Halloween Games and Printables for the Classroom

Halloween used to be one of the biggest holidays when it came to classroom parties at my daughter’s school (they still do a lot in the lower grades, and the young ones go trick or treating in the upper school classrooms). Halloween can be a lot of fun even if it’s not super spooky, and there are tons of easy Halloween games and printable activities you can do in the classroom or with a small group at home.

I love this giant Halloween word search for the classroom from Busy Toddler. Do a single one for a couple of kids (or to leave hanging in the classroom and each kid can find a couple of words) or make a couple and make a game where teams of kids can try to find the words.

There are tons of Halloween bingo cards out there that you can print for classroom use. These from Happiness is Homemade are super cute and easy for kids of any age to use. Don’t Eat Pete is kind of the opposite of bingo, where you start with all your spaces covered. One person is it, and they leave the room while the others decide which icon on the game board is Pete. When the “it” person returns they start uncovering the squares until they get to Pete, and everyone yells “Don’t eat Pete!” and a new it is named. You can find a printable for this game along with other Halloween printables at Fun Squared.

Memory matching games are also fun for small parties, and this one from Marley Doodle Digital is super cute. This could be a station at a Halloween party with other games and activities going on as well.

If you’re looking for some more active games to add to the mix, check out this list of minute to win it style games with a Halloween twist from So Festive. Making people into mummies with toilet paper is a classic we did for a few years, but I also love this one that involves blowing plastic spiders through an obstacle course (or just across a finish line, depending on the age of the kids) using a straw. So fun and easy to set up!

Halloween Shadow Match Game for Preschoolers

Halloween Concentration Game

Beginning Sound Pumpkin Matching Game

Free Halloween Themed Printables for Kids

Explaining Dia de Los Muertos to kids can be difficult because most of us don’t generally talk about death or what happens when we die a lot with our kids. But Dia de los Muertos is actually a happy, not scary occasion that allows us to remember loved ones, share stories and come together as a community.

While it is mostly celebrated by people of Mexican heritage, the day has become more well known thanks to movies and other media representations. And there are some great children’s books to help explain and allow you to celebrate the holiday if you want.

Dia de Muertos by Jaque Jours, illustrated by Alejandra Ruiz (48 pages, hardcover, published 2025 by words & pictures, suggested retail price $14.99) tells the story of a family getting their ofrenda (altar for the dead) ready and how they remember people who have died through decorations, food and sharing stories.

It covers the classic decorations and rituals of Dia de los Muertos including using cempasúchil (in English we call them marigolds) and papel picado (cut paper banners), pan de muerto and la catrina, the elaborately dressed, skull faced women that are a common site at Dia de los Muertos gatherings.

The back of the book explores how the day is celebrated throughout Mexico as well as the meanings of different symbols. There’s a recipe for pan de muerto, a tutorial for making papel picado and tips for doing makeup to look like like la catrina/el catrin.

Want to try more traditional foods? The Dia de Los Muertos Cookbook is a companion to The Dia de Los Muertos Story, both of which are by Andrea Jáuregui de la Torre and illustrated by Laura González (52 pages, hardcover paper over boards, published 2026 by becker & meyer kids!, suggested retail price $19.99).

The book opens with some discussion of the meaning of Dia de los Muertos and why food is an important part of the day. The recipes included are easy enough for kids to make with minimal help, and all based on food memories from her childhood.

There are recipes for hibiscus iced tea, Mexican corn and salsa, tortillas, molletes (open faced sandwiches with beans and cheese), jicama fries and sugar skulls to name a few.

Other activities in the book include papel picado, coffee filter marigolds, making your own playlist and making an ofrenda.

Together these books give young readers insight into this holiday that might be new or confusing to them, while also giving you a chance to get in the kitchen together and make your own Dia de los Muertos memories.

Have you read?

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