Classroom Halloween Party Ideas, Kindergarten to Grade 5
Class and roomDate and timeHelpersAllergy notes
Check the school's costume, food and photo rules before the day. They come before this sheet.
Nothing on this sheet is eaten. Keep any treats apart from the games and follow the class allergy list.
One adult stays at any station with scissors, glue, water or a throwing line.
Every child can take part without a costume, and no costume is judged or voted on.
Nobody is out in the youngest band. In older grades a player who is out gets a job, such as scorekeeper.
End with a calm-down idea, then pack up together before the bell.
Which Ghost Hid the Pumpkin1. Draw round eyes and a smile on three white paper cups. 2. Hide a large orange pom-pom under one while the children watch, then slide the cups slowly. 3. Children point to the ghost they think has it, and one child lifts that cup. 4. Let a child do the hiding next. Nothing scary: the ghosts are paper cups with smiles. Players: 4 to 12. Time: 5 min. Props: three white paper cups and a large pom-pom. Helpers: the teacher only.
Dot Sticker Pumpkin Patch1. Give each child a sheet of green paper with a brown vine drawn across it. 2. Children peel orange dot stickers and place pumpkins along the vine. 3. They draw a green stem on each with a crayon. 4. A helper writes the number the child counts at the bottom. Peeling is slow work for small fingers, so allow the full time. Nothing scary: a pumpkin patch with no faces. Players: 4 to 8. Time: 8 min. Props: green paper, orange dot stickers and crayons. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Trick-or-Treat Practice Doors1. Stand three cardboard doors or decorated boxes round the room with a helper behind each. 2. In pairs, children knock, say trick or treat, take one sticker and say thank you. 3. The helper answers with one kind sentence about walking with a grown-up. 4. Swap so children take a turn behind a door. Nothing scary: helpers wear no masks, and every door opens to a friendly face. Players: 6 to 20. Time: 10 min. Props: cardboard doors or boxes and stickers. Helpers: 2 extra adults.
Yarn-Wrapped Web Plate1. A helper cuts eight short slits round the edge of a dark paper plate. 2. Tape one end of a long piece of white yarn to the back. 3. The child pulls the yarn across the front from slit to slit in any order until it runs out. 4. Tape the end down and stick a paper spider on the web. Nothing scary: the spider is the child's pet for the day. Players: 4 to 6. Time: 10 min. Props: dark paper plates, white yarn, tape and paper spiders. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Row Your Boat Across the Pond1. Partners sit facing each other with feet together and hold hands. 2. Rock gently back and forth while the class sings the traditional rowing rhyme. 3. Sing it again slowly for a sleepy turtle and quickly for a busy duck. 4. Finish with the whole class rowing in one long line, hands on the shoulders in front. Nothing scary: a rowing song with turtles and ducks. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 5 min. Props: none. Helpers: the teacher only.
Classroom Halloween Party Ideas, Kindergarten to Grade 5: how it works
Classroom Halloween party ideas have to fit 20 or more children, a fixed hour and the school's rules. The page opens on Pre-K and kindergarten: 60 ideas with no reading, where nobody is out. No idea uses food.
Build the hour from four kinds
A class party runs well as stations: two games, a craft, a movement break and a calm ending. Kind shows one type at a time, and Time caps the minutes. A teacher hunting for Halloween party ideas for kindergartners can start with Hungry Monster Color Sort.
From grade 3, the party can carry the lesson
Among the 3rd grade Halloween party ideas, Multiplication Bump: Pumpkin Patch and Rounding Spiders to the Nearest Ten pass as math time, which helps where a school limits party minutes. Grades 4 and 5 get codes, grids and builds, such as Four Locked Envelopes Code Hunt. Keep preschool Halloween party ideas to big pieces: large pom-poms and jar-lid counters.
Tips
Tick an idea once its supplies are packed. Open saved list brings the sheet back with its ticks.
Print adds lines for the class, date, helpers and allergy notes, then six party rules, above the ideas.
A child in ordinary clothes can do every idea. The parade entry reads a kind slip for each child.
Questions and answers
What can a class do at a Halloween party when food is not allowed?
Everything on this page. None of the 140 ideas is eaten or uses food as a prop, because allergy rules differ between schools. A kindergarten hour could be Roll the Pumpkin to a Friend, Cotton Ball Ghost, Monster Stomp Runway and Slow Ghost Breathing.
How do I keep a Halloween party from scaring preschoolers?
Keep the lights on and the noises soft, and take masks off. Each of the 60 youngest ideas has a line that begins Nothing scary: the ghosts are scarves that end the song asleep, and the monsters are smiling boxes with no teeth.
Do these Halloween games for school work as stations?
Yes. Table crafts and sorting games suit four to eight children, so a class of 24 can rotate in four groups. Circle games, songs and team quizzes take the whole class. The Helpers line on each idea says how many extra adults it needs.
Scavenger Hunt Ideas, Lists and Clues32 tools: A scavenger hunt needs three things: a list, a boundary and a finish time. The list is the slow part, so…
Kindergarten and preschool (no reading, nobody is out) 60
Bat Cave Crawl and Count1. Drape a dark sheet over a table and hang up to five paper bats inside on strings. 2. One child at a time crawls in with a flashlight, counts the bats and crawls out the other side. 3. They whisper the number to the helper. 4. Change the number of bats between turns. Keep both ends open so no child is shut in. Nothing scary: the cave has two open ends and the child holds the light. Players: 4 to 8. Time: 10 min. Props: a table, a sheet, paper bats on string and a flashlight. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Clap Me to the Pumpkin1. One child covers their eyes while another hides a small pumpkin somewhere in easy reach. 2. The seeker walks round the room. 3. The class claps slowly when the seeker is far away and faster as they get close. 4. The finder chooses the next seeker. Nothing scary: eyes are covered with hands for a few seconds, and no one is blindfolded. Players: 6 to 25. Time: 8 min. Props: a small pumpkin. Helpers: the teacher only.
Clip Eight Legs on the Spider1. Give each child a black paper plate with sticker eyes and a drawn smile. 2. Children clip on eight clothespins, four on each side, counting aloud. 3. Roll a big die, unclip that many and say how many are left. 4. Clip them back to make eight again. Nothing scary: the spider smiles before it gets its legs. Players: 3 to 6. Time: 8 min. Props: black paper plates, clothespins, sticker eyes and a large die. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Clothespin Bat With Filter Wings1. Color a round coffee filter all over with dark washable markers. 2. Pinch it in the middle like a bow. 3. Clip a clothespin over the pinch to make the body. 4. Stick on two eyes and clip the bat to a string across the room. Nothing scary: round eyes, and children name their bats. Players: 4 to 6. Time: 10 min. Props: coffee filters, washable markers, clothespins and sticker eyes. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Costume Circle, One Sentence Each1. Sit in a circle with masks and hats off. 2. Pass a soft toy; the holder says one sentence about what they are wearing or what they like about today. 3. The class answers each child with two claps. 4. A child who passes gets the same two claps. Nothing is voted on. Nothing scary: masks are off, so every face in the circle is a friend's. Players: 6 to 25. Time: 8 min. Props: a soft toy to pass. Helpers: the teacher only.
Cotton Ball Ghost1. Draw a simple ghost outline on dark paper for each child. 2. Children rub a glue stick all over the inside of the outline. 3. They pull cotton balls apart to make them fluffy and press them on. 4. Add two paper circle eyes and an O for a mouth. Nothing scary: round eyes and an O mouth make the ghost look surprised, not angry. Players: 4 to 6. Time: 10 min. Props: dark paper, glue sticks, cotton balls and paper circles. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Dot Sticker Pumpkin Patch1. Give each child a sheet of green paper with a brown vine drawn across it. 2. Children peel orange dot stickers and place pumpkins along the vine. 3. They draw a green stem on each with a crayon. 4. A helper writes the number the child counts at the bottom. Peeling is slow work for small fingers, so allow the full time. Nothing scary: a pumpkin patch with no faces. Players: 4 to 8. Time: 8 min. Props: green paper, orange dot stickers and crayons. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
The Farmer Picks a Pumpkin1. Walk in a ring round one child, the farmer, singing your own words to the traditional farmer in the dell tune. 2. The farmer picks a pumpkin, who joins the middle; the pumpkin picks a cat, the cat picks a mouse, and so on. 3. Keep choosing until every child is in the middle. 4. Sing a last verse, we all stand together, so nobody is left alone in the ring. Nothing scary: a choosing game that ends with everyone chosen. Players: 8 to 25. Time: 8 min. Props: none. Helpers: the teacher only.
