Halloween is my very FAVORITE holiday! Nothing beats fall weather, the colors of the season, and the anticipation of costumes and candy. As a teacher, I’ve found that Halloween tend to drive extraordinary engagement with students, and that gives educators plenty of fun ways to integrate learning in the classroom!
This year I’m sharing some of the reading resources that I love to do with BIG KIDS. You’ll also find a few Halloween party ideas as classroom festivities are heading into full swing.
READ ALOUD IDEA: My favorite book for October is The Best Halloween Ever. It is a realistic fiction novel about a group of students that attend Woodrow Wilson School. Due to some bad choices by the Herdman kids, the mayor cancels Halloween festivities for the entire town. The school decides to hold an alternative event, which leads to potential mischief. Your students will love reading about how the plot unfolds 😉
I love this book so much that I created a novel unit to use with my students. Click the image below if you are interested in using it in your classroom…
OUTDOOR TIME: For outdoor fun, get those kiddos started on an awesome game of “PumKickball!” Clever, huh?! I found these adorable kickballs at Five Below…
I knew my students would love the opportunity to have a friendly class competition while burning off some excess energy. Play at recess, take students out for your classroom party, or use the game as an incentive for awesome work ethic or behavior during this last week of the month. Energy burning is the gift that keeps on giving, especially during this sugar-filled time of year, as you know!
PARTY IDEA: Looking for an engaging classroom game for your Halloween party? Some of you have read my post about the Saran Wrap Ball game, and it is an easy win for any holiday party. All you need is a couple bags of candy and a roll of plastic wrap to start the fun!
HALLOWEEN DAY LESSON: As an ELA teacher I love to share fun literature with my students. I created a Halloween Reader’s Theater and Reading Literature Toolkit based on collection of stories that were brewing in my head. Your students will love reading about how the students at Parkersburg Elementary convinced the principal to change his perspective on cancelling the Halloween celebrations at school by proposing new, thoughtful traditions. You can check out this reading literature resource by clicking on the image below…
QUICK FALL LESSON: Short on time? Grab my Pumpkin Harvesting Informational Text FREEBIE! This is a CLOSE reading selection with context clue word work and reader response questions that your students will love to work on independently, in small groups, for homework, or in a literacy center.
I look forward to seeing your Halloween classroom ideas on social media! If you are interested, I also have a full posting of my October ELA favorites here if you need more ides. In the meantime, Happy Fall, Happy October, and most importantly, HAPPY Halloween!
