Halloween is definitely at the top of the list when it comes to kids’ favorite holidays. Thinking about costumes, candy, and gatherings gets them super excited on the days leading up to the holiday. As teachers, it helps to go with the flow instead of trying to go against it. This is why I am sharing some fun and engaging ELA Halloween activities for the classroom that have proven to keep kids engaged and learning through the excitement.
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1. Flashlight Reading
Halloween and the dark are synonymous. Therefore, make your reading block or students’ independent reading time more engaging by covering the windows, turning off the lights, giving each student their own independent flashlight, and have them read using the light from their flashlights.
This is one of the easiest Halloween classroom activities to set up that will have your students begging to continue to read throughout the day.
2. Book Bites – Book Tasting Activity
Introducing students to new genres and different choices of books can help motivate and get them excited about reading. Turning it into a Halloween book tasting activity can really set the stage to engage.
If you have students who do not celebrate Halloween, turn it into a Fall themed book tasting event.
Setting up your Book Bites:
- Set up a different genre at each station or group of desks. Placing a sign is helpful.
- Place a pile of books related to the genre in the middle or in a basket (make sure to have a few more books than students so that everyone gets to choose and isn’t ‘stuck’ with a book).
- Give each student a recording sheet to write down the title of their book and a sentence or two about it.
- After a few minutes, have the students rotate to the next station. Continue moving them on until they have had a chance to visit each of the genres you have set up.
If you’d like something a little less spooky, you can go with a fall theme instead. It’s a great option when you have students in your class who do not celebrate Halloween.
3. “Sweet” Candy Corn Halloween Idioms
If you’re looking for a “non-spooky” Halloween Activity for your upper elementary students, this idiom activity is perfect. Students naturally love idioms, so this activity will have them engaged while still allowing you to cover the standards.
Introduce your students to idioms that include the word ‘sweet’ or are related to candy. Have them write the figurative meaning of the idiom, write a sentence that includes the idiom, and then illustrate the idiom onto a candy cane shape.
Have the students then turn them into a booklet, wreath, or candy corn bag.
4. Halloween Word of the Day Vocabulary
Take some time to break away from your regular vocabulary wordlist and introduce your students to words focused on Halloween. I like to choose words they may not have heard about before and can use throughout the year, but I tend to stay away from gory words.
I have found that the best way to implement this is:
- Give students the meaning of these new words and discuss them.
- Then, show them how to search for synonyms and antonyms using a dictionary or online resources.
- Next, help them identify when to use the words by creating brainstorming webs.
- Finally, have them create sentences and illustrations related to the words.
Once students are finished, have them share their sentences and illustrations with a partner and assess their understanding with a quick quiz.
5. Candy Corn Punctuation
Take advantage of the season and use candy corn to have students practice the use of commas and quotation marks.
You can use them after a lesson to help students master the skill or at centers as a review of skills you have previously taught.
Ideas for practice:
- comma work mats
- write sentences on sentence strips
- have students use dry erase markers to copy sentences onto their desks and add commas and/or quotation marks using candy corn
5. Halloween Themed Spelling Activities
One of the easiest ways to add a little change to ELA centers is to add new theme based activities. Create spelling activities that students are already used to working on, but add a new spin to them by making them Halloween themed spelling activities.
Some ideas are:
- Spooky Spelling Handwriting: Create two columns. On the left, the students write their spelling words in their regular handwriting. On the right, the students write their spelling words using spooky handwriting.
- Candy Corn Alliterations: Students draw one candy corn per spelling word. They write a two word alliteration in each candy corn.
- Witches’ Hats Pyramids: Students write each spelling word adding one letter per line to make a pyramid. Then, students make a triangle around the finished pyramid and make it look like a witch’s hat.
6. Halloween Grammar Worksheets for Upper Elementary
Sometimes you just need something that’s fun and standards-aligned and low prep – especially during Halloween week when the energy is high and the schedule is unpredictable. That’s were Halloween grammar worksheets come in handy!
From crossword puzzles to color-by-code parts of speech, these no-prep printable give students engaging grammar practice without feeling like a typical worksheet.
Ways to use them:
- whole group activities
- small group
- centers
- early finishers
- or even a friendly classroom competition leading up to Halloween or on Halloween Day
7. Halloween Themed Word Games
Word games are always a hit in the upper elementary classroom, especially during the excitement of Halloween week. Whether you’re looking for something fun for early finishers, morning work, or partner activities, Halloween word games are an easy way to keep students engaged.
Boggle Word Work
In this Halloween-themed version of Boggle, students search for words and score points based on length. Halloween words earn triple points. This is perfect for centers, fast finishers, or independent word work practice.
Halloween Puzzle Pack
This no-prep puzzle packet includes a crossword, word search, unscramble, code breaker, maze, and word sudoku. You can use them throughout the week or all in one day as a fun Halloween ELA rotation.
8. Halloween Reading Response Activities
Halloween week can be a tricky time to keep students focused during independent reading or book clubs. That’s why I like using reading response activities that feel seasonal but still hit the standards. These Halloween-themed pages work with just about any fiction or nonfiction text and give students a creative way to show their thinking.
The activities are designed to be easy to implement. Just print and go. They also offer a creative spin on common reading standards, making them perfect for October.
A few favorite pages include:
- Shedding Some Light (visualization)
- Trick or Treat (main idea and key details)
- Plotting a Witch’s Hat (plot)
- Candy Corn Questions (text-based evidence)
- Spider Sequence (chronological order)
These can be used for:
- Reading centers
- Partner or independent work
- Early finishers
- Book clubs
- Homework or home learning
They’re fun, flexible, and keep students accountable for their reading in a seasonally themed way.
More Halloween Ideas for the Classroom
If you’re planning ahead for Halloween week, here are a few more posts you might enjoy:
Frequently Asked Questions about Halloween ELA Activities
How can I include students who don’t celebrate Halloween?
There are a few easy swaps you can make. The Book Bites activity comes with a fall-themed version, so you can skip the Halloween decor and use pumpkins and leaves instead. You can also use the Sweet Idioms activity, which focuses on candy-related idioms and works well with a general fall theme. Both options keep the learning and fun while making sure all students feel included.
What are some easy Halloween ELA activities I can use during a busy week?
If your schedule is packed or unpredictable during Halloween week, go for low-prep options like flashlight reading, word games, or grammar worksheets. These Halloween ELA activities keep students engaged while still giving you time to manage everything else going on in the classroom. You can also prep a few seasonal centers ahead of time and rotate them throughout the week.
Do I need special books for these activities?
Not at all. You can use any books you already have in your classroom library or read-aloud rotation. Many of the activities work with both picture books and novels, so you can easily differentiate based on your students’ reading levels.
I hope these ELA Halloween Activities for the Classroom help you keep your students engaged. Happy Halloween, my Co-Teacher.