Felt Board Pumpkin Story1. Put five felt pumpkins, a felt gate and a moon on the board. 2. Tell a simple story of your own in which the pumpkins roll home to bed one at a time. 3. A child takes one pumpkin off each time, and the class counts how many are left. 4. Tell it again with the children saying the numbers. Nothing scary: the pumpkins go home to bed. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 8 min. Props: a felt board, five felt pumpkins, a gate and a moon. Helpers: the teacher only.
Flap, Hoot, Stretch Chant1. Teach a spoken chant with a steady knee-pat beat: bats flap, flap, flap. 2. Add a line and a move at a time: owls hoot, hoot, hoot with hands round the eyes; cats stretch, stretch, stretch up tall; pumpkins roll, roll, roll with rolling arms. 3. Say the four lines faster each time through. 4. End with a whisper round. Nothing scary: four friendly animals and a vegetable. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 5 min. Props: none. Helpers: the teacher only.
Flashlight Picture Find1. Tape ten pictures round the room at child height: a pumpkin, an owl, a cat, a moon, a leaf. 2. Dim the lights and leave the blinds open. 3. The teacher names a picture, and the child holding the flashlight finds it with the beam while everyone points. 4. Pass the flashlight on after each find. Nothing scary: the room is dim, not dark, and the pictures are everyday things. Players: 6 to 20. Time: 8 min. Props: ten pictures, tape and a flashlight. Helpers: the teacher only.
Float or Sink Pumpkin Tub1. Half fill a clear tub with water and set out a mini pumpkin, a leaf, a crayon, a block and a spoon. 2. For each object, children show thumbs up for float or thumbs down for sink. 3. One child lowers it in and everyone looks. 4. Sort the objects onto an up-arrow tray and a down-arrow tray. An adult stays at the water. Nothing scary: it is a guessing game with a tub of water. Players: 4 to 8. Time: 8 min. Props: a clear tub, water, five objects and two trays. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Floating Ghost Scarves1. Give every child a light white scarf or a paper tissue. 2. Play slow music and float the ghosts high, low, behind the back and round in a circle. 3. Toss the ghost up and catch it on a hand, an elbow or the head. 4. When the music fades, each ghost floats down to sleep on the floor. Nothing scary: the ghosts are scarves, and they end the song asleep. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 6 min. Props: light scarves or paper tissues and slow music. Helpers: the teacher only.
Follow the Black Cat1. The leader wears a paper cat-ear headband and the class lines up behind. 2. The line copies the leader round the room: tiptoe, a long stretch, a soft pounce onto a floor spot. 3. At the teacher's clap, the leader passes the ears to the next child and joins the back. 4. Play until the ears have gone down the whole line or the time is up. Nothing scary: the cat is one of the children, and it never pounces on anyone. Players: 6 to 20. Time: 8 min. Props: a paper cat-ear headband. Helpers: the teacher only.
Hat, Cape, Belt and Boots1. Use the tune your class knows for the head and shoulders song. 2. Swap the words for costume parts and touch each place: hat on the head, cape on the shoulders, belt at the waist, boots on the feet. 3. Sing it three times, faster each time. 4. On the last round, hum one word and only do its action. Nothing scary: it is a dressing-up song with no characters in it. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 5 min. Props: none. Helpers: the teacher only.
How Does the Pumpkin Feel1. Hold up four paper pumpkins with simple faces: happy, sad, surprised, sleepy. 2. Children copy each face. 3. Ask who has felt surprised today, and let a few children tell about it. 4. Finish on the sleepy pumpkin with a big stretch and a yawn. Any child may pass. Nothing scary: four everyday feelings, and none of them is fear. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 6 min. Props: four paper pumpkins with faces. Helpers: the teacher only.
Hungry Monster Color Sort1. Cut a wide smiling mouth in three boxes and paint them orange, purple and green. 2. Tip a basket of large pom-poms and blocks in the same colors onto the rug. 3. Children feed each monster only its own color, carrying one piece at a time. 4. Count each box aloud together at the end. Nothing scary: the monsters smile and have no teeth. Players: 3 to 6. Time: 8 min. Props: three painted boxes, large pom-poms and blocks. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
I Spy on the Big Picture1. Pin up one large busy picture, such as a farm in fall. 2. Give clues by color, shape and size, not by letter: I spy something orange and round. 3. A child comes up and points to it. 4. Let children give the clues once they have the idea. Nothing scary: the picture is a daytime farm scene. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 6 min. Props: one large poster or projected picture. Helpers: the teacher only.
Itsy Bitsy Spider, Three Sizes1. Sing the traditional rhyme with the usual finger actions. 2. Sing it again for the great big spider, in a deep slow voice with whole arms. 3. Sing it a third time for the teeny tiny spider, whispering with fingertips. 4. Let the children choose a fourth size or speed. Nothing scary: a song most of the class already knows. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 5 min. Props: none. Helpers: the teacher only.
Jump Up to the Moon1. Everyone crouches small like a seed in the ground. 2. Count down from five together in a whisper that gets louder. 3. On zero, jump as high as you can with arms up to the moon, and land softly on bent knees. 4. Repeat as a frog, a cat and a rocket, five jumps in all. Nothing scary: a counting and jumping game. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 4 min. Props: none. Helpers: the teacher only.
Leap the Broomstick1. Lay a broom flat on the floor. 2. Children line up, jump over it with two feet and walk back round to the line. 3. Next round, rest it on two books, never higher than a child's ankle. 4. Finish with each child choosing a way over: hop, step or giant stride. The broom stays on the floor or the books and is never held or swung. Nothing scary: it is a jumping game with a broom. Players: 6 to 20. Time: 6 min. Props: a broom and two books. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Listen Till the Chime Is Gone1. Children sit with eyes closed and one hand in the air. 2. Ring a chime or a triangle once. 3. Each child lowers their hand when they can no longer hear it. 4. Ring it twice more, then ask each child to name one quiet sound they noticed in the room. Nothing scary: one soft sound and a quiet room. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 4 min. Props: a chime or a triangle. Helpers: the teacher only.
Lunch Bag Owl Puppet1. Lay a paper lunch bag flat with the flap at the top. 2. Glue two large paper circles on the flap for eyes and an orange triangle under them for a beak. 3. Glue torn brown paper feathers on the body. 4. Slide a hand inside and make the owl say hello to a neighbor. Nothing scary: the owl is a puppet the child controls. Players: 4 to 6. Time: 10 min. Props: paper lunch bags, paper shapes and glue sticks. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Magic Moon Crayon Resist1. Children press hard with a white crayon on white paper to draw a moon and stars. 2. They brush watery dark blue or purple paint over the whole page. 3. The moon and stars show through the paint. 4. Dry flat, and add a bat sticker tomorrow. Nothing scary: a night sky. Players: 4 to 6. Time: 10 min. Props: white crayons, white paper, watery paint, brushes and smocks. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Show all 140 ideas (116 more)
Kindergarten and preschool (no reading, nobody is out), continued
Magnet Fishing for Bats1. Tape a large paper clip to the back of 15 paper bats and scatter them on a blue sheet. 2. Children fish with a magnet wand, one bat at a time. 3. Each bat has a color dot; the child names the color and drops the bat in the matching bucket. 4. Count each bucket together. An adult checks that every clip stays taped on. Nothing scary: the bats are bright paper cut-outs. Players: 3 to 5. Time: 8 min. Props: paper bats, large paper clips, tape, magnet wands and buckets. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Monster Stomp Runway1. Tape down a strip of bubble wrap or a line of paper leaves. 2. Put on music with a slow beat. 3. Children cross one at a time with big monster stomps, then come back with tiny mouse steps. 4. Call new ways to cross: sideways, on tiptoe, holding a friend's hand. Nothing scary: the children are the monsters, and nobody roars at anyone. Players: 6 to 20. Time: 6 min. Props: bubble wrap or paper leaves, tape and music. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Old MacDonald's Night Barn1. Sing the traditional farm song, but it is night and different animals are awake. 2. Hold up a picture for each verse: an owl, a cat, a frog, a cricket, a bat. 3. The children choose the sound each one makes. 4. For the last verse everyone is a sleepy farmer who yawns. Nothing scary: the animals are the ones children hear from bed. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 6 min. Props: five animal pictures. Helpers: the teacher only.
Orange Cup Pumpkin Tower1. Give each pair ten orange paper cups. 2. Pairs build the tallest tower they can, taking turns to add a cup. 3. When it falls they cheer and start again, and nobody is timed. 4. Finish with one class tower from every cup, the teacher placing the top ones. Nothing scary: any faces drawn on the cups are smiles. Players: 4 to 12. Time: 8 min. Props: orange paper cups. Helpers: the teacher only.
