It’s the Halloween season! Get into the spirit with a scary-story themed writing challenge. Students will be asked to write a scary, Halloween-themed short story. Stories will be due on October 31st, where they will be presented as part of the Halloween festivities. Below are some writing prompts to help get them started:
- A secretive new neighbor moves into a sleepy town.
- A toy that comes alive at night.
- A rundown house at the end of the block.
- Walking through a graveyard on the way to school.
- A haunted traveling amusement park comes to town.
On Halloween, decorate the classroom to reflect a haunted setting, such as a campsite or haunted house. Depending on your setting, set up an area for the students to crowd around. This can be a virtual campfire or haunted fireplace. You can make a mock fire yourself, or use a cauldron or pumpkin. There are also lots of virtual campfires or fireplaces you can find online. Students will recite their stories, one at a time. Turn off the lights and give the student telling their spooky tale a flashlight to help set the mood.
Leading into National Novel Writing Month in November, turn this activity into a writing contest. Starting on November 1, have each student vote on their favorite scary story from Halloween. Combine the best and most fitting stories together into a classroom anthology series.