Halloween is almost here! If your classroom is starting to have that trick-or-treat atmosphere, it's time to reach into your backpack of ideas to keep the kids on track. One thing that can be helpful is to promise them a fun afternoon treat if they get all of their work done.  I have selected a few hands-on resources that will engage your students in activities that are educational as well as fun! Keep reading for a preview.

#1 Monster Math is a fun activity for grade 3-5. It is a great review for prior objectives.

Add and subtract whole numbers and then determine if the first number is equal to, less than or more than the second number.

Determine the place value of a given number.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Given a number in written form, select the matching numerical form and conversely, when given a number in numerical form, select the written version.

Kids can answer questions independently at their desks or there are directions to make it more fun by having the kids do a SCOOT activity or play Kaboom!

#2 Idiom Bingo with a Holiday Theme is an engaging activity for kids to play with language and learn some new expressions too. There are 2 Bingo boards, one for 14 idioms or one for a shorter game of 10 idioms. There are 24 idioms and students choose either 14 or 10 definitions according to the size board they are using.

A "Use it in a Sentence" card will be read aloud using the idiom. Any student with the matching definition on their Bingo board can eliminate it. Then another card is read. The student who eliminates all of their definitions first is the winner.

Besides Bingo teachers can organize a scavenger hunt by putting "Use it in a Sentence" cards around the room. Students will then have to locate each card and write its definition on the student response sheet.

The teacher can also place cards at specific stations and allow kids to rotate positions and write definitions on the student response sheet. That's a fun SCOOT activity!

When all 24 idioms can easily be defined by students it is time for them to choose a favorite and illustrate its literal meaning. (The yellow sheet in the picture is a list of all 24 idioms and their definitions.)  All of those student colored pages can be bound into a class book for students to enjoy and review the idioms and their definitions again and again.

 

#3 Halloween One-Step Rebus Equations is an engaging activity that is perfect to reinforce math skills. There are 8 cards and each cards has 5 math equations.

The 5 equations on each card are dependent on each other to solve them all. Kids have fun trying to find the correct number to use in place of the rebus symbol to make the math sentence true.

A student response sheet is included.  This resource can be used as an individual activity or with partners.

 

So if your kids are flying high, anticipating  Halloween fun, use these resources to help them stay focussed and reinforce lessons too! Have a Happy and sane Halloween this year!

PS--I would be interested in hearing any ideas or comments you might have about these resources.