Owl Hoots, Count the Hoots1. Children sit with eyes closed and hands on knees. 2. The teacher hoots softly between one and five times. 3. Children hold up that many fingers, then open their eyes and check with a neighbor. 4. A child who wants a turn becomes the owl. Nothing scary: the hoots are soft and the lights stay on. Players: 6 to 25. Time: 5 min. Props: none. Helpers: the teacher only.
Owl Puppet Says Goodnight1. Children sit in a circle with the lights low. 2. The teacher's owl puppet goes round and whispers goodnight to each child by name. 3. That child strokes the owl once, then rests their head on their knees. 4. When the owl has been all the way round, the room is quiet and ready for the bell. Nothing scary: a soft puppet and a whisper. Players: 6 to 25. Time: 5 min. Props: an owl puppet. Helpers: the teacher only.
Paper Strip Pumpkin Ball1. A helper cuts six orange paper strips for each child and punches a hole in both ends. 2. The child stacks the strips, and the helper pushes a paper fastener through each end. 3. The child fans the strips out into a ball. 4. Add a green paper leaf under the top fastener. Adults handle the fasteners, which are small and sharp. Nothing scary: a plain round pumpkin. Players: 3 to 4. Time: 10 min. Props: orange paper strips, a hole punch, paper fasteners and green paper. Helpers: 2 extra adults.
Pass the Pumpkin, Share a Favorite1. Sit in a circle and pass one small pumpkin slowly by hand. 2. Whoever holds it names their favorite part of the party. 3. Everyone else listens with hands in laps until the pumpkin moves on. 4. A child may say pass, and the teacher goes last. Nothing scary: a talking circle with a pumpkin for a microphone. Players: 6 to 25. Time: 6 min. Props: a small pumpkin. Helpers: the teacher only.
Picture Footprint Path1. Tape paper footprints in a winding path across the room, with a picture card beside every fourth print. 2. Children follow the path one at a time, a few steps apart. 3. At each card they do what it shows: hop like a frog, flap like a bat, tiptoe like a cat. 4. The path ends at the story rug. Nothing scary: the cards show animals, and nothing jumps out. Players: 6 to 20. Time: 8 min. Props: paper footprints, tape and picture cards. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Picture Walk, Then the Story1. Choose a gentle picture book about fall or dressing up, and read every page yourself beforehand. 2. Turn the pages without reading and ask what the children see. 3. Then read it through without stopping. 4. Ask each child to show with their face how the last page felt. Nothing scary: the teacher has checked every page for this class. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: a picture book the teacher has read in full. Helpers: the teacher only.
Play Dough Pumpkins at the Quiet Table1. Put out orange and green play dough with rolling pins and craft sticks. 2. Children roll a ball, press lines down the sides with a craft stick and add a green stem. 3. They make a family of pumpkins in three sizes. 4. Squash and start again as often as they like. Check the dough's ingredients against the class allergy list first. Nothing scary: pumpkins with no faces. Players: 3 to 6. Time: 10 min. Props: orange and green play dough, craft sticks and rolling pins. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Pumpkin Patch Mulberry Bush1. Hold hands and walk in a ring, singing your own words to the traditional mulberry bush tune: here we go round the pumpkin patch. 2. Stop and act out a verse: this is the way we plant the seeds. 3. Add verses for watering, picking and carrying the heavy pumpkin. 4. The children suggest the last verse. Nothing scary: a gardening song in a ring. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 6 min. Props: none. Helpers: the teacher only.
Pumpkin Patch Tongs1. Fill a tray with shredded green paper and hide 20 large orange pom-poms in it. 2. Children pick pumpkins with child-size tongs and drop one in each cup of an egg carton. 3. When a carton is full, count to twelve together and tip it back. 4. Offer a big spoon to any child the tongs frustrate. Nothing scary: it is a pumpkin patch in a tray. Players: 2 to 4. Time: 8 min. Props: a tray, shredded paper, large pom-poms, tongs and egg cartons. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Pumpkin Wash Station1. Spread towels under two tubs, one with a little soapy water and one with clear. 2. Children scrub small pumpkins with nail brushes, rinse them and dry them on a towel. 3. Line the clean pumpkins on the windowsill. 4. Change wet sleeves at once and wipe the floor between groups. An adult stays at the tubs the whole time. Nothing scary: it is water play with pumpkins. Players: 3 to 4. Time: 10 min. Props: two tubs, small pumpkins, nail brushes and towels. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Pumpkins in Size Order1. Set five real pumpkins of clearly different sizes on the rug. 2. Children work together to line them up from smallest to biggest. 3. Ask which of two feels heavier, and let a child lift each with two hands to check. 4. Mix them up and line them biggest to smallest. Nothing scary: whole pumpkins with no faces. Players: 4 to 10. Time: 6 min. Props: five pumpkins of different sizes. Helpers: the teacher only.
Roll and Cover Pumpkin Mat1. Give each child a mat with six pumpkins showing one to six dots. 2. Children take turns rolling a large dot die. 3. They count the dots and cover the matching pumpkin with a counter the size of a jar lid. 4. A child whose mat is full helps a neighbor finish, so nobody is first or last. Nothing scary: plain orange pumpkins with dots. Players: 2 to 6. Time: 8 min. Props: pumpkin mats, a large dot die and jar-lid counters. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Roll the Picture Cube1. Tape six pictures on a large soft cube: bat, cat, owl, spider, pumpkin, scarecrow. 2. A child rolls the cube across the rug. 3. Everyone does that move until the teacher claps: flap, stretch, turn the head, wiggle fingers, curl up round, stand floppy. 4. The roller picks the next roller. Nothing scary: the moves are animal moves, and nobody chases anybody. Players: 6 to 25. Time: 6 min. Props: a large soft cube and six pictures. Helpers: the teacher only.
Roll the Pumpkin to a Friend1. Sit in a circle with legs out and feet touching a neighbor's. 2. Roll a small smooth pumpkin or an orange ball across to a friend and say their name. 3. That friend rolls it to someone who has not had a turn. 4. When every child has rolled once, go round again a little faster. Nothing scary: it is a rolling game, and nobody is caught or out. Players: 6 to 20. Time: 6 min. Props: one small smooth pumpkin or an orange ball. Helpers: the teacher only.
Row Your Boat Across the Pond1. Partners sit facing each other with feet together and hold hands. 2. Rock gently back and forth while the class sings the traditional rowing rhyme. 3. Sing it again slowly for a sleepy turtle and quickly for a busy duck. 4. Finish with the whole class rowing in one long line, hands on the shoulders in front. Nothing scary: a rowing song with turtles and ducks. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 5 min. Props: none. Helpers: the teacher only.
Shaker Parade Around the Room1. Hand out egg shakers and bells from the music box. 2. March in a line behind the teacher's drum: loud for big steps, soft for tiptoes. 3. When the drum stops, shakers rest on knees until it starts again. 4. End the parade at the story rug and collect the shakers in a basket. Use sealed shakers only, nothing a child can open. Nothing scary: a marching band. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 6 min. Props: sealed egg shakers, bells and a drum. Helpers: the teacher only.
Shape Hats for Pumpkins1. Draw six pumpkins on a poster, each with a shape outlined above its head: circle, square, triangle, star, heart, oval. 2. Hand out paper hats cut in the same shapes. 3. Children take turns sticking a hat on its pumpkin and saying the shape. 4. Mix the hats and play again with two children up at once. Nothing scary: every pumpkin has a friendly face. Players: 4 to 10. Time: 6 min. Props: a poster, paper shape hats and sticky tack. Helpers: the teacher only.
Shape Monster Collage1. Set out paper circles, squares, triangles and rectangles in bright colors. 2. Each child picks one big shape for a body and glues on as many arms, legs and eyes as they like. 3. The helper asks how many eyes it has and what it likes to do, and writes the answer on the page. 4. Hang them together as a monster family. Nothing scary: bright colors, and every child is asked what makes their monster kind. Players: 4 to 6. Time: 10 min. Props: bright paper shapes, glue sticks and a marker for the helper. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Slow Ghost Breathing1. Children lie on their backs with a paper tissue ghost on their tummy. 2. Breathe in slowly through the nose and watch the ghost rise. 3. Breathe out slowly and watch it sink. 4. Count five slow breaths together, then lie still for one quiet minute with the lights low. Nothing scary: the ghost is a tissue having a rest. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 4 min. Props: one paper tissue each. Helpers: the teacher only.
