Halloween Fun (and Non-Halloween Alternatives!) for Your Classroom

October is a month filled with excitement, creativity, and learning. Some classrooms dive into Halloween celebrations with costumes, decorations, and spooky fun, while others prefer to focus on fall themes and seasonal science instead. The best part? There are plenty of ways to make this month both festive and educational—whether you celebrate Halloween or not!

In this post, I’m sharing some of my favorite Halloween-themed resources and books along with non-Halloween science activities and fall reads that fit perfectly into October learning.

These are fun Halloween resources you can find in my store:

1. Designing a Haunted House - Looking for a way to bring creativity and critical thinking into your classroom? This haunted house design project lets students practice math, reading, and writing skills while creating their own spooky designs. With two templates to choose from, kids can decorate and proudly display their haunted houses for a fun Halloween classroom atmosphere.

2. Write the Room – Halloween ThemeThis interactive literacy activity gets students up and moving! With twenty colorful Halloween vocabulary cards, task sheets, and a haunted house template with doors, windows, and decorations, students can read, write, color, and create. Perfect for centers, small groups, or early finishers.

3. How to Draw Halloween - Witches, bats, cats, and jack-o-lanterns—oh my! This directed drawing and writing set helps young learners strengthen fine motor skills, practice following directions, and build confidence in their artistic abilities. Three levels of writing are included so every student can participate at their level.

Not every classroom or family celebrates Halloween, and that’s okay—October is still the perfect time for engaging seasonal science. These fact booklets connect reading, writing, and creativity with fall themes:

4. Bat Fact Booklet - Introduce your students to the fascinating world of bats! This booklet includes coloring pages, research forms, note-taking sheets, and a fun craft—perfect for early learners exploring mammals.

5. Spider Fact Booklet - Help your students discover the amazing world of spiders with this engaging fact booklet. It includes informational pages, note-taking sheets, research forms, and a spider craft that ties science to hands-on learning.

6. Pumpkin Fact Booklet - Celebrate the season with a pumpkin study! Students can explore pumpkin facts, complete writing and research activities, and create a pumpkin craft that ties literacy to fall science.

Whether you’re planning a spooky Halloween day or a fall-themed science unit, these fun books are perfect to pair with your lessons.  Here are five Fun Halloween Books for Children:

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson – A playful rhyming story of a kind witch and her animal friends.

Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds – A silly, suspenseful tale that will have kids laughing.

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams – A rhythmic, interactive read-aloud that builds suspense.

Pete the Cat: Trick or Treat by James Dean – A simple and fun Halloween adventure for young readers.

How to Catch a Witch by Alice Walstead & Megan Litwin – A humorous Halloween addition from the popular How to Catch series.

Here are five Non-Halloween Books for October Reading:

Nightsong by Ari Berk – A beautiful story about a young bat learning echolocation.

Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George Levenson – A nonfiction picture book on the pumpkin life cycle.

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen – A poetic tale of a child and parent searching for owls on a quiet night.

Spiders by Gail Gibbons – A kid-friendly nonfiction guide to spiders.

The Hallo-Wiener by Dav Pilkey – A silly, kindhearted story about friendship and acceptance.

October offers endless opportunities for both fun and learning. Whether you’re designing haunted houses and reading Halloween favorites or exploring bats, spiders, and pumpkins through science and seasonal stories, there’s something here for every classroom. With the right mix of activities and books, you can create meaningful, memorable experiences for your students all month long! 

All resources may be found in my store: 

 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/thebeezyteacher