Spooky Season Must-Haves for Teachers

Korryna Sanchez
September 28, 2021
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BOO! It’s finally spooky season and that means it’s time to bring out all of the cutest spooky season must-haves! Yes, we are talking about the ones that have been tucked away in your closet or sitting in your Amazon cart until it was finally socially acceptable to put them out on display.

Well, if you’re reading this, then this is your sign. It’s time. Spooky season is upon us.

Whether you call it Fall, Harvest, Spooky Season, or don’t have a name for it at all, there is an opportunity for fun to be had in the classroom and that’s an opportunity that simply cannot be passed up.

From pumpkin games to apple picking, students will be excited to dabble in the world of themed learning — especially if that means snacks (… or even candy)

With that kind of excitement in mind, we compiled a list of fun spooky season activities, decorations, books, and of course T-Shirts you can use in your classroom this season!

Spooky Season Thematic Resources and Activities:

Thematic teaching is not only a fun way to keep students engaged in their work but it is also so darn cute! Fall colors, pumpkins, apples, and leaves are just some of the fun things you can find in the resources listed below!

October Monthly Packets: Similar to the September Monthly Packet this packet is a series of themed activities ranging from ELA to Math to Science and Social Studies available for both Kindergarten and First Grade.

Monthly Mini-Books: This resource includes 60 Mini-Books for Reading & Comprehension Activities you can use all year long, including this Fall.
Fall Color by Number: Fall Color by Number will be released later this month but you can reserve your copy today. Get your students started with the FREEBIE here!
Pumpkin Life Cycle Unit: This Pumpkin Life Cycle Unit and Close Read Activity Pack was designed to help integrate Reading, Math, Science, and Writing into your unit. Pair this resource with a fun pumpkin STEM project and your students will learn lots while having tons of fun!
Apple Life Cycle Unit: Following the pattern of the Pumpkin Life Cycle Unit the Apple Life Cycle Unit is also a Close Read Activity Pack that is designed to help integrate Reading, Math, Science, and Writing into your unit.
October Fluency Passages: First Grade, Second Grade, Third Grade, these fluency passages are October-themed.
Johnny Appleseed Activities: This is a Johnny Appleseed Book with interactive activities. If you are looking for something to completely engage your young readers in their learning, this resource is for you.
Pumpkin Launcher STEM Challenge: Grab this resource and you will get student Stem Journals, the Teacher’s Guide, Grading Rubric, and differentiated student readers to jumpstart their thinking for the challenge.

Fun Fall Freebie Alert!

Glow Stick Experiment Freebie: Grab a few glowsticks from the Dollar Store and wow your students with this fun fall experiment.
Bats and Spiders Mini-books Freebie: Your students will love reading about these spooky season creatures during science or reading time. Great to add into a center with a fun art project! Check out this spider project here.

Classroom Decorations for Spooky Season:

It may be for the benefit of the students and it may be for our benefit, but decorating and making things fun and seasonal is so satisfying that no matter what the motivation is, it is totally worth it. But, decorating takes so much time so we came up with a list of some cute decorations you can use in your classroom without having to do the research to find them.

Spooky Season-Themed Books to Read in Class:

Nothing can be more descriptive than a book, and a good book is a staple in a classroom. Do you know what makes a good book even better? A Spooky Season book! One filled with pumpkins, cats, and leaves that are changing color!

Spooky Season Teacher T-Shirts:

Nothing says Fall better than a T-Shirt to match the aesthetic around you. Here is a list of some of the cutest Teacher T-Shirts you can find this fall!

Snacks for Spooky Season:

There is no such thing as celebrating without food. So, we found some simple, cute, and fun spooky season snacks you can do in your classroom that will have your students wishing every season was spooky season!

Mini Doughnut Spiders: This Buzzfeed idea just needs mini chocolate donuts, M&Ms, and pretzels.
Fall Colored Rice Krispie Treats: The original Rice Krispie treats just add in whatever color food coloring you want.
Dirt Cups: Food.com calls them Dirt Cups but Mud Pie and Editable Outdoors are also common names for this staple activity/snack for classroom fall festivities!
Marsh-Monsters: Tasty gives a super easy and cute recipe for decorating marshmallows on sticks, what could go wrong?
Orange and Purple Chocolate Chip Cookies: Food Network gives a fun recipe for quick fall-themed cookies, after that just add sprinkles!

Spooky Season Art Projects:

Decorations, snacks and cute outfits are one thing but encouraging your students to be creative is such a big part of their education career. Seasonal celebrations and holiday parties are a great time to remind your students that school is not always just math and spelling but also about growing and creating.

Pumpkin Decorating: Decorate a pumpkin with stickers and let your students create their very own spooky season desk pet!
Paint a Rock: The title sounds a little underwhelming but when you add glitter, paint and some stickers, something as simple as a rock can become a way for your students to create something amazing!
Paper Bag Monster Puppets: This ‘I heart crafty things’ activity is a simple almost no prop activity. Just get the supplies and let your student’s imaginations do the rest!
Coffee Filter Ghost Lollipops: ‘Happiness is homemade’ takes simple but cute to the next level with this sweet to spook with some coffee filters, markers, ribbon, and a lollipop!
Fall Handprint Tree: This ‘Crafty Morning’ activity is as it sounds. Paint the trunk and use your student’s handprint to create the leaves!
Paper Plate Owl: This ‘Our Potluck Family’ activity will take a little instruction but the end result will be so cute that it is worth it!

Whether you celebrate Spooky Season in your classroom or not, there are always ways to keep your students engaged. We understand that it gets difficult and even though this is an exciting time of year, it can be challenging.

But you’re not in it alone. There is endless support and resources available in the Fearless First Grade Teachers: Education to the Core Facebook Group or the Fearless Second Grade Teachers: Education to the Core Facebook Group.

This group of teachers is a wealth of knowledge and is continuously encouraging. You can also sign up for our free Teaching Tiny Humans Teacher Course where you will get weekly emails and guidance on how to navigate tough situations, along with tips, tricks, activity ideas, and freebies to make this school year a success.

Written By: Korryna Sanchez

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