halloween creative writing task

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7 writing activities for Halloween

Boo! It’s time to get your scare on: hello, Halloween!

Many of us love to dress up for Halloween, but it’s also the perfect time to go beyond spooky sartorial choices and inspire creativity in the writing classroom.

These 7 spooky writing activities for Halloween will help your students create a creepy tale or two.

The Creepy Castle | Creepy Character Profiles | Through the Keyhole | Picture Writing Prompts | Persuasive Fast Starts Challenge | Spooky Stories | Petrifying Poems

1. The Creepy Castle writing prompt

Perfect for all year levels, this fun writing prompt will provide lots of fun this Halloween. This activity encourages students to use descriptive writing to show rather than tell (Step 5).

Show us what kind of character lives in a castle like this.

What do they love to do?

What is their pet like?

Access the teaching notes for this writing prompt on Teacher Hub!

This resource includes:

• Writing Prompt – The Creepy Castle (Step 5: Show, Don’t Tell )
• five ways to use the writing prompt
• thinking questions
• additional links
• ‘In the Moment’ editable template.

2. Creating Creepy Character Profiles

This activity and template has been extracted from our new Narrative Writing Manual .

For a story to have tension, the writer must create characters with depth that the reader can empathise with.

• Start by discussing characters from familiar spooky stories. What do we know about them? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What makes us care about them?
• As a class, brainstorm a list of possible spooky characters (e.g. a vampire, a mummy, Frankenstein).
• Ask students to form pairs and pick a character from the class list, then brainstorm ideas to create a profile of their chosen character using template below from the Narrative Writing Manual.
• Ask students to write a brief description of their spooky character based on the ideas in the profile. Challenge them to write it in a way that makes the reader want to know more.

Download your free template

3. Through the Keyhole Template

• Ask students to imagine they are looking through a keyhole. Is it a haunted house? A goblin’s grotto? A dungeon?
• Students can use the template to draw what they see, then write about it below. Don’t forget to capture the reader’s attention with a Sizzling Start.

Download the template

4. Picture writing prompts

These eerie and magical images are perfect visual prompts to help your students focus on specific writing skills.

View more free Seven Steps Writing Prompts: Narrative | Persuasive | Informative

Remember to log in to Teacher Hub to gain access to the teaching notes for these Halloween writing prompts including:

• ‘In The Moment’ graphic organiser to help students writing more descriptive
• related media links.

5. Persuasive Fast Starts Challenge

This is one of the best ways to increase your students’ engagement and bring the fun into your writing lessons.

• Trick-or-treating is dangerous
• Ghosts do exist
• Vampires vs werewolves
• Halloween is better than Christmas
• Being scared is fun
• Set a 60 second timer – try this one .
• Students write a Sizzling Start for each topic. After going through each topic, every student should have 5 different Sizzling Starts.
• Ask students to share their favourite Sizzling Start in groups of 3–4. This will help them generate more ideas, develop concepts and learn from each other.

New to the Seven Steps? Try the Sizzling Starts Transformation Challenge – it has all the resources you need to learn, teach, apply and assess Step 2: Sizzling Starts.

6. Spooky Stories

Using random words as the basis for a story is a great way to spark students’ creativity.

• As a class, watch the spooky story in the following video (watch from 1:30 to 2:20):

• Get each student to write a word they associate with spooky stories on a strip of paper.
• Place the strips of paper into a hat.
• Ask each student to pull a strip of paper from the hat.
• Get students to form groups of three and work together to write their own spooky story based on their words.

For example: attic, moon, bat.

‘She pushed open the attic door. It made a long, high-pitched creaking sound. She slowly tiptoed into the  darkroom and tried the light switch. No luck. Something rustled in the corner of the room, disturbed by her entrance.

‘I hope it’s a mouse,’ she shuddered.

The moon shone its faint light through the small window. Slowly, a shadow began to appear: large wings, a pointed head. A bat, bigger than any ordinary bat.’

7. Petrifying poems

The poems in the following videos are a a great example of Step 5: Show Don’t Tell. Watch the video as a class then get your students to create their own Show, Don’t Tell poetry.

For younger students:

One dark night, in the middle of the day….

For older students:

The vampire by conrad aiken.

The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe

Want to continue improving your students’ poetry writing?

• Blog: ‘Instructions’ – A poem by Neil Gaiman  may help students think a little differently about writing a poem.
• Action Activity & writing samples: Teaching Poetry with the Seven Steps
• Story Graphs – Poe ms

On-demand PD, classroom-ready resources and time-saving planning tools all in one place.

Home » Ideas » 64 Best Halloween Writing Prompts (& Story Ideas)

64 Best Halloween Writing Prompts (& Story Ideas)

Halloween has increased in popularity with many countries around the world celebrating, although the dates and names for the celebration may vary. In the United States, Halloween celebrations occur on October 31. Latin American countries celebrate the Day of the Dead for three days from October 31 to November 2. Wherever you live, one of the major components of this celebration is a concentration upon skulls, skeletons, and things unexpected, unusual, and scary.