Spider Web Hoop Weave1. Tie a plastic hoop upright between two chairs. 2. Children pass a ball of thick white yarn back and forth through the hoop, and a helper loops it round the rim each time. 3. When the web is full, each child clips one paper spider on it. 4. Hang the hoop by the door. Nothing scary: the class gives every spider a friendly name. Players: 4 to 8. Time: 10 min. Props: a plastic hoop, thick yarn, paper spiders and clothespins. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Sponge Stamp Pumpkin Row1. Cut a kitchen sponge into a circle and clip a clothespin on as a handle. 2. Children dip it in orange paint and stamp a row of pumpkins along a paper strip. 3. They count their pumpkins aloud. 4. When the paint is dry, they add stems with a green crayon. Nothing scary: pumpkins with no faces, unless the child asks for smiles. Players: 4 to 6. Time: 10 min. Props: sponges, clothespins, orange paint, paper strips and smocks. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Sticker Night Sky With Dictation1. Give each child a sheet of dark paper, star stickers and one paper moon. 2. Children make a night sky however they like. 3. A helper asks each child to tell one thing about their picture and writes the sentence underneath. 4. The child listens as the helper reads it back. Nothing scary: a calm night sky. Players: 4 to 8. Time: 10 min. Props: dark paper, star stickers, paper moons and a pen for the helper. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Tap Tees Into a Pumpkin1. An adult presses a dozen golf tees a little way into a large pumpkin. 2. One child at a time taps a tee all the way in with a wooden toy mallet. 3. Count the taps aloud. 4. The adult pulls the tees out and sets them again for the next child. One child, one mallet and one adult at the pumpkin at all times; waiting children stand behind a tape line. Nothing scary: the pumpkin has no face. Players: 2 to 4. Time: 10 min. Props: a large pumpkin, golf tees and a wooden toy mallet. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Tape Spider Web Balance Walk1. Tape a large web on the floor: six long lines through one center, joined by rings. 2. Children walk heel to toe along any line to the middle without stepping off. 3. At the middle they pick up one paper spider and balance-walk out along another line. 4. Older fives can try it with a bean bag on the head. Nothing scary: the spiders are paper with smiles drawn on. Players: 4 to 8. Time: 8 min. Props: painter's tape and paper spiders. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Three Things From the Story Bag1. Put three objects in a cloth bag: a toy cat, a hat and a wooden spoon. 2. Three children each pull one out. 3. The class makes up a story that uses all three, one idea at a time, while the teacher writes it on chart paper. 4. Read the finished story back in a storyteller's voice. Nothing scary: the teacher steers the story, and the objects are everyday things. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: a cloth bag, three everyday objects, chart paper and a marker. Helpers: the teacher only.
Torn-Paper Plate Pumpkin1. Give each child a paper plate and strips of orange paper. 2. Children tear the strips into small pieces; tearing is the point, so no scissors. 3. They glue the pieces all over the plate with a glue stick. 4. Add a green paper stem and, if they like, a face from black paper shapes. Nothing scary: children choose the face, and most choose a smile. Players: 4 to 6. Time: 10 min. Props: paper plates, orange paper, glue sticks and paper shapes. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Traced Handprint Spider1. A helper traces both of the child's hands on black paper, fingers spread and thumbs tucked in. 2. The helper cuts them out. 3. The child glues one palm over the other so eight fingers stick out as legs. 4. Add sticker eyes and a smile in white crayon, and write the name and year on the back. Nothing scary: a smiling spider made from the child's own hands. Players: 4 to 6. Time: 10 min. Props: black paper, a pencil, adult scissors, glue sticks and sticker eyes. Helpers: 2 extra adults.
Trick-or-Treat Bag Decorating1. Give each child a plain paper bag with handles, their name already on the bottom. 2. Set out crayons, foam stickers and paper shapes. 3. Children decorate both sides however they like. 4. A helper adds a strip of reflective tape along the top so the bag shows up at dusk. Nothing scary: the sticker set has pumpkins, cats, stars and moons, and no skulls. Players: 4 to 8. Time: 10 min. Props: paper bags with handles, crayons, foam stickers and reflective tape. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Trick-or-Treat Practice Doors1. Stand three cardboard doors or decorated boxes round the room with a helper behind each. 2. In pairs, children knock, say trick or treat, take one sticker and say thank you. 3. The helper answers with one kind sentence about walking with a grown-up. 4. Swap so children take a turn behind a door. Nothing scary: helpers wear no masks, and every door opens to a friendly face. Players: 6 to 20. Time: 10 min. Props: cardboard doors or boxes and stickers. Helpers: 2 extra adults.
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Bat1. Teach the four lines Lewis Carroll wrote in 1865 as a joke on the star rhyme: twinkle, twinkle, little bat, how I wonder what you're at, up above the world you fly, like a tea tray in the sky. 2. Sing them to the star tune. 3. Add actions: twinkling fingers, a shrug, flapping arms, a flat tray held up high. 4. Sing it once loud and once as a lullaby. Nothing scary: a bat that looks like a tea tray. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 5 min. Props: none. Helpers: the teacher only.
Which Ghost Hid the Pumpkin1. Draw round eyes and a smile on three white paper cups. 2. Hide a large orange pom-pom under one while the children watch, then slide the cups slowly. 3. Children point to the ghost they think has it, and one child lifts that cup. 4. Let a child do the hiding next. Nothing scary: the ghosts are paper cups with smiles. Players: 4 to 12. Time: 5 min. Props: three white paper cups and a large pom-pom. Helpers: the teacher only.
Yarn-Wrapped Web Plate1. A helper cuts eight short slits round the edge of a dark paper plate. 2. Tape one end of a long piece of white yarn to the back. 3. The child pulls the yarn across the front from slit to slit in any order until it runs out. 4. Tape the end down and stick a paper spider on the web. Nothing scary: the spider is the child's pet for the day. Players: 4 to 6. Time: 10 min. Props: dark paper plates, white yarn, tape and paper spiders. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Grades 1 and 2 27
Accordion-Leg Spider1. Cut a black paper circle for the body and eight thin strips for legs. 2. Fold each strip back and forth like a fan so it springs. 3. Glue four legs to each side of the body. 4. Add eyes, and write one spider word along each leg: spin, crawl, silk, web. 5. Tape a thread to the top and hang it. Players: 4 to 28. Time: 15 min. Props: black paper, scissors, glue sticks, white pencils and thread. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Bats Find Their Caves1. Stand ten folded cards round the room as caves, numbered 5 to 14. 2. Give every child a paper bat with an addition fact on it, such as 6 + 7. 3. Children work out the sum and fly their bat to its cave. 4. Partners at the same cave check each other with fingers or a number line. 5. Collect the bats, deal them out again and play three rounds. Players: 8 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: ten cave cards and a paper bat with a fact for each child. Helpers: the teacher only.
Cauldron Rhyme Toss1. Put a plastic cauldron or a bucket two strides from a line. 2. A player turns over a word card, such as bat, moon, night or sock, and reads it aloud. 3. If they can say a rhyming word, they toss one bean bag at the cauldron; a made-up word counts if it rhymes. 4. The team tallies one mark for a rhyme and another for a bag that lands inside. 5. Every player has three turns. Players: 4 to 8. Time: 10 min. Props: a bucket, bean bags, word cards and a tally sheet. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Costume Parade, a Slip for Every Child1. Before the party, the teacher writes one slip for each child with something true and kind: brightest colors, made at home, clearest explanation. 2. The class walks a loop through the hall or round the room while another class watches. 3. Back in the room, the teacher reads every slip aloud. 4. There is no vote and no winner, and a child in ordinary clothes gets a slip for something else they did today. Masks come off for walking. Players: 8 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: one prepared slip for each child. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Crab-Walk Spider Delivery1. Split into teams of five behind a line, with a hoop for each team at the far end. 2. The first player crab-walks to the hoop with a bean bag balanced on their tummy, drops it in and jogs back. 3. The next player goes on a hand tap. 4. If the bag falls, stop, put it back and carry on. 5. When all the bags are delivered, the team sits and counts them by twos. Clear the floor first. Players: 10 to 30. Time: 8 min. Props: a hoop for each team and a bean bag for each player. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Draw the Other Half1. Fold pictures of a pumpkin, a bat and an owl down the middle and glue one half of each to a sheet of paper. 2. Children draw the missing half so both sides match. 3. They hold a small mirror on the fold to check. 4. They color both halves the same way. Players: 4 to 28. Time: 12 min. Props: half pictures glued on paper, pencils, crayons and small mirrors. Helpers: the teacher only.
Estimation Jar, Counted by Tens1. Fill a clear jar with small erasers or plastic spider rings, nothing to eat. 2. Every child writes a guess on a sticky note and posts it on a number line. 3. Tip the jar out and count as a class into paper cups, ten to a cup. 4. Count the cups by tens, then add the ones. 5. The closest guess chooses first, and the jar is shared so every child takes one home. Players: 8 to 30. Time: 12 min. Props: a jar of small non-food prizes, sticky notes and paper cups. Helpers: the teacher only.
