Fall & Halloween Archives - Teacher's Brain

5 Fun Apple Activities for September (That You Can Do with What You Have!)

August 22, 2025 teachersbrain Fall & Halloween, fall writing prompts

Fall is one of my favorite times to bring fresh themes into the classroom, and apples are always a hit with young learners. They’re simple, familiar, and so versatile for cross-curricular learning. The best part? You don’t need fancy supplies to make apple activities fun and meaningful. Here are five ideas you can try right away, plus two resources that take your apple theme even further.

🍎 1. Apple Graphing

Bring in a few red, green, and yellow apples (or show pictures if that’s easier). Have students vote for their favorite color and create a simple graph together on chart paper. You can extend this by counting, comparing, and even writing sentences: “More students like red apples than green apples.”

🍏 2. Five Senses Apple Exploration

Slice apples and let students describe what they see, smell, taste, touch, and hear (the crunch!). Record their observations on an anchor chart to build science vocabulary. This activity doubles as a writing prompt: “My apple tastes…”

🍎 3. Apple Art with Paper Shapes

Cut construction paper into red, green, and yellow circles, plus brown rectangles for stems and green ovals for leaves. Students can assemble their own apples and then write a sentence underneath: “My apple is red.” Simple, no prep, and perfect for a bulletin board!

🍏 4. Counting Apple Seeds

Use black beans or small counters as pretend “apple seeds.” Students can practice counting, addition, and subtraction by “adding” seeds to an apple outline or “taking some away.” It’s a quick math center that can be done with laminated templates and dry erase markers.

🍎 5. Apple Stories and Writing

Read a favorite apple book (Ten Apples Up on Top, Apple Trouble!, or Johnny Appleseed). Then invite students to write or draw about apples: “If I had ten apples, I would…” or “Johnny Appleseed planted…” This ties literacy and creativity right into your apple theme.

🍏 Go Even Further with These Ready-to-Use Resources

If you want to extend your apple fun without extra prep, I have two resources that pair perfectly with the activities above:

APPLE Activities, Crafts, Bulletin Board, Math and Literacy JOURNAL – Packed with crafts, writing prompts, math games, and display ideas to turn your apple theme into a whole unit.

Johnny Appleseed Activities Bundle – Celebrate Johnny Appleseed Day with fun crafts, timelines, and literacy tie-ins that make history come alive.

With just a few apples (or some basic supplies), you can create hands-on, engaging activities that your students will love. And with ready-to-use apple resources, you’ll have everything you need to make September both fun and educational! 🍎

For more apple activities, check out my post here all about fun activities to do on Johnny Appleseed Day!

5 Fun and Simple Halloween Party Ideas for Your Elementary Classroom

October 12, 2024 teachersbrain Fall & Halloween, Halloween

Fall is such a magical time in the classroom! The changing leaves, the cool crisp air, and of course, the excitement of Halloween can create the perfect setting for some fun and engaging activities with your students. If you’re looking for Halloween party ideas, you’re in the right place!

Whether you’re planning a classroom Halloween party or just looking for ways to bring the fall festivities into your classroom, these five activities or classroom Halloween party ideas are easy to set up, budget-friendly, and most importantly, fun for your students!

How do you throw a fun Halloween party for kids?

Here are some of my top Halloween activities for kids that you can do for your classroom party or even your fall party in the classroom! These ideas are simple, fun, and you can do them with any elementary classroom!

1. Pumpkin Bowling

Transform your classroom into a mini bowling alley with a fall twist! All you need is a small pumpkin (or a few) and some bowling pins or empty bottles. Students can take turns rolling their pumpkins to knock down the “pins.” You can even have fun prizes for different categories like “Best Strike” or “Most Creative Roll.” It’s a great way to burn off some energy and get students laughing!

2. Scarecrow Dress-Up Relay

This team activity is a crowd favorite! Divide your class into teams, and provide them with old clothes, straw, and other accessories. You can find super inexpensive items at thrift stores or by asking for parent donations. Each team works together to dress one of their members as a scarecrow. Once their “scarecrow” is ready, the team races to a finish line! It’s a hilarious and engaging way to encourage teamwork and creativity. Plus, you’ll get some fantastic photos of your students in their makeshift costumes!

3. Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin

A classic party game with a seasonal twist! Create a large pumpkin poster and cut out orange “noses” for students to pin onto it. Blindfold the students, spin them around, and let them try to stick the nose in the right spot. The sillier, the better! You could even give out small prizes for the closest or funniest placement.

4. Leaf Art Creations

Fall wouldn’t be complete without a little nature exploration. Take your students on a leaf hunt around the school, and then let them use the leaves they collect to create beautiful fall art. They can glue them to paper, make patterns, or even create leaf rubbings with crayons. It’s a simple way to combine art and nature while celebrating the season.

