Is the Halloween excitement bubbling over in your classroom? Channel that energy into a fun, educational writing activity that your students will love! Oh don’t worry – my Free Halloween Writing Prompts for Kindergarten are super quick and easy to prep. 

In this blog post, I'll guide you through how to use Halloween vocabulary cards as open-ended writing prompts. These prompts not only engage young learners but are also a great way to enrich their language skills. Read on to discover how to grab your very own set of 18 free Halloween vocabulary card writing prompts.

The Struggle with Halloween in the Classroom

For years, I resisted introducing Halloween activities into my classroom. It seemed more like an American celebration and not really related to us here in Australia. I certainly didn’t think it had any significance or connection to Australian classrooms.

However, one year I caved to the growing number of student requests and decided to follow my students' interests. The level of engagement was something I couldn't ignore. From sensory bins filled with spooky slime to intricately designed decorations, my students had so much fun - they couldn't get enough. And it got me thinking—why not channel this enthusiasm into academic learning?

Each year, as the month of October rolls around, I become a little more convinced that Halloween can be a great time to engage the little kids in some fun Halloween writing activities.

The Power of Vocabulary Cards as Writing Prompts

I prefer using vocabulary cards over traditional writing prompts like story starters because they give the students more than just a story title or sentence starter.

Vocabulary cards, word walls and topic mats are all a great addition to a writing center or learning area. They really do play an important part in helping kids learn new words.

These types of resources will encourage your students to talk about their ideas and give a more open-ended starting point for their writing.

Vocabulary Cards and Word Walls are the best writing prompts!

Open-Ended Nature: These cards offer students the freedom to create their own stories without being boxed into a specific narrative or story prompt.

Vocabulary & Oral Language Development: Using vocabulary cards as writing prompts helps children learn new words and integrate them into both their spoken and written language.

Sparking Unexplored Ideas: Vocabulary cards can act as a creative writing prompt. They will give your students ideas that they may not have otherwise thought of.

Help Reluctant Writers: Illustrated vocabulary cards provide a starting point for children who find it difficult to begin writing. The visuals and related words help to make writing less daunting because they offer a concrete idea to latch onto. 

Instead of staring at a blank page, kids have a subject and some handy descriptive words to kick-start their stories or sentences. It turns the overwhelming task of creating something from nothing into a more manageable activity. Vocab cards are one of the best things I have used to help my struggling writers.

Enhancing Writing Quality: Introducing new words through vocabulary cards will assist students in writing more complex stories. Having a detailed word bank to refer to invites students to add depth to their stories.

Increased Engagement: Let's be honest – young kids find it more exciting to choose a visually stimulating card than any traditional sentence starter or story title. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words. These types of cards naturally spark curiosity and engage children right from the start. 

With a captivating image and a few helpful vocabulary words, your students will be more likely to dive into a writing activity with enthusiasm. The image draws them in, and the words guide them along. It just makes the entire writing process a lot more appealing.

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What’s Inside My Halloween Vocabulary Cards Set?

This set of Halloween vocabulary cards features 18 Halloween writing ideas. Plenty of prompt ideas to match your students' interests.  Each card has an engaging, kid-friendly photo that serves as a creative Halloween writing prompt. They are not too scary for young children. I find my students prefer real-life photos because they are relatable and easily recognised. 

Each photo in my Halloween prompt cards has a list of words that my kindergarten and grade one students commonly use in their writing. I used my kids' writing to create the list. The vocab is suitable for first grade students as well as kindergarten. In fact, they could probably be used with kids of all ages. 

These Halloween vocabulary cards will develop oral language, motivate your students, and support their story writing.

The list includes topics like pumpkins, a haunted house, witches, a black cat, a not so scary ghost, Halloween costumes, and much more.

How to Use Vocabulary Cards for Writing Prompts

Using the vocabulary cards is as simple as 1, 2, 3! 

Here's how:

1. Introduce the Cards: Show the cards to your students and discuss the related vocabulary words.

2. Choose a Card: Let each student pick a card that interests them.

3. Time to Write: Encourage the students to use the words on the card in their writing.

I like to follow these steps whenever we have a small group guided writing lesson. It couldn’t be easier. 

We have a writing table permanently set up as part of our play-based learning investigation time. Think of it as a little learning centre. The children are free to use this space to write and draw about topics that interest them. It's their own little space for mark-making.

Our writing table includes all sorts of tools and resources to encourage mark-making. From colourful markers and crayons to various types of paper, it's designed to invite kids to sit down and communicate through writing and drawing.

