Spooky Journal Prompts - Get your students writing with these starters!

If you were a witch and could grant three wishes, what wishes would you grant?

What scares you? Why?

What are you going to be for Halloween and why?

Describe your halloween costume. Pass your journal to a friend and have them read it out loud. Could they guess what you were going to be?

Write a recipe for Witch's Brew. What would you put in it? How would you mix it up? Who would drink it?

Describe your magic broomstick. What does it look like?

Draw a pumpkin growing on a vine.

Draw a jack o' lantern.

Draw something bigger than a pumpkin.

Draw a haunted house..... what would be inside it?

What will you do on Halloween?  What will you dress up as?

Draw a spider.

Boo Bingo, Anyone?

Getting ready for a preschool or Kindergarten Halloween party?  Then you need to download these fun and free Boo Bingo Halloween cards and calling cards that I recently put together to share. 

You can click here to download the files in PDF.

look at these lovely printables. You can download them here in PDF for free, free, free, free… It is four pages of activities which you can see below. If you missed the free treat shared yesterday, go here and learn about that!!!

Grab a pack of Halloween rings from your dollar store. I found mine in packs of 50. I love that there are six colors in the bag. That makes them even more fun and the learning possibilities even more endless. Yeah!

You can sort them.

You can look at your sorting and create a graph to match them.

You can work on counting by placing them in the caldron to match the number.

You can use them as markers. I used them to work on Kindergarten words. But you could use them to mark off anything. So much fun!

You can see how many you can put on all your fingers. You can put a few on one hand a few on the other and make a problem. Here you see the math problem 2+4 = 6.

Work on multiplication. Ask your students to put them in groups to make a multiplication problem. Three groups of three rings is 3×3=9. Roll one dice to tell you how many groups and another to tell you how many are in each group. So if you roll a 2 and a 4, you would lay out two groups with four in each group. This would make 2X4=8!!! Hands-on FUN if I do say so myself!!!

I am sure you can think of a few other ideas… if you do, please comment and share.

For more fall learning click here.

Need some books to read in October with ideas to match? Click here for loads of ideas!

Halloween Glyphs

A Huge Halloween High Five to Kim Koehler at kckoehler12@yahoo.com for sharing the following two glyphs, pictures, and printables to match!

Here is the key for the haunted house. I do either a haunted house or a scarecrow each year. I recently had students who did not participate in halloween, so we made scarecrows that year instead of the houses. I have the key and worksheet in Word with the neat font too. So here it is here: It is a pretty complicated glyph that I do with my third graders. black house means I am a girl, brown house means I am a boy tall door= I have pets, short door= I do not skinny door= I have a computer, wide door= I do not tall chimney= I have blonde or red hair, short chimney= I have black or brown hair skinny chimney= I wear glasses, wide chimney= I do not yellow moon= 8 years old, white moon= 9 years old The number of windows equals the number of hours I go trick or treating The number of ghosts represents my brothers and sisters The color of my sign tells the month of my birthday The bats flying around mean nothing but halloween fun! *** You can change any of these to fit with an all halloween theme or any other questions you think of. I also have the kids put spider webs on it, but dont have any on my sample. I show them how to put the webs on using my sample and then take them off to store it. It is pretty beat up from being around for a few years, but still gets the idea across pretty well.

Printable Key / Printable Worksheet

Here is the pic of the scarecrow glyph we do. I use fabric scraps for the patches and a cut up raffia bow for the hay on the arms and legs. I also will add the key too! Key Hat= favorite color Shirt: yellow= girl red= boy Plaid: diagonal= has gone on a hayride straight= has not gone on a hayride Buttons: 2 buttons= I have carved a pumpkin 3 buttons= i have not carved a pumpkin Patches: 1= I love spring 2= I love fall 3= i love summer 4= I love winter Smile: 8 stitches=I am 8 9 stitches= I am 9 Eyes: triangles= I like non fiction books squares= I like fiction books Nose: triangle= I like chapter books circle= I like picture books

It takes my third graders usually two days to complete it. I hot glue on the straw and buttons for them. I usually have them trace and cut out the pieces on one day and then glue them together on the next day.

