Halloween week brings a special kind of classroom energy! Costumes, candy, and class parties can make it tricky to keep students focused, so I love having an activity that channels that excitement into real learning.
After 20 years in primary classrooms, I know how much young students love a little spooky fun. A haunted house virtual field trip lets your class tour a creepy mansion, then put their ideas into writing, all without leaving the room.
1. Board the Plane for a Spooky Adventure
Every good field trip starts with getting there! Students pack a suitcase for the trip, then watch a short one-minute takeoff video that makes it feel like they are really flying to the haunted house.
This quick hook gets everyone settled and curious before the learning begins. Kids always want to know where they are landing!
2. Tour the Haunted House for Sale
Next, students take a 12-minute video tour of a haunted house that is up for sale. Along the way, you will review the difference between fiction and nonfiction, which leads to some great conversations about what could really happen.
Before the tour, fill out a KWL chart together. Ask students what they already know about haunted houses and what they wonder about. After the tour, come back to the chart to add what they learned.
3. Turn the Tour Into Writing
This is where the fun really shows up on paper. Students imagine they are selling the haunted house and write about why someone should buy it. Would they brag about the cobwebs? The friendly ghost in the attic?
There are 4 writing prompts to choose from, plus sequencing and comprehension questions to check understanding. For extra practice at home, the optional home connection lets students write a fictional letter, a potion recipe, or a story.
4. Add Movement, Math, and a Scavenger Hunt
Young learners need to move, especially during Halloween week! The Halloween FREEZE song gives your class a quick brain break between activities.
You will also find a scavenger hunt, counting practice with objects under 10, and labeling activities. These help mix in a little math and vocabulary while keeping the spooky theme going.
5. Use It Whole Group or Print It
The field trip comes as 30 interactive Google Slides with movable parts, editable text boxes, and directions. You can project it for the whole class or assign it to students.
Prefer paper? Black-and-white, ink-saving writing pages are included for in-person teaching. It also makes a great companion to any Halloween read-aloud.
If you are looking for a no-prep Halloween writing activity your students will be talking about long after the candy is gone, take a look at the Haunted House For Sale Virtual Field Trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is designed for kindergarten through 2nd grade. Students who are not reading yet will need help with the text, or you can complete it together as a whole group.
No. The Google Slides make a copy in your Google Drive, and you can share it through Google Classroom, Zoom, or Meet, or project it for your class. Students working on their own will need a Google account.
Yes! Black-and-white, ink-saving writing pages and a home connection page are included for in-person classrooms.