Table of Contents

Active imaginations find it fun to share their thoughts and experiences in writing. However, it can be difficult coming up with an original idea. Our Halloween writing prompts are designed to get you started. In this article, you will find Halloween writing ideas, then some categorized story ideas. Next we have some Halloween story prompts that begin the story for you. If you like something really scary, we have creepy writing prompts. The article ends with Halloween writing activities suitable for families and classrooms; things to do that involve unique writing opportunities. Have fun and create something memorable related to this popular holiday.

Halloween Writing Ideas

Sometimes all you need is a quick idea to kick-start your writing. Our Halloween writing ideas are designed to do just that. We have included scary, funny, and both the expected and unexpected. You are sure to find the perfect idea to get your story started.

• Weird new neighbours with a secret
• A doll or stuffed animal that is alive
• Waking up sealed in a wall, in a coffin, or in an electric chair
• A terrifying dark place, such as a basement, attic, or cellar
• Walking alone in a graveyard
• Waking up in a room with no doors, windows – no way to get out
• Fear of and contact with spiders or snakes
• Scary clowns chasing someone
• A door that appears in a wall that leads to another world
• Waking up with no eyes, or nose, or mouth
• The discovery that a family member is a serial killer
• A repetitive scary noise without any apparent source
• Objects suddenly flying off surfaces and crashing on the floor
• A Halloween pumpkin or scarecrow coming alive
• Opening the door to the scariest costume ever
• Being lost in the woods at night and something following you
• Waking up in an insane asylum with a straight jacket on
• Finding out you had a close relative you knew nothing about that was insane
• Garden gnomes and other cement decorations of people and animals come alive
• A mannequin in a department store that is alive
• Making the mistake of stealing from witches
• Neighbours suddenly start dropping dead for no apparent reason
• A glance in the mirror reveals fangs and a hairy face
• Waking up in your bed and seeing the floor covered with snakes
• Dating someone you discover is not human
• Losing any knowledge of who you are or where you live
• Your car breaking down in the middle of nowhere or the most dangerous part of town

Halloween Story Ideas

Sometimes you just need one good idea to get started on the perfect story. In this section, we give you Halloween story ideas to help you start writing with ease and creativity.

• Halloween is known as the one time of year when people can dress up and become whatever they wish. Write a story cantered on this tradition. Ideas include: A costume that cannot be taken off. Someone you think is wearing a costume, but it is really their appearance (scarred, fangs, etc.). Costumes in a store that come alive.
• Certain creatures are associate with Halloween. Choose one of them to write a story about, such as: A black cat following you and continually crossing your path. Cloning a beloved family member or pet. A demonic pet. Abused animals in a pet store escape and take their revenge.
• Death and everything associated with the dead and undead are frequent themes of Halloween stories. Consider the following ideas: A murdered child rises from his grave to get revenge. Visiting a relative and finding out later they were already dead when you did so. At a funeral, the deceased rises up and accuses someone present murder.
• There are some interesting facts associate with the Halloween celebration. Use one of them to write a story, such as one about: A special tradition your family includes in your Halloween celebration. The origins of Halloween. Celebration of Halloween in another country, i.e. the Day of the Dead in Latin American countries.

Halloween Story Prompts

A story writing prompt is a brief passage of text that gives you a starting point for an original story. The first part of the story gives you just enough to picture the setting and characters. From there, you write your original story. The following Halloween story prompts could take several directions and become either a scary, humorous, or intriguing piece of writing.

• The doorbell rang. It was late, but there were other lights on in the neighbourhood still. A wild party raged next door; the cops had already come by once to warn them to keep it down. Maybe they were asking if she had made the call. Or maybe it was a Trick or Treater hitting one last house before heading home. She grabbed the bowl of candy, opened the door, and screamed because . . .
• He could not find their cat, Missy. The stupid animal had not eaten her dinner. In fact, he realized she hadn’t eaten for the last three days. He hadn’t wanted a cat, but his daughter had begged for a pet. At least she chose a full grown one, not a kitten that needed house breaking. He hadn’t meant to kick her so hard the other day. He was just showing her out of the way with his foot. He was on the back porch when he heard a noise behind him and saw the claws just before . . .
• He turned the page of the book. Chapter one had been pretty exciting. Interesting. There was a blank page before chapter two. He turned the page again and saw the spot of blood on the page and realized . . .
• She loved gardening and her new house faced the way she had hoped. She could sit on the front porch and watch the sun come up and, in the evening, the back patio gave her a view of sundown. She gardens were neglected, but with just a bit of work, she would have them looking awesome in no time. She headed to the far bed that lay in the shadow of a big tree and was not visible from the road. Funny, there was a pile of clothes in the corner by the fence. She carefully lifted the corner with her hand trowel and saw . . .
• She almost didn’t see the girl on the side of the road until she turned the corner and her headlights picked up her silhouette. Luckily the road was wide enough there was no danger of hitting her. The rain had soaked her witch’s costume and she looked miserable. She never picked up hitchhikers, but this rural environment was non-threatening, and she was a girl, and it was raining. She slowed, rolled down the window, and asked, “Can I give you a ride into town?” The girl turned, and to her horror, she saw . . .

