3 Halloween Writing Prompts That Are Scary Good

Confession: I’m a giant scaredy-cat–which is why it’s surprising that I love Halloween writing prompts so. darn. much. There is nothing I hate more than the feeling of being scared. But at the same time, I love scary movies (during the day) and I’ve always had a soft spot for Halloween (mostly the candy and costumes). Perhaps it’s the promise of candy or maybe it’s the chill in the air, but Halloween is my jam. I’m super excited to share with you today about my top 3 favorite Halloween writing prompts that I’ve used in my 1st grade classroom.

(Disclaimer: In the years when I have a student/students who do not celebrate Halloween, I switch to a classwide focus on bats, spiders, and other creepy crawlies. This way, everyone feels included and connected to the topic.)

Halloween Prompts for Your Students

#1: Would you rather meet Frankenstein or a witch?

(If I’m being completely honest, I would rather meet Frankenstein. witches just give me the heebie-jeebies. There’s something about their long noses and pointy hats that just feels off to me. Maybe it’s because I watched The Wizard of Oz a few too many times as a kid.)

I love this question for Halloween prompts for kids because it requires them to think about what they are truly afraid of. Are they afraid of the unknown or of something that they have seen in a movie? This question also allows for some great descriptive writing as kids try to describe why they would or would not want to meet Frankenstein or a witch.

#2: Write a list of things you are afraid of.

Like I mentioned before, when it comes to things that I’m afraid of, there are quite a few. Here’s a list of some of the things that scare me:

-Spiders

-Snakes

-The dark

This is a great discussion question for kids around Halloween. What scares them the most? Is it something that goes bump in the night? Or is it something more innocuous, like clowns? (Yes, some people are actually afraid of clowns!). Whatever it is, talking about our fears can be a great way to connect with others and understand ourselves just a little bit better.

This is not only one of my favorite Halloween writing prompts but a meaningful conversation topic all year round.

Halloween Prompt #3: Write facts about bats.

Listen–it sounds rather basic at first, but trust me. Asking students to list facts about bats is great because it requires them to do some research, but also allows for some creative license. For example, did you know that bats are the only mammal capable of true flight? Or that there are more than 1200 species of bats in the world? In addition, bats are one of the most misunderstood animals. People often think that they are blind, when in fact, they have excellent vision.

Bats are fascinating creatures and learning about them can be a great way to get kids interested in science and tie in the ever-present bat theme during the month of October.

You can get these prompts and a couple more for free by downloading them in my shop.

You can also get an entire pack of October writing prompts here.