Halloween Word List for Classroom Fun

Halloween words can be a great skill builder for students. You can use this comprehensive Halloween vocabulary word list in your classroom in many ways, including poetry lessons, word walls, word searches, puzzles, Hangman and Bingo games, crafts, worksheets, story starters, creative writing word banks, and a wide variety of elementary lesson plans in almost any subject. The list is alphabetized to make it easier for you to find the specific words you want.

Happy Halloween! Word List

• apples
• autumn
• bats
• black
• bones
• boo
• broom
• cackle
• candy
• cat
• cauldron
• costumes
• creepy
• doorbell
• Dracula
• eerie
• excitement
• fall
• flashlight
• Frankenstein
• frighten
• games
• ghosts
• ghoul
• goblin
• graveyard
• Halloween
• haunted house
• hayride
• hoot
• howl
• jack-o-lantern
• mask
• monster
• moonlight
• mummy
• night
• October
• orange
• owl
• party
• potion
• prank
• pumpkins
• safety
• scare
• shadows
• skeleton
• skull
• spell
• spider
• spirit
• spooky
• sweets
• treat
• trick
• vampire
• warlock
• web
• werewolf
• wigs
• witch
• zombie

Halloween Word List Activities

Word search puzzles: Use a free online puzzle generator to customize appropriate words for your class. If you are looking for online and printable word search puzzles for different age groups, there are many available.

Word walls: Print appropriate words in large letters or write them on boards for all of the students to see. A word wall is a great starting point for a variety of vocabulary lessons and many other activities.

Sight word flashcards: Build vocabulary with flashcards. Add some Halloween words to the mix to make it a seasonal activity. Learning these words will also help students in reading during the Halloween season.

Poem or story writing exercises: Use the word wall or draw Halloween words to include in a story or poem. The holiday tie-in can inspire students and make the activity more fun.

Impromptu speech exercise: Draw one to five words to include in a short speech to give to the class.

Hangman: This game can be a fun time-filler that also can help build vocabulary. Use Halloween words to give it some seasonal spice.

Tips for Using Halloween Words

Craft your own word search puzzles and other word activities with an eye for your school policy. Some faith-based schools frown on the occult aspects of Halloween, or even mentioning the holiday and any of its creepy aspects. Each school has a different level of acceptance for what is deemed appropriate for the community. Familiarize yourself as to the standards of your school before using Halloween words for activities. You may wish to eliminate any words that deal with witches and spells.

Another caution is in using any Halloween words or imagery that conjure violence or death. There is an implied threat with monsters, mummies, vampires, werewolves, and zombies. Check with your school policy to ensure you are within its standards.

Safer words from the list include those featuring owls, pumpkins, costumes, and treats. You may want to look at the Thanksgiving vocabulary word list for more autumn words to use.