1.) Dem Bones Sorting Sheet - Use with Dem Bones Candy to Sort the Candy. Includes questions for students to answer when they finish sorting. You can read the questions to them (K-1) or have them read the questions and answer them on their own (1-3).

2.) Dem Bones Graph (FREE TO PRINT) - Use with Dem Bones Candy (MADE BY BRACHS) after you do the sorting activity. Students color the graph to match the candy in their bag. Students switch graphs with a partner and answer the questions about their partner’s graph. (This activity is found on CDROM # 2 - It has been updated and the sheet looks a little different than the one found on CDROM # 2)

3.) Dem Bones Mini Book – Have your students complete this book after they have done the Dem Bones Graph and Sorting Sheet.  This is a great way to end your sorting and graphing lessons.  You can complete the book as a group (K-1) or have the students complete the book independently (2-3

4.) Roll and Eat Dem Bones Game – Print on cardstock, laminate, and cut game boards.  Now that we have finished using our snack pieces, let’s play a game.  Your teacher will break you up into groups and give your group dice.  Sit in a circle and take turns rolling the dice & following the directions.  Use the chart below to decode what each roll means.  If you roll something that you can’t do, pass the dice on and do not do anything.  The game is over when one player has no pieces left after their turn!  If you wish not to eat the candy, throw it away instead. (1-3) (NOT FOUND ON CDROMS)

5.) Picture Poem Activities - This is a five page document of printables and cut-outs for you to use. The first page is a Halloween Poem. Students read the words and the pictures (1-2) or the teacher reads the poem as the student reads along (k-1). The second page includes large graphics of the nouns in the poem. The teacher can print, laminate, and cut these to use with the poem. The last page is an independent activity sheet for your student to complete after you have done some activities with the poem.  The sheet asks the student to answer questions by drawing an answer (k-2).   (NOT FOUND ON CDROMS)

6.) Roll A Pumpkin Game (1-3) – Print on cardstock, laminate, and cut game boards.  This is a dice adding game that your students play in teams of 2-4 players.  Students work on adding and following directions while they play this fun game.  (NOT FOUND ON CDROMS)

7.) Witches Making Words Activities (1-3) – Includes the letters in the word Witches.  Your student must use the letters to complete various activities.  This can be done independently or as a group. (THIS IS FOUND ON OUR CDROM # 4)

8.) Shopping For Fall Words (1-2) – This is a math activity that involves adding more than two digits.  Students are given a word.  Each letter in the word represents a dollar amount.  Students add up all the letters in the word to get a total cost of the given word. (NOT FOUND ON CDROMS)

9.) Pumpkin Poop Bag Topper – A cute gift for your staff or another adult.  Just print these labels and stick them to a ziplock baggie.  Place candy corn in the baggie.  Slip a bag in a favorite friend’s mailbox on Halloween Day.  Sure to be a hit with your teacher friends. They print on 3 1/3" x 4"mailing labels/ AVERY 8164  (NOT FOUND ON CDROMS)

10.) Candy Corn Rhyme Center -   Here is an easy center to make.  Print, Laminate, and Cut the pieces given.  Then have the students organize the pieces on a pocket chart.  All the words that rhyme are placed next to each other in the pocket chart.  When the students have completed the center, you may choose to have them complete the center sheet found on page 3 of this document.
NOTE:  You may choose to make Ziploc centers.  Place all the materials in a Ziploc and have the student find the rhyming words at their seat.
(NOT FOUND ON CDROMS)

11.) On a Fall Day Mini Book (k-2) - Have your students color page two of this document.  Then have them cut out the pictures and glue them into the book on pages 3 – 4.  When they are finished have them cut the book and staple together.  They can finish the sentence and illustrate the last page.  This book is a simple counting/following directions book. (NOT FOUND ON CDROMS)

12.) Graphing For Fall (1-3) -  Print pages 1 -2 on separate sheets of paper.  Cut out a few of the fall pictures and show your students how to place them on the graph.  Then, allow them to complete the rest.  When they are finished, instruct them to complete the graph questions. (NOT FOUND ON CDROMS)

13.) Fall Mini Book – 13 page file - Includes Pocket Chart Vocab. Cards.  A Big Book For the Teacher.  A Mini Book for each student.  An independent sheet to complete.  (k-2) (NOT FOUND ON CDROMS)

14. – 16.) Fall Telling Time Game – Comes with printable gameboard, game pieces, and telling time flash cards.  Three files.  Fall board game directions are included.  Files in PDF and Publisher or Word.

