and Learning

63. Make a silly spider headband

All you’ll need to create this adorable headband is some black construction paper, glue or a stapler, and some googly eyes. Your students will have fun personalizing them and then showing them off.

Get the tutorial: Spider Headband

A classroom draw frankenstein halloween activity
Proud To Be Primary

64. Draw Frankenstein

Practice following directions to draw a Frankenstein monster, and then add watercolor paints to perfect the look. Pair with the book Crankenstein by Samantha Berger for an entire Franken-lesson.

Get the tutorial: Frankenstein Drawing

Toilet paper rolls made into monsters with art supplies
Crafty Morning
Monster addition game that uses cards and candy corn for a halloween activity
ABC’s of Literacy

66. Play a monster addition game

Laminate monster face cards and have students roll the dice to create and solve addition problems by adding candy corn to the monster’s mouth. That’s the best way to use candy corn (in our opinion).

Get the printable: Monster Face Page

Word sort with witch and cauldron cards
Mrs. Jones’ Creation Station

67. Sort words the way witches do

Print out and laminate word family cards and attach each to a mini cauldron. Then, students sort words by word family while mixing up a witch’s brew. So spooky cute!

Get the tutorial: Cauldron Word Sort

Fizzing eyeballs experiment for a halloween activity
B-Inspired Mama

68. Make fizzing eyeballs

Let kids experiment with this baking soda and vinegar experiment variation. Cover large plastic eyeballs in baking soda, then let it sit overnight. The next day, put the eyeballs in different-colored vinegar and watch for the reaction.

Get the tutorial: Fizzing Eyeballs

A haunted house writing activity
Proud To Be Primary

69. Write a haunted house story

Spend a week writing about a haunted house. Start with a vocabulary list of spooky and scary words to describe a haunted house. Then, have students brainstorm what they would include in their own haunted house. Finally, have students write a story that occurs in a haunted house.

Get the tutorial: Haunted House Writing Lesson

Painting of scary ghosts in the sky in the src of Van Gogh's Starry Night
Little Bins for Little Hands

70. Scary Night paintings

Looking for Halloween activities for art class? Teach about Van Gogh’s Starry Night, but change a few key details and turn the painting into “Scary Night.” Let students add their own take on this painting to see what else they can weave into this painting idea.

Get the tutorial: Scary Night Painting

Save the spiders activity with a bucket, string, and toy spiders
Proud To Be Primary

71. Save the spiders!

Tie string over a bin, drop spider rings in, and give students a pair of tongs to rescue the spiders from below the web. A great fine motor and focus activity.

Get the tutorial: Save the Spiders Game

Paint chip puzzles of ghost pumpkin and frankenstein
Kids Activities Blog

72. Put together paint chip puzzles

Turn paint chips into monster, pumpkin, and ghost puzzles. Then, put the puzzles into a center for students to complete or send sets home with students to work on at home.

Get the tutorial: Paint Chip Puzzles

Spookly the square pumpkin volume halloween activity
Simply STEAM Education
A zentangle black cat
Little Bins for Little Hands

74. Black cat zentangle

A zentangle is a structured pattern, called a tangle, created on square tiles in black and white. The patterns can be made with dots, lines, curves, or any other line you can think of. A black cat is perfect to fill with tangles.

Get the printable: Zentangle Cat

If you like these Halloween activities, check out these Halloween Bulletin Boards.

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