Build A Jack-o-Lantern Race (Low Prep Halloween Math Facts Game)

Posted on October 28, 2024 by Squarehead Teachers

This game can be used to practice any kind of math facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) or really any content where the kids have to provide a specific answer (teacher asks a question, students provide a short responds). I don’t recommend this will spelling though, because it will be hard to hear 3 kids spelling the same word all at the same time and know who got it right. Here’s the game:

Prep:

Cut out paper pieces for each team: orange pumpkin shape, 2 eyes, a mouth, a nose
Need glue to assemble the team pumpkin
Tell your students a day or two beforehand that they will do a game using multiplication facts

Goal

Be the first team to build your jack-o-lantern by answering multiplication facts correctly the fastest!

Play

Divide the class into two or 3 teams (more teams means each kid practices more facts).
(Round 1) Each team sends a representative up to the front to compete against each other to answer multiplication facts for the first round. Teams may not help. Hold up a flash card, whoever answers the fact correctly first a point in the round (keep track of how many each team answered). Do 5 facts for the round, and do a tie breaker if needed.
Whichever team has the most points at the end of the round, chooses a piece for their jack-o-lantern. Only 1 team will get a piece each round.
(Round 2) different representatives compete to earn another pumpkin piece for their team. You can do the same or different math facts, because it will be different kids answering. Again, teams may not help.
Whichever team has the most points at the end of the round, chooses a piece for their pumpkin.
Continue having rounds of multiplication facts until one team wins.

Adaptation for last-minute play:

Instead of doing pumpkin pieces and building a jack-o-lantern, write Halloween themed word, like “ghost” or “witch” on the board once for each team (or, if you want the game to be long, write “Halloween”). Circle letters in the word every time you would have given a pumpkin piece to the team that won the round. This cuts out the prep for the teacher, but I don’t think it’s as fun for the kids. They seem to like getting to walk back to their seat with a piece for their team.

What other low prep Halloween activities have you tried that incorporate math facts?

Easy Die Cut “Don’t Eat Pete” Board

Posted on October 30, 2019 by Squarehead Teachers

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I’ve written about Don’t Eat Pete before (How to play, How to play/easy Valentine’s board and St. Patrick’s Day board), but I just love this game and it’s perfect for any holiday. Seriously, I played it at every single classroom party (as a kid since my mom was often the Room Mom and again as a teacher) because it just continues to be a kid favorite… the there’s hardly ANY prep involved!!

But if you’re that teacher who wants to make something once and never have to worry about it again, here’s a post for you. My mom made this style of Don’t Eat Pete board for each holiday and then all she ever had to do was buy the candy, cereal or snack she was going to use for the game.

Step 1 – choose 9 die cuts from your school’s Halloween collection. If your school doesn’t have die cuts and you don’t want to head down to the district office to do it, just wing it and cut some simple shapes yourself. Cut them out of colored construction paper (Be careful which construction paper pack you get! one I recently purchased from Amazon didn’t include purple! Here’s a small low-priced pack that has all the basic colors!)

Step 2 – Lay them out 3 across in 3 rows on big construction paper (here’s a low-priced pack) and place small strips of construction paper between them to form a grid. If you’re in a pinch, just draw in lines using a sharpie or other permanent marker (here are some awesome metallic ones that work great for writing on black!)

Step 3 – Write numbers on each shape. This just makes it easier to remember which one is “Pete” for that round. You can also silently remind your kids by holding up fingers.

Step 4 – Laminate the entire thing! Now enjoy!

Halloween Classroom Attention Getters

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Squarehead Teachers

It’s Halloween time, so it’s time to change things up! No more “Get it? Got it! Good!” when you need to get your students’ attention! We’ve come up with a list of fun, Halloween attention getters for the classroom!

Teacher: “Who you gonna call?”
Students: “Ghostbusters!”

Teacher: “Monster!”
Students: “Mash!”

Teacher: “Knock, knock!”
Students: “Trick or Treat!!”

Teacher: “Skeleton!”
Students: “Bones!”

Teacher: “Scare me!”
Students: “Boo!”

Teacher: “Pumpkin, pumpkin shining bright!”
Students: “Halloween’s a scary night!”

Teacher: “It’s not Santa Claus!”
Students: “It’s the Great Pumpkin!”

Teacher: “Vegan Zombie!”
Students: “Graaaaaaiiiiinnnnss!” (like how zombies say “brains”)

Teacher: “If you’ve got it…”
Students: “…haunt it!”

Teacher: “Boil, boil…!”
Students: “Toil and trouble!”

Teacher: “I feel cold!”
Students: “Goosebumps!”

If you’ve taught your class any fun Halloween poems, you might consider using lines from those also. For example, if you taught your class the popular “Five little pumpkins” poem, you could use a line and have the students respond with the following line. If you’re not familiar with that poem, you’re missing out! Here it is:

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, “Oh, my, it’s getting late!”
The second one said, “There are witches in the air!”
The third one said, “But we don’t care!”
The fourth one said, “Let’s run and run and run!”
The fifth one said, “It’s Halloween fun!”
Then woooooo, went the wind
And out went the light
And the five little pumpkins
Rolled out of sight!

Click here for more fun Halloween stuff!

Halloween Coin Counting Practice

Posted on October 11, 2019 by Squarehead Teachers

Happy Halloween!! Do you have your costume figured out yet? I don’t, but I’m working on it! Anyway, use the excitement for Halloween to sneak in some coin counting practice. Enjoy another freebie!

Click here to download the free PDF: Coin Counting Practice – Halloween Costumes
Click here to download the free PDF: Coin Counting Practice – Halloween Costumes – Answer Key

Halloween Stresses Teachers Out!

Posted on October 31, 2018 by Squarehead Teachers

Accurate.

I couldn’t find who this picture belongs to, so if it’s yours, please email me so I can credit you! (square head teachers at gmail dot com)

Easy Halloween Costumes for Teachers

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Squarehead Teachers

Halloween in school is nuts. Not only do you have to keep your students focused while they’re on a sugar buzz, but they’ll be dressed up like what’s his face from whatever that popular new show is. AND you need come up with a costume that’s cool (and totally appropriate for school). Just what you needed – another thing to worry about. Well, here are a few easy Halloween costumes for teachers that can be thrown together at the last minute (and when I say “last minute,” I mean, 2 days – 2 hours before school).

OPTION 1: Children’s Book Characters

Viola Swamp from “Miss Nelson is Missing!” by Harry Allard (source)

Camilla from “A Bad Case of the Stripes” by David Shannon (source)

Rainbow Fish from “Rainbow Fish” by Marcus Pfister (source)

Professor Trelawny from the Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling (source)

(If you feel the need to do a group costume)
Madeline, Miss Clavel and the girls from the Madeline series
by Ludwig Bemelmans (source)

Emily from “Clifford the Big Red Dog” by Norman Bridwell (source)

The coconut tree from “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom”
by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault (source)

The Giving Tree from “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein (source)

OPTION 2: Puns
I don’t need to caption these. They’re pretty self-explanatory!

(source)

Looking for more punny costumes? Try this list from Buzzfeed.

Also check out my Halloween free printables! Click here!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Syllables Worksheet

Posted on October 25, 2015 by Squarehead Teachers

Halloween Syllables

Pump-kin. Spi-der. There are tons of easy Halloween words you can use to teach or practice syllables. Here’s a free printable Halloween worksheet for you all about syllables!

Download the full size printable: Halloween Syllables [PDF]