Finish the Pumpkin Sentence1. Write three sentence starters on the board: My pumpkin can, On Halloween night I see, The little bat wants. 2. Each child picks one and finishes it on a pumpkin-shaped page. 3. They draw a picture to match. 4. In pairs, they read their sentence aloud and the partner says one thing they liked. 5. Staple the pages into a class book. Players: 8 to 30. Time: 12 min. Props: pumpkin-shaped pages, pencils and crayons. Helpers: the teacher only.
Five Senses Pumpkin Chart1. Put a whole pumpkin on each table and draw a chart on the board with four columns: see, touch, hear, smell. 2. Tables look, stroke, tap and sniff the pumpkin and agree on one describing word for each column. 3. A writer from each table adds the words to the chart. 4. The class picks four words and writes a shared sentence about the pumpkin. Nobody tastes anything. Players: 8 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: a whole pumpkin for each table, chart paper and markers. Helpers: the teacher only.
Flashlight Reading Under the Desks1. Each child chooses a book from the fall and Halloween basket, which the teacher has looked through. 2. Turn the lights off and leave the blinds open. 3. Children read under or beside their desk with a small flashlight, alone or with a partner. 4. After ten minutes, each tells a neighbor one thing that happened in their book. Beams stay on pages, never on faces. Players: 8 to 30. Time: 12 min. Props: a basket of books and a small flashlight each or one a pair. Helpers: the teacher only.
Ghost Footprint Hop by Twos1. Tape 15 paper footprints in a line and number them 2, 4, 6 and on up to 30. 2. Children hop the line one at a time, saying each number as they land. 3. Second time through, they hop only on the tens and clap over the others. 4. Turn the prints over for counting by fives on the back. 5. Two lines keep the wait short. Players: 6 to 28. Time: 8 min. Props: paper footprints numbered on both sides and tape. Helpers: the teacher only.
Graph the Costumes1. Draw a bar graph frame on chart paper with columns the class agrees on: animal, storybook, job, sport, something else, no costume. 2. Each child colors one square in their column. 3. Ask questions: which column is tallest, how many more animals than jobs? 4. Children write one true sentence about the graph. No costume is a column like any other, so nobody is left off. Players: 8 to 30. Time: 12 min. Props: chart paper, markers and sentence strips. Helpers: the teacher only.
Lift-the-Flap Trick-or-Treat Card1. Fold a sheet of paper in half and draw a front door on the cover. 2. An adult or a steady-handed child cuts three sides of the door so it opens. 3. Glue a second sheet behind it and draw who is inside. 4. Write a knock-knock joke or a greeting under the flap. 5. Swap cards with a friend and read them aloud. Players: 4 to 28. Time: 15 min. Props: paper, scissors, glue sticks and crayons. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Measure the Paper Bats1. Cut five paper bats with different wingspans and label them A to E. 2. Pairs first put them in order by eye, from narrowest to widest. 3. They measure each wingspan with connecting cubes and write the number. 4. They check their first order against the numbers. 5. Early finishers measure again with paper clips and say why the numbers changed. Players: 4 to 12. Time: 12 min. Props: five paper bats a pair, connecting cubes, paper clips and a record sheet. Helpers: the teacher only.
Orange, Yellow, White Pattern Bracelet1. Give each child a chenille stem and a cup of large beads in three colors. 2. They choose a pattern rule, such as orange, orange, white, and say it to a partner. 3. They thread the beads, repeating the rule to the end. 4. The partner reads the pattern back and finds any slip. 5. A helper twists the ends together round the wrist. Players: 4 to 12. Time: 12 min. Props: chenille stems and large beads in three colors. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Pumpkin Tic-Tac-Toe With Bean Bags1. Tape a three-by-three grid on the floor, each square a stride wide. 2. Two teams line up behind a throwing line, one with orange bean bags and one with black. 3. Players take turns tossing underhand; a bag that lands in an empty square claims it, and a miss goes back to the pile. 4. Three in a row wins the round. 5. Play the top score out of five rounds and swap throwers each toss. Players: 6 to 12. Time: 10 min. Props: painter's tape and bean bags in two colors. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Race to the Top Dice Graph1. Give each pair a grid with six columns, a picture at the foot of each: bat, cat, hat, moon, owl, web, numbered 1 to 6. 2. Partners take turns rolling a die and coloring the next box up in that column. 3. Before starting, each child predicts which picture will reach the top first. 4. Stop when one column is full, then compare graphs with the next pair. Players: 2 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: a six-column grid for each pair, dice and crayons. Helpers: the teacher only.
Read the Room With a Clipboard1. Tape 12 numbered picture cards round the room: ghost, broom, spider, candle, mask. 2. Each child carries a clipboard and a sheet with 12 numbered lines. 3. They walk to each card and write its word on the matching line, sounding it out. 4. Back on the rug, the class spells every word together and children fix their own sheet. 5. Count how many the class could already spell. Players: 8 to 28. Time: 15 min. Props: 12 numbered picture cards, clipboards, sheets and pencils. Helpers: the teacher only.
Roll to the Friendly Haunted House1. Each group of four draws a winding path of 20 squares on poster paper, from a gate to a house with lit windows. 2. They write an instruction in six squares: hop like a frog, go back two, say a word that rhymes with bat. 3. Players roll one die, move a counter and read aloud any square they land on. 4. When the first player reaches the house, swap boards with another group. Players: 4 to 28. Time: 15 min. Props: poster paper, markers, dice and counters. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Sight Word Pumpkin Hunt1. Write this month's sight words on 30 paper pumpkins and hide them round the room in plain view. 2. Pairs walk, find one pumpkin, read it to each other and bring it to the teacher. 3. If they read it correctly, it goes on their vine on the board. 4. If not, the teacher reads it with them and they hide it again. 5. Stop when the room is clear, and read the whole board aloud together. Players: 8 to 28. Time: 12 min. Props: 30 paper pumpkins, a marker and sticky tack. Helpers: the teacher only.
Spider Web Number Toss1. Tape a web on the floor with eight sections and write a number from 1 to 9 in each. 2. A player tosses two bean bags from the line. 3. They add the two numbers aloud, and the team writes the sum on its score strip. 4. A bag off the web counts as zero. 5. After three turns each, teams add up their strip with a partner's help. Players: 4 to 8. Time: 10 min. Props: painter's tape, number cards, two bean bags and score strips. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Straw Rocket Bats1. Roll a strip of paper round a pencil and tape it into a tube that slides off easily. 2. Fold over and tape one end shut, then tape a paper bat to the tube. 3. Slip the tube over a drinking straw. 4. Stand on the launch line, aim at the far wall and blow. 5. Mark three landings with tape and measure the longest in footsteps. Launch away from faces, and straws are not shared. Players: 4 to 28. Time: 15 min. Props: paper, tape, paper bats, a straw each and masking tape. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Syllable Stomp to the Poster1. Hang posters numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the corners of the room. 2. The teacher says a Halloween word: bat, pumpkin, skeleton, caterpillar. 3. Everyone stomps the syllables on the spot and then walks to the poster with that number. 4. Each corner says and stomps the word together to check. 5. Nobody sits out for a wrong corner; they walk over and stomp it again. Play 12 words. Players: 8 to 30. Time: 8 min. Props: four number posters and a word list. Helpers: the teacher only.
Thank-You Notes for the Helpers1. Write the helpers' names on the board with a model note: Dear, Thank you for, From. 2. Each child writes a note to one helper and names one thing that helper did today. 3. They draw a small picture in the corner. 4. Children hand the notes over themselves before the helpers leave. Assign names so every helper gets some. Players: 8 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: note paper, pencils and crayons. Helpers: the teacher only.
Tissue Window Pumpkin1. Give each child a black paper pumpkin frame with the middle cut out. 2. Lay the frame on the sticky side of a sheet of clear contact paper. 3. Fill the window with torn squares of orange and yellow tissue. 4. An adult seals a second sheet on top and trims the edge. 5. Tape the pumpkins to a sunny window. Players: 4 to 12. Time: 15 min. Props: black paper frames, clear contact paper, tissue paper and adult scissors. Helpers: 2 extra adults.
