Halloween Activities for Kids

In this set of activities adaptable for grades K-3, parents and educators will find ideas for teaching about Halloween. These activities are designed to complement the BrainPOP Jr. Halloween topic page, which includes a movie, quizzes, online games, printable activities, and more.

Classroom Activities for Teaching About Halloween

Penny Harvest
Together as a class, pick a charity to support. You may want to support your local library, animal shelter, community center, homeless shelter, or an organization that increases awareness for a disease. For the month of October, encourage your students to put aside a few pennies each day or week to donate. You may even want to set a goal for an amount to raise for your charity. Students can make penny pails to collect pennies when they go trick-or-treating. The penny harvest can culminate on November 1st, so students can ask for donations the night before.

Bones Abound
Use Halloween as an opportunity to examine the human skeleton. Bring in images or a model of a skeleton. Point to and name various bones and have students try to find them in their bodies. Once students know several of the major bones in the body you can try singing “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” with the names of bones instead.

Family and Homeschool Activities for Teaching About Halloween

Historical Costume
Encourage your child to dress up as a historical figure for Halloween. This is a great opportunity for your child to go beyond the traditional Halloween costumes and learn about a historical figure who can be honored with a costume. Together research biographies and look at paintings, photographs, or drawings to learn about what the person wore. Then put together a costume. Arm your child with details about the person’s life that he or she can share with friends, classmates, and people in the community as they trick-or-treat.

Honor the Dead
Halloween is a good time to remember those who have died. This might be a family member, a pet, or a historical figure. Encourage your child to think about someone who has passed away and write a letter to the person. Your child may also want to create a piece of art, write a profile, or create a picture album to honor the person.