Adding a Halloween flavour to the writing table is super easy and transforms the space instantly. All you need to do is add some Halloween-themed pencils and paper. I like to include a couple of Halloween-related books for inspiration and some themed posters or wall decals too.

Add some Halloween decorations like pumpkins or ghosts if you want to make it even more festive. You'll have the perfect Halloween writing center.

You'd be surprised how these little touches can capture the children's attention and make writing even more exciting for them during the Halloween season.

Remember, the aim is to use their natural interest in Halloween to motivate them to develop their writing skills. When the environment and resources align with their interests, that's when the magic of play-based learning truly happens.

Get Your Students Creating Their Own Halloween-Themed Books

I have a little secret!

Sometimes it takes a bit more than just prompts to get kids really interested in writing. That's why I like to mix things up and offer them a little project that's hard for them to resist. How do I do it? By inviting them to create their own Halloween-themed books!

The process is pretty straightforward and doesn’t take me much time to prep.

To make these mini-books, I take a folded piece of A4 cardstock and add one of my printed Halloween cover pages to the front. 

Inside, I add a few sheets of blank paper, folded to fit. A couple of staples hold it all together, and voilà—a blank canvas for spooky stories, chilling poems, or Halloween-themed drawings.

These little books not only encourage more mark-making and writing but also give the kids the thrill of seeing their work in a 'real' book format.

What is it that is so appealing about having their Halloween story in a book? I don’t know – but it really ups the engagement factor!

But the fun doesn't stop there. Once the books are complete, we add them to our reading area. The students can share their books with each other. They love reading what their classmates have written. I love the personal touch it adds to our class library too.

If you like this idea and don’t have time to make your own book covers, check out my Halloween Play Center Pack. It has heaps of easy-to-prep and engaging classroom Halloween resources for you. There are so many different ways to include a fun Halloween activity in your classroom. There's sure to be something in this pack that will suit your curriculum.

This play center pack has 6 different Halloween-themed book covers to print and a selection of Halloween writing paper that perfectly complements my free writing prompts. There are heaps of other useful Halloween resources in this pack too. It contains:

• Playdough number mats

• Halloween math games

• Printable Learning prompts

• Procedural Writing activities

• Recording Sheets

Look, I get it! Halloween can be yet another thing to add to your already full teacher plate. Just when you thought you were finally settling into your term 4 classroom routines, Halloween pops up in the shops and all over social media. Before long, your kids are obsessed, and you're scrambling to find a suitable activity.

Halloween is not something I usually plan for. But this year, I got organised with our classroom Halloween celebrations! 

Additional Resources for a Spook-tacular Classroom

I’ve put together a collection of fun activities and created a Halloween Play Centre Pack. It’s designed with busy teachers like you in mind. If you're dreading the thought of having to plan yet another set of themed activities, you’ll love this pack. 

Quick to Prep: This pack is ready to go when you are. No elaborate planning or endless hours of preparation needed.

Simply print, and you're good to go!

Plug and Play: You can effortlessly integrate these activities into your existing investigation areas. Add a little spooky flair without having to reinvent the wheel.

Versatile: Whether you’re looking for small group rotation activities, early finisher tasks, or morning work activities, this pack has something for everyone.

Engaging and Educational: With this pack, you can infuse a bit of spooky fun into your classroom without detracting from its educational value.

So, if you're struggling with how to make Halloween educational yet exciting, check out my Halloween Play Centre Pack! You'll find activities that are not only engaging but also slot effortlessly into your existing setups.

If you are interested in some super fun and engaging play based Halloween this resource has a selection of hands-on activities that your students will love. The best part?

They are educational and super easy to set up!

I know this time of year is hectic so I wanted some simple but effective Halloween-themed activities for my students. Every year Halloween gets more and more popular so if you are wanting to follow your students’ interests like I do, this pack could be just what you are looking for.

Less stress and more engagement? 

Sounds like a Halloween treat to me! 

Conclusion

Channelling all that Halloween excitement into an educational activity is easier than you think. With these vocabulary cards as writing prompts, you're one step closer to embracing the spooky season AND turning it into a learning opportunity.

Don't miss out on the chance to engage your young writers this October. CLICK HERE to sign up for my email teaching tips and discounts and also get access to all the resources in the free Resource Library.

Make this Halloween fun and an academic treat your students will love! 

Who knows, you might even start a Happy Halloween Tradition that you reach for year after year.

I hope my Halloween Writing Prompts can be part of that tradition.

If you like these Halloween Writing Prompts for kindergarten, make sure to help me share them with other teachers.

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