How to Celebrate Halloween at School

Halloween can be a fun holiday to celebrate with your students.

The word "Halloween" comes from the Eve of All Hallows (All Hallows Eve), which was originally the New Years Eve of the Celts or the eve of Samhain or "Winter's Eve." It was believed that the spirits of those who died during the previous year would come back to search for living bodies to possess for the next year. Today it is a time for youngsters to dress up and go in search of candy from the neighbors. If you enjoy celebrating Halloween in your classroom there are a few things that you can do to make a memorable one for your students.

Things You'll Need

• Dry ice and cooler
• Water
• Black construction paper
• Halloween sounds CD
• CD player
• Halloween movie or scary story

Instructions

1. Instruct your students to wear their Halloween costumes to school. This way everyone will be involved in the festivities.

2. Decorate the classroom so that it will be suited for a Halloween party. Make the room dark by covering the windows with black construction paper. Do not turn on the light, but instead light the room with battery-operated candles and jack-o-lanterns.

3. Place some dry ice in a cooler and slowly add warm water to it. This will cause a fog to settle on the floor, creating an eerie feeling.

4. Add sound effects inside the classroom. Play Halloween sounds with a CD player. Some suggested sounds are a laughing ghoul, a creaking door and a howling wolf.

5. Tell a scary story or watch a Halloween movie with the kids. Gear the type and level of the film to your students' age.

References

• Family Education: How Schools Celebrate Halloween