17.) Halloween Candy Bar Wrapper in PDF – give out cute Halloween treats.  Just print on regular paper and wrap a Hershey Bar.

18.) Fall Graphing Center – Manipulatives for making a class graphing center.  Includes a center sheet.

19. -20.) Halloween and Pumpkin Spinner Games - Practice reading and writing skills with these two ready to print games. Players take turns with their partners and spin the spinner. When they land on a letter, they write it in the corresponding space on the card provided.  The first player to spell the word is the winner!

21.) Spider Tally Mark Center – In Publisher and PDF.  4 pages.  Put all materials in an envelope.  Student takes center to their seat.  They match the spider to their web by counting the tally marks.  A center sheet is included.

These are Word files that will be sent to you in Zip Format via email. They are sent in less than 24 hours after payment through Paypal! Please make sure your email is correct when you order!!!! Thanks!

Total Price = $12.50 US

Halloween and Fall Graphing Ideas!!!

Graphing For Fall From Our Fall and Halloween Packet (seen above)

*What is your favorite fall activity?

Free from our Graphing CDROM

Download the free printables at P1 - P2 - P3

* Graphing for Halloween - Click Here to Down Load the Sheets below!

The Witch and The Little Orange House Story

You Need Siccors, orange paper, and story props.

Download story props here.

Place the trees on a board or overhead to look like a forest. Begin telling story below.

Once upon a time a very small witch was walking in the woods. (Place the witch in forrest) The cold wind was blowing the dry leaves all around her (Place the leaves graphics next to the witch).  The little witch was frantically searching for a house for the winter.  She could not find one.

(Drop orange paper)Suddenly a piece of orange paper, blown by the wind, landed at her feet.   She picked it up.  The little witch looked closely at the paper and then she said, "I shall make myself a little house from this piece of orange paper."

She folded the paper in half. Then she took her scissors (she always carried a pair in her pocket) and cut off the two corners to make a roof.

Hold the paper on the fold and cut off the two top corners (all four corners cut to make a roof, but also a pumpkin shape)

"This will do just fine," she said as she looked at her new house.
"But I will need a door." With her scissors she cut a door. Since witches
always wear pointed hats, she cut a special door. It looked like this.

 Make the cut like a rectangle, door shape but with an angle pointing up for a smiling mouth.

The little witch walked through the door into the little orange house. (Have the witch cutout walk through the door)
It was very dark inside. She quickly hurried back out.
"I will need to make windows to let in the light," said the little witch.
She cut a front and back window that looked like this.

This cut is rather tricky.  You need to refold  the paper (to space the eyes at the side of the head!) and cut through all of the layers to make two eyes at the top of the paper.  Practice! 

Oh, it was a very fine looking house. Her very own little house with a roof, a door and windows was all finished.  But just as the little witch started to go inside for the winter, she saw a tiny ghost floating down the windswept path (use the ghost cut-out).   As the tiny ghost came to a stop near the little house, the little witch saw that she was crying.
"Why are you crying?" asked the little witch.
The tiny ghost stopped crying and answered, It is cold and windy. It is getting dark. And I have no place to spend the winter."
"You may spend the winter with me in my new house, said the kind little
witch.
"Oh, thank you," the happy tiny ghost said as she peeked in through the window. This is a very nice house,"
"First," said the little witch, "I will need to make you a little door of your very own. She took her scissors again and began to cut. She cut a very tiny door. It looked like this.  

This cut is the nose of the jack-o-lantern.  Make a small triangle type cut between the eyes and the mouth. 

The two happy new friends went inside. The tiny ghost went in the very little door, and the little witch went through her own special door. (Place the cut-outs through the door and then hide them out of sight.)
All winter long they lived happily together inside the little orange house.