White Crayon Secret Words1. Each child writes a secret Halloween word in white crayon on white paper, pressing hard. 2. Partners swap papers. 3. Each brushes watery purple paint over the page until the word appears. 4. They read the word aloud and use it in a sentence for their partner. 5. Hang the pages to dry as a word wall. Players: 4 to 28. Time: 12 min. Props: white crayons, white paper, watery paint and brushes. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Word Cards in ABC Order1. Give each team of three an envelope with eight word cards: bat, cat, ghost, hat, moon, owl, pumpkin, web. 2. On go, teams lay the cards out in ABC order. 3. They raise hands when done, and the teacher checks the row. 4. Score 3 points for the first correct row, 2 for the second and 1 for every other team that finishes. 5. Round two uses words with the same first letter. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: an envelope of eight word cards for each team. Helpers: the teacher only.
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All-About-Me Monster Glyph1. Post a key: one eye if you prefer cats and two if you prefer dogs; stripes for a summer favorite and spots for winter; horns if you like to read at night. 2. Each child builds a paper monster that follows the key. 3. Hang them with no names on the front. 4. Children read the key and guess whose monster is whose. Keep every question about likes, never about home or family. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 20 min. Props: colored paper, scissors, glue sticks and a posted key. Helpers: the teacher only.
Array Pumpkin Patch With Stickers1. Each child rolls two dice: the first is the number of rows and the second is how many pumpkins go in each row. 2. They build that array on green paper with orange dot stickers. 3. Underneath they write the multiplication sentence and the matching repeated addition. 4. They make three patches. 5. Partners check each other by skip counting the rows. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: green paper, orange dot stickers, dice and pencils. Helpers: the teacher only.
Build-a-Bat Letter Guess1. One player thinks of a word from the unit list and draws a dash for each letter. 2. The class guesses letters one at a time. 3. A right letter goes on its dash; for a wrong one, the player draws one part of a bat: body, head, two ears, two wings, two feet, a smile. 4. The class wins by finishing the word before the bat has all nine parts. 5. Whoever completes the word picks the next one. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: a board and a marker. Helpers: the teacher only.
Cotton Swab Bone Bridge1. Give each team of three 40 cotton swabs, a roll of tape and two stacks of books set 15 centimeters apart. 2. Teams have 12 minutes to build a bridge of bones across the gap. 3. Test each bridge by adding erasers one at a time to a paper cup on top. 4. Record the number held before it sags to the table. 5. Each team tells the class one thing they would change. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 20 min. Props: cotton swabs, tape, books, a paper cup and erasers. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Craft Stick Pumpkin Launcher1. Stack five craft sticks and band both ends. 2. Band two more sticks together at one end, wedge the stack between them and tape a bottle cap to the top stick. 3. Load one large orange pom-pom, press down and let go. 4. Launch three times from the line and measure the longest flight in centimeters. 5. Move the stack along and test whether it flies farther. Pom-poms only, aimed at the empty end of the room. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 20 min. Props: craft sticks, rubber bands, bottle caps, tape, large pom-poms and a tape measure. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Desk-Drum Thunderstorm1. The teacher is the conductor and walks slowly across the front of the room. 2. As the conductor passes your row, copy the action: rub palms, snap fingers, pat knees, then drum the desk and stomp. 3. The storm builds as the conductor crosses the room, and fades as the actions run backwards. 4. End in silence, then let a student conduct. Players: 10 to 30. Time: 5 min. Props: none. Helpers: the teacher only.
Dictionary Guide Word Dash1. Give each pair a student dictionary and a list of six words: cauldron, lantern, midnight, phantom, scarecrow, shadow. 2. For each word, pairs find the page and write down the two guide words at the top. 3. They also copy the first five words of the definition. 4. Pairs score 1 for each correct pair of guide words. 5. Give a bonus point for using one of the words correctly in a sentence. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: student dictionaries, a word list and pencils. Helpers: the teacher only.
Eight-Count Class Dance1. Put on an instrumental track with a steady beat. 2. Each table has three minutes to invent one move that fills eight counts: a skeleton shrug, a bat swoop, a scarecrow shuffle. 3. Each table teaches its move to the class. 4. Chain the moves in table order and dance the whole sequence twice. 5. Face the other way and do it once more. Players: 10 to 30. Time: 12 min. Props: an instrumental track with a steady beat. Helpers: the teacher only.
Fraction Pumpkin Faces1. Each child folds an orange paper circle in half three times and opens it to show eight equal parts. 2. They roll a die and color that many eighths yellow, then write the fraction. 3. They roll again for a second circle and compare the two fractions with a greater-than or less-than sign. 4. Last, they turn the first circle into a pumpkin face without hiding the fold lines. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: orange paper circles, dice, crayons and pencils. Helpers: the teacher only.
Haunted House Floor Plan, Area and Perimeter1. Give each child a sheet of centimeter grid paper. 2. They draw a house with at least five rectangular rooms along the grid lines. 3. They label each room (library, kitchen, bat attic) and write its area in square units inside. 4. They write the perimeter of the whole house underneath. 5. Partners swap and check one room each by counting squares. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 20 min. Props: centimeter grid paper, rulers and pencils. Helpers: the teacher only.
I Have, Who Has: Clock Loop1. Make a loop of cards, one for each child: each shows a clock face and a question, such as I have 3:15, who has half past eight? 2. Deal them all out. 3. Any child starts by reading their card; whoever holds the matching clock reads next. 4. The loop ends back at the first reader. 5. Time the loop, shuffle, deal again and try to beat the class time. Players: 10 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: one loop card for each child and a timer. Helpers: the teacher only.
Kind Word Ghosts1. Every child writes their name on a paper ghost and leaves it on their desk. 2. On the signal, everyone moves one desk along and writes one kind, true word or phrase on that ghost. 3. Move on every 30 seconds for ten moves. 4. Children return and read their own ghost quietly. The teacher reads every ghost before it goes home. Players: 10 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: a paper ghost for each child and pencils. Helpers: the teacher only.
Longest Paper Chain From One Sheet1. Give each pair one sheet of orange paper, scissors and a glue stick. 2. They have ten minutes to make the longest paper chain they can from that one sheet. 3. Pairs must decide how wide to cut the strips before they start, and cannot get a second sheet. 4. Lay the chains side by side in the hall and measure each to the nearest centimeter. 5. Join them all into one class chain. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: one sheet of paper for each pair, scissors, glue sticks and a meter stick. Helpers: the teacher only.
Multiplication Bump: Pumpkin Patch1. Each pair shares a sheet of 18 pumpkins, one for every product two dice can make from 1 to 36, plus two dice and ten counters each in their own color. 2. Roll both dice, multiply, and put a counter on that product. 3. If your partner's single counter is there, bump it off. 4. If your own counter is there, stack a second one to lock the pumpkin. 5. The first player to place all ten counters wins the patch. Players: 2 to 30. Time: 12 min. Props: a pumpkin product sheet for each pair, two dice and counters. Helpers: the teacher only.
Paper Ghost Wastebasket Review1. Teams of four share a small whiteboard. 2. The teacher asks a review question from any subject, and teams write one answer and hold it up together. 3. Every team that is right sends one shooter to the tape line. 4. The shooter throws a crumpled paper ghost at the clean wastebasket: 1 point for the right answer and 2 more for a basket. 5. Rotate shooters so everyone throws. Play ten questions. Players: 8 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: small whiteboards, crumpled white paper, a clean wastebasket and tape. Helpers: the teacher only.
Partner Portrait in Costume1. Partners sit facing each other with masks off. 2. One describes the costume they are wearing or would like to wear, in five details, while the other draws. 3. The drawer may ask three questions. 4. Swap roles. 5. Each artist signs the portrait and gives it to their partner to take home. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: drawing paper, pencils and crayons. Helpers: the teacher only.
PUMPKIN Acrostic1. Children write PUMPKIN down the left side of a page, one letter to a line. 2. Each line becomes a phrase that starts with that letter and tells about fall. 3. At least two lines must use a describing word the class has brainstormed on the board. 4. They copy the final poem onto orange paper and decorate the border. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: lined paper, orange paper, pencils and crayons. Helpers: the teacher only.
Pumpkin Circumference String Guess1. Put a pumpkin on the front table where everyone can see it, and nobody touches it. 2. Each pair cuts a piece of string they think will fit exactly once round its middle. 3. Pairs come up in turn and wrap their string round. 4. Sort the strings on the board into too short, too long and just about. 5. Measure the closest string in centimeters and record it as the circumference. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 12 min. Props: a pumpkin, string, scissors and a meter stick. Helpers: the teacher only.
Roll-a-Story Chart1. Post a chart with three columns of six: a character (a shy bat, a lost scarecrow), a setting (the school roof, a corn maze) and a problem (the lights go out, the map is upside down). 2. Each child rolls a die three times to get one from each column. 3. They write a story with a beginning, a middle and an end in 12 minutes. 4. Volunteers read theirs from the author's chair. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 20 min. Props: a story chart, dice, paper and pencils. Helpers: the teacher only.
