Halloween is one of the easiest times of the year to get young learners excited about English. Monsters, pumpkins and candy are instant motivation – the trick is turning that excitement into real speaking, listening, reading and writing. Here are ten activities that work well with beginner ESL/EFL children aged 6–9 (CEFR A1), in class, in small groups or at home.
Tip: before you start, download our free Halloween vocabulary worksheet. It has the 10 key words used in most of these activities.
1. Start with 10 words, not 30
Beginners learn more when they meet a small set of words many times. Choose ten: pumpkin, ghost, witch, bat, spider, vampire, skeleton, zombie, broom, candy. Show a picture, say the word, and have the class repeat it in different voices (whisper, spooky voice, robot voice). Repetition with a twist keeps it fun.
2. Look, listen, say… and tick
Give each child a list of the words with pictures and a small “I can say it!” box next to each one. When they can say a word without help, they tick it. Children love seeing their own progress, and you get a quick picture of who needs more practice.
3. “Point to the bat!”
Stick the ten pictures around the room. Call out a word – the children point (or run) to it as fast as they can. Then let a child be the caller. This is a perfect warm-up and needs zero preparation once the pictures are up.
4. A short Halloween story with a knock-knock
Read a very short story aloud using the same ten words. Every time someone in the story knocks on a door, the children knock on their table – knock, knock! – and every time the ghost appears, they shout “Boo!”. Physical responses help listening and keep everyone engaged. Afterwards, ask simple questions: Who is at the door? What colour is the pumpkin?
5. Halloween bingo with different boards
Bingo is a classic, but give the children different boards so nobody can copy their neighbour. Younger learners use picture boards; older or stronger learners write their own words on a blank grid. For an extra challenge, read a riddle instead of the word (see activity 6).
6. “Who am I?” riddles
Riddles are great for listening and thinking in English. Keep them to three short sentences: I am black. I can fly. I sleep in the day. Who am I? (a bat). Once children know the pattern, they can write their own riddles for classmates. We’ve put together 10 easy Halloween riddles with answers you can use straight away.
7. Roll-a-Monster
Children roll a die four times – once for eyes, mouth, arms/legs and an extra detail – and draw the monster they get. Then they describe it: My monster has three eyes. It has bat wings. It’s a fun way to practise numbers, body parts and “has/have”.
8. Write about your monster
Use sentence frames so beginners can write with confidence: I am ___. I have ___. I can ___. I like ___. I don’t like ___. A word bank with colours, body parts and actions (fly, jump, dance) means every child can produce something they are proud of.
9. Mask parade
Make simple bat or pumpkin masks. Each child wears their mask and introduces themselves: I am a bat. I can fly! It feels like play, but it’s structured speaking practice – and shy children often speak more easily “in character”.
10. Trick-or-treat role-play
Finish with a role-play: one child knocks, says “Trick or treat!”, the other answers “Here you are!” and they swap. Add “Happy Halloween!” and “Thank you!” for polite language practice.
How to turn these into four complete lessons
- Lesson 1 – Vocabulary: activities 1, 2 and 3.
- Lesson 2 – Reading & listening: activities 4 and 6.
- Lesson 3 – Writing: activities 7 and 8.
- Lesson 4 – Games & speaking: activities 5, 9 and 10.
Want everything ready to print?
Boo’s Halloween English Pack includes all of the above as 30 printable A4 pages: vocabulary cards, the knock-knock story with comprehension questions, writing frames, six bingo boards, Roll-a-Monster, masks, an answer key and a Teacher & Parent Toolkit. Instant PDF download.
Use code BOO20 for 20% off until 31 October 2026 – or click here to apply it automatically.
Not ready yet? Start with the free Halloween vocabulary worksheet.