Halloween Curriculum

Halloween is a hugely popular holiday observed in the US and other countries around the world. Historically, it was a day dedicated to remembering the dead, but it’s also developed a life of its own and is celebrated with candy, trick or treating, costumes, and fun frights. If you’re wondering how to go about teaching Halloween and its 2,000 years of history to discovering the rich learning opportunities it has to offer, read on for tips and ideas..

See the fact file below for more information on the Halloween Curriculum or alternatively, you can download our 9-page Halloween Curriculum worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Before we start:

• Whatever your religious beliefs, there’s lots to learn about Halloween without compromising them. From a social studies perspective, this can be an exciting and hugely interesting area of study. All elements of Halloween have their own anthropological origins, reasons for belief, and cultural significance.
• The first and most obvious place to start answering questions is with exploring the holiday of Halloween first. This will no-doubt illicit a LOT of questions from curious minds, such as “why do we carve pumpkins”, “what is trick or treat?”, “why do we wear costumes”, and even into “are monsters and ghosts real?”
• In this case, you can use your students as your guide and delve into each topic one by one in a delightful rabbit hole of knowledge discovery.
• Alternatively, you can begin with a broad overview of Halloween, followed by deeper exploration into its Celtic roots and the celebration of Samhain. Then, find the origins of traditions such as trick or treating, as well as some of the popular creatures associated with Halloween such as ghosts, witches, werewolves, vampires, and more.
• When faced with topics like witches or witchcraft, don’t judge a book by its cover, and arm yourself with facts. In our worksheet packs, for example, we look at the history and persecution of innocent women through witch hunts and the religion of Wicca. For mummies, consider exploring Ancient Egyptian beliefs to understand their desire to preserve bodies for the afterlife rather than on the undead part!
• If you’d prefer to steer clear of monsters altogether, there’s still lots to be gained by studying other holidays from different cultures and religions around the world. While avoiding the occult, you can still explore the beliefs of spirits and the afterlife through the Christian All Souls’ Day, and the Mexican Day of the Dead, which are about honoring people who died for their beliefs and celebrating the lives of departed loved ones, respectively.
• Halloween also occurs at a time of year that coincided with the end of the harvest season, making it an ideal time to explore how the Earth and its seasons have influenced human behavior and beliefs. For example, winter is cold and generally associated with death (be it plants or hibernating animals), and so is Halloween, while spring is associated with life, rebirth (Christ’s resurrection), and fertility (rabbits), which is why it’s associated with Easter, and Ostara.
• So what can you do this year to make Halloween that much more educational and fun than just costumes and candy?
• Start by keeping your lessons and activities age-appropriate. Children older than eight or nine years old have good imaginations but are also able to temper it with logic. This makes it a suitable time to introduce the Celtic element of spirits. For younger students, have fun exploring the different kinds of harvest festivals and activities like pumpkin carving.
• Speaking of harvests, it’s a great opportunity for you and your students to create your own harvest festival and to explore the significance of harvests to people around the world. With their involvement in the garden and in the kitchen, it’s also a cheeky opportunity to sneak in some new vegetables!
• Halloween is a wonderful way to take the scariness out of ghosts and make it an opportunity to remember your loved ones. Bring out the photos and tell stories about family from generations ago.
• With all the fun of costumes and decorating associated with Halloween, it’s a perfect opportunity to encourage creativity. Making costumes is an ideal time to send a positive message. Do you want to dress up as a ghost, or as a meaningful figure? It’s not just a chance to geek out, but to find similar geeks or teach non-geeks in your community!
• And then, of course, Halloween is a fun bonding experience for parents and their children, for siblings, friends, and your community as a whole.
• So most of all, no matter which angle you choose to explore Halloween from, know the facts and have fun!

Halloween Curriculum Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Halloween Curriculum across 9 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Halloween Curriculum worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Halloween which is a hugely popular holiday observed in the US and other countries around the world. Historically, it was a day dedicated to remembering the dead, but it’s also developed a life of its own and is celebrated with candy, trick or treating, costumes, and fun frights. If you’re wondering how to go about teaching Halloween and its 2,000 years of history to discovering the rich learning opportunities it has to offer, read on for tips and ideas.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

• Teaching Halloween
• Lesson Plan Template
• Suggested Worksheets

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