Rounding Spiders to the Nearest Ten1. Hang posters for 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 along one wall as webs. 2. Each child draws a paper spider with a two-digit number from 6 to 54. 3. On go, they walk to the web their number rounds to. 4. Each web checks its spiders, and anyone unsure gets a number line from a neighbor. 5. Swap spiders and play four rounds. For the last round, use hundreds. Players: 8 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: five posters and a numbered paper spider for each child. Helpers: the teacher only.
Silent Line-Up by Costume ABC1. Each child writes the name of their costume, or of their favorite fall thing, on a sticky note and wears it. 2. With no talking, the class lines up in ABC order from the door to the window. 3. Pointing and gestures are allowed. 4. Read the line aloud to check it and fix any slips together. 5. Try it again by second letter, against the clock. Players: 10 to 30. Time: 8 min. Props: sticky notes, markers and a timer. Helpers: the teacher only.
Silent Pumpkin Ball1. Everyone stands by their desk in silence. 2. Toss a soft orange ball underhand to anyone in the room. 3. A player who talks, drops a fair throw or throws an uncatchable one sits for the next three throws and then stands up again. 4. After two minutes, add a second ball. 5. The class is aiming for 30 silent catches in a row, counted by the teacher on the board. Players: 10 to 30. Time: 8 min. Props: one or two soft orange balls. Helpers: the teacher only.
Six-Line Bag Puppet Play1. Groups of three each make a quick paper bag puppet: an owl, a cat, a pumpkin. 2. Together they write a play of exactly six lines, two for each puppet, in which one puppet needs help and gets it. 3. They rehearse twice behind a desk turned on its side. 4. Each group performs, and the audience names the problem and the fix. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 25 min. Props: paper bags, paper scraps, glue sticks, markers and lined paper. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Spooky-Word Relay at the Board1. Split into teams of five, each lined up facing its own section of the board. 2. The teacher calls a word from this week's list: skeleton, costume, lantern. 3. The first player walks up, writes the first letter and hands the marker on; each player adds one letter. 4. A player may fix one earlier letter in place of adding one. 5. The first correct word scores 3, the second 2, and every other correct word 1. Walking only. Players: 10 to 30. Time: 12 min. Props: a board, one marker for each team and a word list. Helpers: the teacher only.
Tangram Bat, Cat and House1. Each child cuts a printed tangram square into its seven pieces. 2. Show an outline of a cat on the board; children build it using all seven pieces with no overlaps. 3. Then show a bat, then a house. 4. Children who finish invent a new picture, trace its outline and pass it to a neighbor to solve. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: printed tangram squares, scissors and outline pictures. Helpers: the teacher only.
What Am I? Riddle Cards With 3-2-1 Points1. Each child writes three clues about a Halloween object on a card, hardest clue first, with the answer on the back. 2. Collect the cards and split the class into teams. 3. Read clue one: a team that guesses right now scores 3. 4. After clue two a right guess scores 2, and after clue three it scores 1. 5. Teams answer on whiteboards at the same moment, so the fastest shouter gains nothing. Players: 8 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: index cards, pencils and small whiteboards. Helpers: the teacher only.
Grades 4 and 5 27
Agree or Disagree Line1. Tape a line across the room with agree at one end and disagree at the other. 2. Read a harmless statement: a cape makes a better costume than a hat, or fall is a better season than spring. 3. Students stand where their opinion falls on the line. 4. Two students from each end give one reason, and anyone may then move. 5. Play six statements. Nothing about beliefs, families or what anyone can afford. Players: 10 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: painter's tape and a list of statements. Helpers: the teacher only.
Buddy Class Read-Aloud Visit1. The day before, each student chooses a picture book the teacher has approved and practices it aloud twice. 2. At party time, the class visits a kindergarten or first grade room. 3. Each older student reads to one or two younger buddies. 4. They finish by asking the buddy to point to a favorite page. 5. Back in class, students write two sentences about how it went. Players: 10 to 30. Time: 25 min. Props: approved picture books and a partner classroom. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Closest to 1,031 Dice Game1. Each player draws three boxes for a three-digit number, four times over. 2. A die is rolled; every player writes that digit in any empty box of the current number, and cannot move it later. 3. After twelve rolls, each player adds their four numbers. 4. The total closest to 1,031, over or under, wins the round. 5. Players explain one placement they would change. Players: 2 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: one die, paper and pencils. Helpers: the teacher only.
Cube Houses With the Same Volume1. Give each pair 24 connecting cubes. 2. They build a rectangular house that uses all 24 and record its length, width, height and volume. 3. They rebuild it with different dimensions and record it again, as many times as they can. 4. Pairs share how many different houses they found. 5. The class decides which one makes the tallest haunted tower and which the widest barn. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: 24 connecting cubes for each pair and a record sheet. Helpers: the teacher only.
Draw a Coordinate Picture for a Partner1. On a first-quadrant grid, each student draws a simple bat, cat or house using only straight lines between grid points. 2. They list the ordered pairs in the order the pencil travels. 3. Partners swap lists, not pictures. 4. Each plots the points on a blank grid and joins them up. 5. Compare the copy with the original and find any pair that went wrong. Players: 2 to 30. Time: 20 min. Props: first-quadrant grid paper, rulers and pencils. Helpers: the teacher only.
Foil Figure Freeze Pose1. Give each student a sheet of kitchen foil the size of a notebook page. 2. Make two cuts down from the top for the arms and head, and one cut up from the bottom for the legs. 3. Squeeze the foil gently into a figure. 4. Bend it into an action pose: dancing, sneaking, reaching for a doorbell. 5. Stand the figures on a card base and have the class guess each action. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: kitchen foil, scissors and card bases. Helpers: the teacher only.
Four Locked Envelopes Code Hunt1. Prepare four envelopes for each team: a page of multi-step math problems, a cut-up sentence to rebuild, a riddle and a map of the room with an X. 2. The answer to each is one digit. 3. Teams open the envelopes in order and write the four digits on a code slip. 4. They bring the slip to the teacher, who opens the prize box for a correct code. 5. Every team that finishes earns the same prize, such as a pencil or a sticker sheet. Players: 8 to 30. Time: 25 min. Props: four envelopes of puzzles for each team, code slips and a box of small prizes. Helpers: 1 extra adult.
Four-Wall Line Dance in Sixteen Counts1. Teach four moves of four counts each: a side step and clap right, the same to the left, four steps back, then three steps forward and a quarter turn. 2. Walk it through with no music, calling the counts. 3. Add an instrumental track with a steady beat. 4. Dance it to all four walls. 5. Students replace one move with a Halloween move of their own and teach it. Players: 10 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: an instrumental track with a steady beat. Helpers: the teacher only.
Frozen Picture Scenes1. Groups of four draw a scene title from a cup: carving a pumpkin, a bat cave at dusk, the last house on the street. 2. They have two minutes to plan a frozen picture in which every member is a person or an object. 3. On the count of three, the group freezes for ten seconds. 4. The class guesses the title. 5. Tap one frozen player, who says one line in character. Players: 8 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: scene titles on slips and a cup. Helpers: the teacher only.
Hidden Pumpkins Grid Game1. Each partner draws a coordinate grid from 0 to 8 on both axes behind a folder. 2. They hide five pumpkins on grid points and list the ordered pairs. 3. Partners take turns calling an ordered pair, x first and then y. 4. The other player answers hit or miss, and the caller marks it on a second grid. 5. The first to find all five pumpkins wins. A pair called in the wrong order counts as the point it names. Players: 2 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: grid paper, folders and pencils. Helpers: the teacher only.
Index Card Tower Holds the Pumpkin1. Give each team of three 30 index cards and 30 centimeters of tape. 2. Teams have 15 minutes to build the tallest tower that can hold a mini pumpkin for ten seconds. 3. Cards may be folded, rolled or torn. 4. Measure each tower that holds to the nearest centimeter. 5. Teams name the shape that carried the load in their design. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 20 min. Props: index cards, tape, a mini pumpkin and a meter stick. Helpers: the teacher only.
One-Point Perspective Spooky Street1. Draw a horizon line and one vanishing point in the middle of it. 2. Rule two lines from the bottom corners to the point for the road. 3. Add fence posts, trees and houses, with every side edge ruled toward the vanishing point and every upright straight up. 4. Go over the lines in black marker. 5. Fill the sky in sunset colors and add a moon. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 30 min. Props: drawing paper, rulers, pencils, black markers and colored pencils. Helpers: the teacher only.
