Use a Classroom Scavenger Hunt to Keep Students Engaged on Halloween
By Marianna Monheim updated October 19, 2023.
Harness the Chaos and Keep Your Classroom in Check!
Halloween is a day that brings a mix of excitement and chaos into the elementary classroom. While the costumes, candy, and decorations make it a day to remember, they can also make it a day that’s hard to manage. Trying to keep to a traditional schedule could be a tall order on one of the biggest days of an elementary students’s calendar. Why not lean into their excitement and do a fun scavenger hunt activity?
Let’s face it…whatever we plan for Halloween isn’t going to beat the thrills, chills, and thoughts of sugar racing through each child’s mind. This is not a day to work on new or important content! However, you can disguise informational text practice as a fun activity!
Don't Fight a Losing Battle
Why spend all day battling with behaviors, forcing students to sit still and complete worksheets… when you can let students get their wiggles out and work on reading comprehension at the same time! Your class will love racing around the room to find the 26 A-Z facts about Halloween traditions.
Learn more about creating scavenger hunts and grab a FREE Animal Adaptions scavenger hunt in this post!
Take a Closer Look
Designed for 3rd to 5th graders, the Halloween Scavenger Hunt combines vocabulary, Halloween themes, and informational text into a fun and engaging experience. Students search for A-Z Halloween facts hidden around the classroom, allowing them to move, explore, and learn simultaneously.
There are three ways to play: find the answers to the questions, determine the meaning of the underlined vocabulary word, and use the information you’ve learned to answer critical thinking questions. This simple activity could keep students busy all day!
Simple Set Up
All you need to do is print out the fact cards, cut and tape them up in various locations around your classroom. Decide which response sheet to use and let the games begin!
When students find and respond to all the facts, there are two response questions for them to complete at their seats while others finish up.
To sum things up, your kids are busy and engaged with text, and you get to save your sanity and energy on one of the toughest days of the year for teachers. Win/win!
Ready to Try the Halloween Scavenger Hunt?
Hundreds of teachers have purchased my holiday scavenger hunts to keep their students on task and learning even when excitement is at its highest! If you want to give this activity a try for Halloween, head over to my TPT store:
