Halloween is typically the first major celebration many students experience during the course of the school year. If Halloween is celebrated in any way, it can be a fun day but it can also be stressful day. Halloween is filled with stimulating images and loud noises. We want our students to enjoy the day but we also want it to be meaningful and safe.
I have several products to share that I used in my self-contained classroom that helped me bridge the gap. I found ways to have parties that still had the structure for students. I embed activities into the day that went with the themes but kept the normalcy of our classroom routine. If you want to see what I used, read below!
This is my most recommended product! This was designed to help you throw a party in your classroom that works for your students. The best part of the party pack is it gives students choice. Several days ahead of the party, using the voting books and graphing templates to have students choose what they want to do during their party.
You cover social studies with having them participate in a vote and cover math by having them graph the results! The pack comes with 3 options in 5 categories: books, games, edible recipe, craft and sensory recipe. The books and games are included, as well as visual recipes for all options. Plus, visual schedules allow you to help your students work through the party.
This is a great option if you want to incorporate Halloween in your classroom, but you don’t necessarily want to have a party. The thematic pack allows you to weave Halloween themes into your regular content. With reading, math and language arts covered and a huge range of differentiation, you can reach a lot of learners with one pack.
Before I created party packs, I used the thematic pack to make my party happen. The thematic pack comes with hands on materials like adapted books and file folders. It also has 4 visual direction activities: a snack, a craft, a sensory activity and a scientific experiment. Read this blog to see how I made a party work with this pack.
If you need something much smaller to imbed in your day, try the daily skill sheets! There are 5 levels of differentiation and 20 pages per level. Each page features a reading question, 2 math problems and a writing activity. That makes this a perfect option for morning work or a filler activity when you have an empty block in the day. You can also send it home as a resource for parents or guardians to do with their children.
Halloween Theme Tabletop Tasks
These were meant to incorporate into independent work centers! These are full color, easy to assemble activities that students can work on whole group, small group, one on one or independently. The activities include errorless as well as a range of reading and math concepts. There are Velcro activities, magnet activities and clothespin activities. If you want a closer look at all of the activities check out this blog post!
Halloween Picture Scene Writing Sheets
These are perfect to add to your writing center. These sheets help you talk about a variety of costumes students might see while trick or treating. With 6 levels of differentiation this really has a type of sheet that can meet most student’s needs.
Of course I have a freebie for you guys! This is great to print and use on Halloween day. You get 2 levels of an article and comprehension, 3 levels of number activities, 2 levels of math, 2 writing worksheets, an errorless scene and a scavenger hunt. It is completely free-download and enjoy!
I hope this blog gave you some ways to celebrate Halloween with your students without feeling the stress that comes with it!