Halloween ESL Games, Activities, Lesson Plans & More

If you’re looking for some fun ESL Halloween activity and game ideas, then you’re in the right place. We have all the top ideas, along with lesson plans, worksheets and more. Make Halloween this year extra special with these top picks.

ESL Halloween Games and Activities

Let’s get into the best Halloween ESL games and activities.

#1: Guess the Candy Number

This is one of my favourite activities to play with all my classes. I fill up a jar with candies that I’ve counted and then seal it tightly. All the students in my classes get a guess as to how many they think are in the jar. The closest one gets the entire jar!

Try it out to create a bit of fun and excitement around Halloween at your school. You could also consider doing a smaller jar for each class to have multiple winners in the school.

#2: Haunted House Classroom

Try out this fun Halloween activity if you can get your entire school on board. Each class can decorate their classroom and make it into a haunted house. The creepier the better. Then, on Halloween, each class can take a turn touring the other “houses.”

#3: Halloween Taboo

I’m sure you’ve played Taboo with your family or friends before. You have to describe a word without using a related set of words. I’ve adapted it a little bit for my English learners.

It’s a nice activity for Halloween vocabulary. Check it out here:

ESL Taboo Game.

#4: Pumpkin Carving Contest

This is a nice activity if pumpkins are easy to find in the country you’re teaching in and also if your school has a budget for it. Pick up some pumpkins for each group. I find that 3-4 students is a nice number. Then, have them carve it, making whatever design they wish.

In the end, the teacher can judge the winner, or get some other teachers or people from the administration in your school to pick the winner. I bring in a small prize of some kind. Display the pumpkins around the school or have students take them home.

Of course, this is not a great activity for very young learners due to the danger of using sharp knives! In this case, consider having parents come into the classroom and do it with their children if that is feasible.

#5: Word Association

It’s likely the case that your students already know a good bit of Halloween vocabulary before you teach them! That’s why a nice warmer activity is something like Word Association. It helps students activate their prior knowledge before adding new words into the mix. Check it out:

#6: Halloween-Themed Dictogloss

This is an extremely versatile activity for more advanced-level students that can be used with just about any kind of grammar or vocabulary, including Halloween words.

Choose a story related to this popular holiday. In this case, I talk about a funny memory I have of trick-or-treating with my friends when I was a kid. Then, put students into pairs and read the story out at a faster-than-normal pace. Students have to take notes and then work together to recreate what they heard.

Read the story again and students do the same thing. Finally, they can compare their Halloween story with the original one. Learn more about it here:

ESL Dictogloss Activity.

This activity works well for most holidays. Here are even more ideas: Teaching holidays.

#7: Halloween Charades

Charades is a fun party game that’s ideal for holiday-themed lessons. Depending on the level, you could have students either act out simple words like witch, broom, or candy or phrases like eating candy, riding on a broom, ringing a doorbell, etc.

Find out more about it here:

ESL Charades Activity

#8: Halloween ESL Vocabulary Auction

This is one of my favourite activities to help students make better sentences and/or review new vocabulary. Students have to bid on words to make grammatically correct sentences related to Halloween.

It does require a good amount of preparation, so I’ll generally only do it if I can use it for multiple classes. Or, at the very least, laminate the words and save it for next year. Check it out:

ESL Vocabulary Auction.

It’s certainly possible to use this activity for just about any holiday, including New Year’s or Easter vocabulary.

#9: 120-90-60 ESL Speaking Activity

This is a great activity for higher-level students who have some experience celebrating Halloween. Students will have to speak about their Halloween experiences for a full two minutes to a partner without stopping.

Then, they have to switch partners and include all the same information in 9o seconds, and then do it again for 60 seconds. It’s a nice way to help students speak more fluently. Find out more:

Speaking Fluency Activity.

#10: What am I?

This is a simple ESL warm-up activity that’s ideal for reviewing new vocabulary words from previous classes. It can certainly be used with Halloween vocab as well. Find out all the details you need to know about it here:

What am I ESL Warmer.

#11: Halloween-Themed Running Dictation

Try out this fun, 4-skills ESL activity for all ages:

#12: 5 Senses Activity

5 Senses is a nice ESL warmer activity that can be done with either speaking or writing. It’s ideal for use as a holiday activity as well if you bring in objects that are related to Halloween.