Now open the house to reveal the pumpkin. I always do this once as a model and then have the kids do it with me. Then they do it with partners. Finally, they try it at home on an adult. They are alwasy tickled by this activity!

View More Directions

Ghost Necklaces

You will need wax paper, Elmer's glue, a black permanent marker, hole puncher, and black yarn.

Squeeze about 2 tablespoons of glue onto a piece of wax paper. Pick the wax paper up and let the glue move around. You can move the glue in any direction you wish. When you have the shape you like, put the wax paper in a warm dry place to dry.

When the glue has dried, peel the shape off of the wax paper. Punch a hole close to an edge. Make two round eyes and a round mouth with the marker. Cut a piece of yarn long enough so that the gluey ghost hangs comfortably around your neck. Tie a knot in the yarn.

Make a Footsie Witchie

Make Your Own Treat Bags

Here is a cute and fun craft to do with younger students. I actually plan on doing this with my sons playgroup (ages 2- 3). Purchase the Halloween colored (Black and orange) tote bags at Oriental Trading. Also purchase the foam stamps and some paint. I would keep the colors simple for younger students. Black, white, yellow, and orange! Have them place the stamps on the bag. When they are finished they will have cute bags for Trick-or-Treating!

Practice Your Skills While Playing a Board Game
You can print one game for each student in your class. This makes a great Halloween treat from the teacher!

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!!!

SPIN THE WORD Halloween Game. Students take turns spinning the spinner. First person to spell Halloween wins.

This activity is found on the Teaching Heart Fall/Halloween Packet. Click here to learn more about this packet.

Did you hear me scream in Target today when I saw these little Halloween shaped macaroni and cheese noodles from Kraft???

Adorable right? Good enough to eat, but even better for some math fun!!!!

You can sort them and you can graph them! Talk about what you have more of and what you have the least of… You can add them up and subtract them!!! You can see how many are in a box. The ideas are endless!!!

Click here to download the free sheet I created to use with this activity!!!

Love playing with food and learning at the same time??? Then you will love all the great ideas and free printables on our Dem Bones page… So many fun Halloween treats to get learning with.

The steps in the house goes "Creek, creek, creek..."
The cats in the house go "Meow, meow, meow..."
The mice in the house go "Squeak, squeak, squeak.."
The people in the house go "Eek, eek, eek...".

(This is fun to use in a pocket chart. Use graphics of a ghost, house, steps, cat, mice, and people.)

Shoosh, went the wind, Meow, went the cat,
Plop went the hot toads sitting on her hat,
We chuckled out "what fun, what fun'"
on Halloween night when the witches run!!!!!!!

(PICTURE OF POCKET CHART - COMING)

The printables that go with this activity can be found in our Halloween/Fall 2004 Packet found at
http://www.teachingheart.net/primaryteachertimesaver.html

C is for Coloring Candy Corns

Halloween Coloring Pages

During the month of October we read many books dealing with Halloween or other October theme related ideas. 

After we read each book, we discussed and brainstormed some ideas as a group. All of our ideas about a book went on a chart. Then, each student made their own little book about their favorite story. 
(CLICK HERE TO GET THE LITTLE BOOK FOR YOUR CLASS) 
Next, we colored cats with Pumpkins to hold the book. The pattern for the Cat and Pumpkin comes from a Mailbox Book.

Here is a Close-Up of One of the Cats!

Make sure your class understands Halloween Safety! You can do this with a pocket chart activity. Title the chart, Halloween Safety. Make a yes column and a no column. Program sentence strips with statements such as:
Cross the street without looking.
Be Polite.
Walk on the sidewalk.
Go to houses of people you know.
Eat your candy as soon as you get it.

Now as a group invite one student to read the strip and another to decide if it should go under yes or no. After you place each strip discuss why they belong under the column. Repeat this until all strips are gone.

This could also be used as a center.

You may also use this to help students with a writing project on Halloween safety.

You could make your own like seen to the left or you could order the October through November CD and print and use the one seen. To learn more about this CD & our other CD's go to:
http://www.teachingheart.net/primaryteachertimesaver.html

http://www.teachingheart.net/primaryteachertimesaver.html