5. Monster Freeze Dance

Turn on some fun Halloween tunes and have a dance party! Every time the music stops, students have to freeze in their silliest monster poses. It’s an easy way to keep the energy high while adding a Halloween spin to a classic favorite. For an added challenge, you could change the pose theme every round: witches, ghosts, or even scarecrows!

These simple activities are sure to make your fall or Halloween classroom party one your students will remember! And if you’re looking to save time and effort in planning your party, I’ve got the perfect solution. Check out my Halloween Party Digital and Print Activities Bundle! This bundle includes everything you need to make your party stress-free and fun, with both print and digital options. From engaging games to interactive activities, it’s all ready to go—just download and print!

Here’s what’s included:

Design a Haunted House for Sale Writing Activity

Make a Jack-o-Lantern Writing Activity

Bat Digital Escape Room

Build a Monster.

Get the Halloween Party Bundle Here!

I hope these ideas make your party planning a breeze so that you can enjoy the spooky season with your students!

What are your favorite things to do for your Halloween parties with your students? Let me know in the comments!

Want more spooky fun?! Check out these five fun Halloween activities for your classroom!

3 Reasons To Use Holiday Escape Rooms

October 28, 2023 teachersbrain Fall & Halloween, Halloween, St. Patrick's Day Ideas, Teacher's Pay Teachers, Winter

Let’s talk about escape rooms!

If you know me, you know that I’m a huge fan of this incredibly engaging and exciting way to teach little learners various concepts. It feels like a game and it’s just, well, fun for teachers and students! What’s not to love?!

If you’re looking for the perfect classroom escape room kit or even a fun digital escape room to use in your classroom, you’re in the right place! But first, let’s discuss some of the many benefits of escape rooms for students.

What skills do escape rooms build? What does an escape room teach?

It Boosts Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving

Escape rooms are like a real-life puzzle that our young learners get to solve together. As they work their way through the challenges and riddles, they’re not just having a blast; they’re also honing their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It’s like a sneak-attack on those important cognitive abilities!

It Fosters Teamwork and Collaboration

Escape rooms are all about teamwork. Our students have to communicate, share ideas, and assign tasks to successfully complete their mission. This experience helps them learn the value of working together and teaches them essential skills for life. Plus, it’s a whole lot of fun in the process!

It Makes Learning an Exciting Adventure

The best part is that escape rooms can sneakily incorporate educational content. Think math, science, history, and language—all cleverly disguised in the form of puzzles and challenges. By turning learning into an adventure, we can keep our students engaged, curious, and excited about learning. It’s like a magic potion for knowledge retention!

With the holidays around the corner, it’s the perfect time to bring in some engaging holiday themed escape rooms to your students! Whether it’s Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, or anything in between, it can be celebrated with a classroom escape room.

Luckily, I have the perfect resource for you! I created an all inclusive Holiday Escape Room bundle that will have you covered for all holidays!

Use these holiday themed Escape Rooms to guarantee student engagement while they learn and solve a classroom mystery. With little prep, your students will work as a team to break into a box, which breaks them out of the classroom as they beat the clock!

What’s inside this download?

6 escape rooms all meeting 1st and 2nd Grade Standards to use for the holidays. Several can be used with 3rd or Kindergarten too!

These escape rooms are focusing on Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Veterans Day, Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day.

What does an escape room look like for primary students?

You will have to spend about 40 minutes to prep your materials. Students will be separated into two groups. First students watch the YouTube video as a hook. Then, students are handed or find a mystery envelope with a clue. The clue might have them find letters to build sentences, solve puzzles, or solve a riddle. (Each escape room is different.)

Each time they complete a challenge, they get another mystery envelope. There are 3 to 4 clues in each activity. Eventually, they will discover keys that will open a box. (The keys are paper. The box can be an old paper box filled with a treat or homework pass that you will open together once each group has their key.)

Once the box is open, the student can escape the room to recess or the library.

Certificates are provided for students who are Master Mystery Problem Solvers. The activity takes about 45-60 minutes to complete!

Check it out here!

Have you tried escape rooms in your classroom? How did it go? Let me know in the comments! For more escape room fun, check out my post here!

5 Fall Activities to Do With Your Elementary Students

September 22, 2023 teachersbrain Fall & Halloween, fall writing prompts, STEM, Teacher's Pay Teachers, Writing

Fall is in the air! Are you ready?

The fall colors and weather are a fantastic backdrop for outdoor exploration. It’s the perfect time to take your students on nature walks, scavenger hunts, and teach them about the changing seasons.

I always loved using this time of year as a chance to explore apples and pumpkins in lessons. These activities not only engage students but also provide opportunities for math, science, and sensory learning. 🍁🍂📚

If you are looking for some fall activities for elementary students, fall activity sheets, or fall worksheets, you are in the right place!

So what are some activities you can do during the fall season?

I have you covered! Here are 5 of my favorite fall themed resources to use this time of year!

If you want more fall fun, check out these free fall printables!

What are your favorite fall activities for the classroom? Let me know in the comments!

Category: Fall & Halloween