In this case, I usually bring in some kind of familiar Halloween candy. Or, if students aren’t familiar with it (Candy corn for example), I’ll give them each a piece to touch and taste to see what they think.

Find out more details about this fun Halloween activity here:

5 Senses ESL Activity.

#13: Candy Tasting Contest

This is a fun activity that all ages love! Bring in a bunch of different kinds of candy that all students would know. The ones that work best are things like Skittles or M & Ms that are already in small pieces. Otherwise, cut up something like a chocolate bar into small pieces beforehand.

Then, have some blindfolds and students can do a blind taste test. They have to say what the candy is. A nice way to do this is to divide the students into 5 teams. Then have 5 students (1 per team) come up to the front of the class and sit in chairs. They can put the blindfolds on. Then, give each student a different candy and they have to taste and say what it is. If correct, they get a point for their team.

They can do one or two more rounds (Depending on the number of students) and sit down. Then, another group of students can come up. The winner is the team with the most points. They can get a small prize if you wish.

#14: Dialogue Substitution Activity

It’s often the case that new vocabulary, including ones from Halloween, is introduced in a dialogue of some kind. But, maybe your students are kind of like mine and just blow through it without really paying attention to what they’re reading.

It’s not the students’ fault. It’s just that I haven’t really given them a reason to read. To combat this, I remove some of the key words so it’s more than a simple reading activity but one that involves meaning as well. Try it out with your students. It’s a nice fit for any Halloween ESL lesson:

Dialogue Substitution ESL Activity.

#15: Chain Spelling Activity

If you’ve just taught some new Halloween words, this is a fun game to review the spelling of them. It’s competitive, and interesting and students love it. Find out more:

ESL Spelling Activity.

#16: Describing Something Guessing Game

This is an activity that I generally use for people but it’s also ideal for Halloween vocabulary like candy, cauldron, witch, broom, costume, etc. Students have to describe these words to a partner who has to guess what they are.

Want to give it a try with your students? Have a look here at this Halloween speaking activity ESL:

Describe Something Guessing Game.

#17: I’m an Alien

It’s often the case that students know a good bit about this popular holiday already, so consider using this simple eliciting activity:

#18: Halloween Song for Kids

If you teach children, then you’ll know what a life-saver songs and chants can be. Kids love them and they’re a nice way to teach grammar or vocabulary.

If you’re like me and aren’t musical, not to worry! There are a ton of great Halloween songs and chants on YouTube.

#19: Just One Question ESL Halloween Activity Adults

This is a fun activity to do if you live in a place where students generally celebrate Halloween as it will be asking about their past experiences.

Students team up to come up with an interesting question to ask their classmates about Halloween, asking some follow-up questions and then compiling their results to report to the class. Have a look here:

Just One Question.

#20: Flip Chart Halloween Vocab Review Game

#21: Guess the Pumpkin Weight

Try out this simple activity! Bring in a pumpkin and get students to try to guess how much it weighs. You can make it more interesting by having another object of similar weight with a known weight for students to compare.

The winner gets to take the pumpkin home to carve or gets another small prize.

#22: Costume Parade or Contest

If you want to have some fun, try out a costume contest (single class) or a parade with the entire school. Either way, give some prizes and encourage effort and creativity.

#23: 3 Things Writing Activity

To use this activity for a lesson like this, just require that the words students choose be related to Halloween:

#24: Have a Halloween Party

If you have a budget for this kind of thing, consider having a Halloween party with your students. Encourage students to dress up, and of course, wear a costume yourself. Then, consider showing some creepy movies, handing out candy, carving pumpkins, or whatever else you like to do for Halloween. Students of all ages love it!

#25: Spooky Cookie Decorating

This activity does require some preparation but students love it! Make or buy some cookies in Halloween-themed shapes such as a pumpkin, witch or ghost. Make or buy some icing and ask students to bring in a topping of their choice (sprinkles, candy, etc.). You’ll also want to have some paper napkins or paper plates.

#26: Halloween Idioms

Have some fun with spooky idioms that are perfect for Halloween. Check out some of my favourites here:

You can find even more Halloween expressions and phrases right here: Spooky Halloween Idioms.