Paper Chooser With Eight Harmless Challenges1. Fold a paper square into a finger chooser: corners to the center, flip, corners to the center again. 2. Write four colors outside and eight numbers inside. 3. Under the flaps, write eight challenges that take ten seconds and embarrass nobody: hoot like an owl, name five orange things, balance on one foot. 4. Try it on three classmates. The teacher checks the challenges before the choosers leave the room. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: paper squares and pencils or pens. Helpers: the teacher only.
Paper Glider Runway Landing1. Tape a runway two meters long and half a meter wide on the floor, five meters from a launch line. 2. Each student folds one glider from a single sheet, with any design. 3. Everyone gets two test flights and may then refold. 4. On three scored flights, a glider that stops on the runway scores 3 and one that touches it scores 1. 5. Students record which change helped most. One flier at a time, and nobody stands downrange. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 20 min. Props: paper, painter's tape and a tape measure. Helpers: the teacher only.
Pass-Along Story, Three Minutes a Turn1. Everyone writes the opening of a spooky-but-not-gory story for three minutes. 2. On the signal, pass the page to the right. 3. Read what is there and keep that story going for three minutes. 4. After four passes, the page returns to its first author, who writes the ending. 5. Volunteers read aloud. Rules on the board: nobody in the room appears in a story, and nothing gory. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 20 min. Props: lined paper, pencils and a timer. Helpers: the teacher only.
Pop-Up Card for a Buddy Class1. Fold a sheet of card in half and cut two short parallel slits across the fold. 2. Open the card and push the tab through so it stands up like a step. 3. Draw, cut out and glue a friendly pumpkin, owl or cat to the front of the tab. 4. Glue the card inside a slightly larger cover and write a greeting to a younger student by name. 5. Deliver the cards in person. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 20 min. Props: card, scissors, glue sticks, markers and a buddy class list. Helpers: the teacher only.
Prime or Composite Sort Relay1. Each team lines up across the room from two hoops labeled prime and composite. 2. The first player takes the top card from the team's stack of 20 numbers under 60. 3. They walk it to the hoop they choose and walk back to tap the next player. 4. When the stack is gone, the team may spend one minute moving cards it now doubts. 5. Score one point for each card in the right hoop; speed breaks ties only. Players: 8 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: two hoops and a stack of 20 number cards for each team. Helpers: the teacher only.
Shades of Scary Synonym Ladder1. Give each team an envelope of eight word cards: uneasy, nervous, spooked, afraid, alarmed, frightened, terrified, petrified. 2. Teams order them from mildest to strongest and must be ready to defend the order. 3. Two teams compare ladders and argue any difference with a sentence for each word. 4. Repeat with words for walk and for said. 5. Each student uses three of the new words in a paragraph later in the day. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: envelopes of word cards. Helpers: the teacher only.
Shape Poem Inside a Pumpkin Outline1. Students lightly pencil the outline of a pumpkin, a bat or a crescent moon. 2. They brainstorm 15 words and phrases about it using the senses. 3. They write the phrases along and inside the outline so the words make the shape. 4. They erase the pencil line and go over the words in pen. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 20 min. Props: plain paper, pencils, erasers and pens. Helpers: the teacher only.
Shift Cipher Secret Message1. Each student writes the alphabet in a row and writes it again underneath, shifted three places along. 2. They encode a friendly message of six to ten words. 3. Partners swap and decode, given the shift. 4. For round two, partners keep the shift secret and the decoder looks for a one-letter word to crack it. 5. Post the messages on the door for another class to solve. Players: 2 to 30. Time: 20 min. Props: lined paper and pencils. Helpers: the teacher only.
Shortest Trick-or-Treat Route Puzzle1. Hand out a grid map of a neighborhood with eight houses and a starting corner, where one square is 50 meters. 2. Pairs plan a route along the grid lines that visits every house and returns to the start. 3. They add up the total distance in meters. 4. The shortest correct route scores 3, the next 2 and the third 1. 5. Any pair may challenge the winner by checking the addition. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: a grid map for each pair, rulers and pencils. Helpers: the teacher only.
Simile Tags for a Real Pumpkin1. Put a real pumpkin on each table, along with a gourd or a dried corn cob if you have one. 2. Each student writes three similes and one metaphor about it on paper luggage tags. 3. Tables choose their strongest tag for each object and tie it on. 4. Tour the room and read the tags. 5. Vote by table for the comparison that surprised you most. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: a pumpkin for each table, paper tags, string and pencils. Helpers: the teacher only.
Spider Web Angles With a Protractor1. Each student marks a center point and rules six lines through it to the edges of the page. 2. They join the lines with straight segments to build the rings of a web. 3. They choose six angles, measure each with a protractor and label it acute, right or obtuse. 4. Partners measure two of the same angles and compare. A difference of more than three degrees is measured again together. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 20 min. Props: plain paper, rulers, protractors and fine markers. Helpers: the teacher only.
Target Number 311. The teacher rolls four dice under the document camera. 2. Teams have three minutes to reach 31, or as close as they can, using each number once with any operations and parentheses. 3. Teams write their expression on a whiteboard and hold it up together. 4. An exact 31 scores 3, the next closest 2 and any other correct expression 1. 5. A wrong expression scores nothing. Play five rounds. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 15 min. Props: four dice, small whiteboards and a timer. Helpers: the teacher only.
Team Spell-Down, One Letter Each1. Teams of five stand in a line. 2. The teacher gives the first team a word from the unit list, such as silhouette, mysterious or disguise. 3. The team spells it one letter a player down the line, with no help between players. 4. The last player says the whole word. A correct word scores 2. 5. A miss passes the same word to the next team for 1. Every team gets the same number of words. Players: 10 to 30. Time: 10 min. Props: a word list and a scoreboard. Helpers: the teacher only.
Whiteboard Team Quiz, Questions by the Class1. The day before, every student hands in one question and its answer about this term's science, reading or math. 2. The teacher picks 15 and checks the answers. 3. Teams of four write each answer on a whiteboard and reveal together. 4. Every correct board scores 1, and the author's team sits that question out and scores 1 for it as well. 5. The scribe changes after every question. Players: 8 to 30. Time: 20 min. Props: question slips, small whiteboards and a scoreboard. Helpers: the teacher only.
Write a Logic Riddle for the Next Table1. Each table invents three made-up trick-or-treaters, three costumes and three kinds of treat bag. 2. They decide secretly who has what. 3. They write four clues that pin it down without giving it away, such as: the pirate did not carry the pillowcase. 4. Tables swap clue sheets and solve them on a three-by-three grid. 5. The authors check the answer and fix any clue that allowed two solutions. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 20 min. Props: paper, pencils and three-by-three grids. Helpers: the teacher only.
How this list was compiled: Written by the Game Night Generator editors in September 2026 for teachers and room parents planning a Halloween party in a classroom, from preschool to grade 5. Every game, craft, song break and calm-down idea is described in our own words, and the band each idea sits in is the editors' judgment of what that age can do, not a curriculum standard. Screening rules applied to every entry: nothing to eat and no food used as a prop, no latex balloons, no named characters from books, films or shows, nothing gory, no voting on costumes, and a way for a child with no costume to take full part. In the kindergarten and preschool band no entry needs reading, no child is ever out, and each entry says in its own words why it is not scary. Player ranges, minutes and helper counts are the editors' planning estimates, not measurements. Traditional songs named in the descriptions were checked on 2026-09-19 against these Wikipedia articles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itsy_Bitsy_Spider (a traditional nursery rhyme and fingerplay), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here_We_Go_Round_the_Mulberry_Bush (a traditional English singing game: a ring verse, then verses that act out a job), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_MacDonald_Had_a_Farm (a traditional children's song in which each verse names a new animal and its sound), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head,_Shoulders,_Knees_and_Toes (a children's song documented as early as 1912, sung while touching each body part), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Row,_Row,_Row_Your_Boat (a traditional nursery rhyme, earliest printing 1852; the partner rowing action is our own suggestion), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Farmer_in_the_Dell (a traditional singing game in which each chosen player picks the next) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twinkle,_Twinkle,_Little_Bat (four lines by Lewis Carroll from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, 1865, a parody of the star rhyme). The new words suggested for those tunes are our own. The age note on small parts follows the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's small parts guidance for children under three, read on 2026-09-19 at https://www.cpsc.gov/Business--Manufacturing/Business-Education/Business-Guidance/Small-Parts-for-Toys-and-Childrens-Products; every entry here is for ages three and up, and the youngest band still uses large pom-poms, jar-lid counters and sealed shakers. Follow your own school's rules on costumes, allergies, helpers and photographs; they come before anything on this page. Licence: own work