As we start getting into the Dark Evil Vortex of Late September, October, and November – more commonly referred to as DEVOLSON – something I like to do in October is so a mini classroom makeover for the last couple of weeks! Obviously, it’s Halloween inspired. But I also try to make it relate to what I’m teaching as well! I’ll share what I use to decorate and what I teach to help combat the slump that comes with the fall.
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Halloween Classroom Decorations
These are some basic Halloween classroom decorations that I like to get – and the best part is all of them are available from Dollar Tree! Cheap and easy – woo!
Spiderwebs
You can never go wrong with the spiderweb that you can put across your wall or blinds!
Skeleton animals
I’ve seen lots of different skeletal animals in Halloween decorations lately – so get yourself an animal or two!
Creepy cloth
I love using this cloth, as I can rip it however I want and it gives a spooky feel to the classroom for our Halloween transformation.
Hanging ghosts
A cute classroom decoration to add for Halloween is hanging ghosts from the ceiling or along your board!
Garland
You can always find garlands to string up around your classroom to put a little extra spookiness into your space too!
Wall murals
For my big areas of wall that are blank, I like to put up wall murals from Dollar Tree to make a big change that students will notice.
Halloween Classroom Decorations: Splurges
If you’re looking for some decorations that you might spend more money on, but use every year, these are my recommendations for you.
Candelabras
While at Michaels before the end of October, I found candelabras with flickering light bulbs for 70% off, plus the teacher discount! Each one was usually $60 and I got two for $20! While I didn’t “splurge” on them, it’s still more expensive than the dollar store decor mentioned above!
Literary decor
This year, Michaels had tons of literary Halloween decor – with Poe, Frankenstein, Headless Horseman, and other famous literary works/authors. My husband had to remind me that I’m starting this school year on maternity leave AND it was all full price still when we went.
Halloween Classroom Decorations: Lessons
Completely changing up the classroom with these Halloween classroom decorations usually gets students so excited about coming to class. To build on this excitement, I like to time the transformation with the start of a unit that relates to Halloween in some way.
As a high school English teacher, I’ve done a few different units to get in the spirit of Halloween.
For my freshmen English class, we did an activity where they created a monster and then we read a short story (Click-Clack the Rattlebag). When it comes to Sophomore English, we explore Edgar Allan Poe, learning about his life and reading a couple of his works. For AP Literature, we read Frankenstein and focus on scary short stories for the whole month – and longer!
Some of my favorite scary short stories:
- Click-Clack the Rattlebag
- The Landlady
- Tell Tale Heart
- Fall of the House of Usher
- The Yellow Wallpaper
- The Veldt
If you’re an elementary school teacher that is looking for some Halloween/fall crafts, check out the ideas of how to celebrate Halloween with these “Not So Spooky Ways” from Stephanie at Stephanie Creates Blank! Or if you’re looking for a haunted house sensory bin with printables, check out this post from Goodnight Fox!
2 Comments
Great Post. Reflecting your creativity. Thanks for sharing