#27: Door Decorating Contest

A fun activity is for each class to decorate a door in the school. Make it into a contest and have some teachers or admin declare a winner and give that class a prize.

#28: Halloween Charades

Write Halloween-related words or phrases on pieces of paper and put them in a hat. Students take turns drawing a word or phrase and acting it out while their classmates guess what it is.

#29: Halloween Vocabulary Bingo

Create bingo cards with Halloween-related words instead of numbers. Call out definitions or descriptions, and students mark the corresponding word on their cards.

#30: Halloween Story Starters

Provide students with Halloween-themed story starters, and have them continue the story in small groups. Encourage creativity and emphasize the use of Halloween vocabulary.

#31: Halloween Pictionary

Similar to charades, but this time, students draw Halloween-related words or phrases on the board or on paper. Their classmates try to guess what is being drawn.

#32: Halloween Costume Show and Tell

Ask students to describe their Halloween costumes or the costumes they plan to wear. This encourages speaking and vocabulary use. You can also provide props for them to use during their descriptions.

#33: Halloween Word Search

Create Halloween-themed word search puzzles with vocabulary words related to the holiday. Students can work individually or in pairs to find the words.

#34: Learn about the History of Halloween

Check out this video designed for ESL learners. It’s a simple way to teach students about Halloween’s history and it can lead in to an entire lesson. Have a look:

ESL Halloween Worksheets

There are a ton of great ESL Halloween worksheets to choose from, which can save a busy teacher so much time! Here are some of the best options to choose from:

ISL Collective

Boggles World

ESL Worksheets

Halloween ESL Lesson Plans

If you’re a teacher, then you’ll know how much time a ready-made Halloween lesson plan can save you. Here are some of our top picks:

ESL Kids Stuff

ESL Library

Lingua House

Have some fun with these Halloween ESL lessons. Or, you can easily plan your own English conversation lesson. Find out how here:

ESL Halloween Vocabulary

Here are some of the most popular words to consider including in your lesson:

• bat
• black cat
• broom (broomstick)
• candy
• carve
• casket
• cauldron
• cemetery
• coffin
• costume
• creepy
• decorate
• face paint
• fireworks
• full moon
• ghost
• jack-o-lantern
• magic
• mummy
• party
• pumpkin
• scarecrow
• scare
• spider
• trick-or-treat
• witch

Be sure to check out this Halloween ESL vocab quiz:

Halloween ESL Lessons FAQs

There are a number of common questions that people have about this holiday. Here are some of the most popular ones.

What is Halloween for ESL students?

A simple definition of Halloween for ESL students is the following: It’s a holiday celebrated on October 31st each year. It has religious roots (All Saints’ Day/All Hallows’ Eve) but these days, most children dress up and go door-to-door to trick-or-treat (ask for candy).

What are some fun ESL Halloween activities?

There are lots of fun ESL Halloween activities to consider playing with your students. Some of them include:

• Costume contest
• Bobbing for apples
• Haunted house classroom
• Candy jar guess
• Guess the pumpkin’s weight

How do you make ESL fun?

A nice way to make ESL fun is to have some holiday-themed classes or lessons. This can be a nice change of pace from just following the textbook in each class.

Did you like these ESL Halloween Games?

Yes? Thought so. Then you’re going to love this book over on Amazon: 101 ESL Activities for Kids. The key to better English classes with children is a wide variety of engaging, interactive, and student-centred games and activities and this book will help you get there in style.

You can find the book in both digital and print formats. Consider taking the e-version with you to your favourite coffee shop for some serious lesson planning on the go. Or, keep a copy on the bookshelf in your office to use as a handy reference guide. Whatever the case, you’re going to love this book!

Head over to Amazon to pick up your copy today, but only if you want a serious dose of ESL teaching awesome in your life.

Halloween Activities and Games: Join the Conversation

What’s your top pick for an ESL Halloween activity? Is it one of the options from this list or do you have another one that you’d like to recommend? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.

Also, be sure to give this article a share on Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. It’ll help other busy English teachers, like yourself who are interested in holiday activities for their students.

Last update on 2022-10-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API