Creepy Writing Prompts

Halloween is associated with frightful beings and happenings. We have collected some creepy writing prompts to help you find the perfect scary story. Four of them are relatively long. Then we share a list of creepy short writing prompts. Are you brave enough to read them?

• The first time I heard the voice, I thought it was part of the lyrics on a new song on the radio. But when I heard, “I see you,” in the kitchen and then in the shower, I knew something or someone was speaking in that awful, creepy voice. I decided to . . .
• Sonja stretched and sat up in bed. She was excited about today, because it was her birthday. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and opened them to see him standing at the foot of her bed. “Are you excited about our birthday, today, sister?” She screamed for her parents because she had no brother. However, her parents . . .
• They had waited so long to have their own home. The apartment had been so small and in a bad part of town. They were careful to check the crime rate in the new neighbourhood, thinking that might be the reason the house was on the market so long and at such a good price. It needed some work – minor cosmetic changes mainly. It wasn’t until they moved in that the neighbours told them the history of the house. A horrible . . .
• I was so excited to inherit my grandmother’s doll collection. I played with the dolls for hours when I visited her house as a small child and she knew how much I loved them. It took a few days to unpack them because I washed all of their clothes, redressed them, and made sure their hair was perfect before setting the ten dolls on a special shelf in my living room. The next day, I thought they were in different locations. But it took a week to discover . . .
• I was taking a shower, when I heard the door open and saw the shadow of . . .
• The little girl was home alone, heard laughter and headed downstairs, only to discover . . .
• We were on a road trip when we stopped in the small, dark, town where we . . .
• I answered the phone, heard a scream, and then heard my own voice say . . .
• Every morning when I looked in the mirror, there was something different and I couldn’t . . .
• I had to walk home alone, and the only way was through the cemetery, where . . .
• I had loved that dog and burying it in the back yard kept it close. However, I did not expect . . .
• Was it my imagination or did my ivy house plant’s tendrils keep growing toward me when . . .

Halloween Writing Activities

Sometimes what one needs is an activity related to Halloween; something to do with the kids or family related to Halloween. Our Halloween writing activities include some drawing and other activities associated with the holiday. However, they all have writing as a component. You’ll have a great deal of fun and have something to share with others.

• Carve a jack-o-lantern and create a story for it.
• Write up a detailed description of a haunted house with the type of rooms, inhabitants, noises, smells – everything you can think of to make it scary.
• Draw a corn maze. Then write up the instructions for getting out if someone gets lost.
• Think about all the Halloween costumes you have worn in the past, write a description of your two favourites, and tell why they were the best ones.
• Write up directions for making a Halloween costume from recycled materials and other things you have in your home.
• Create a Halloween poem. Use words related to Halloween, such as black, cats, bats, witch, scary.
• Make up and write down a recipe for a witches’ brew that can be used to cast a spell. Think about and use unusual items related to Halloween, such as the hair of a black cat.
• Write out plans for a Halloween party including decorations, food, activities, and costume suggestions. You might even want to build your party around a specific Halloween theme, such as goblins and ghosts.
• Write up real estate listings for haunted houses. You must mention that the house is haunted, but convince prospective buyers that they really want to live in a haunted house.
• Write a Halloween acrostic poem. Write a Halloween associated word down the left side of the page and start each line with that word.
• Write and post on-line an opinion piece about Halloween. Should trick-or-treating have an age limit? Is it dangerous in all neighbourhoods? What costumes are appropriate for what age? Which is better, store bought or homemade costumes?
• Create a fictional social media profile for a monster or a character from a scary book or movie. Try to make the individual you choose sound like a normal, misunderstood individual with issues. For example, the Mummy is just shy and doesn’t want anyone to see his face.
• Write a list of safety rules for Halloween . Think about trick -or-treating, costume safety, and party attending.
• Write a description and invitations for a monster’s wedding or funeral. Include descriptions of flowers, clothing, and those in attendance.
• Write an alternative ending to your favourite Halloween book or movie. You might want to give it a humorous or romantic ending.
• Write up some interview questions for your favourite scary character. Then use the questions to ask a friend or relative who pretends to be that character. Make sure you write down their answers.

Halloween story telling remains part Halloween celebrations, especially with children and teens. Whether you are a teacher seeking suggestions, an author looking for ideas, or simply someone who likes to tell a good story, our Halloween writing prompts will get you started writing something to increase the enjoyment of this annual celebration. Start writing!

Susan majored in English with a double minor in Humanities and Business at Arizona State University and earned a Master’s degree in Educational Administration from Liberty University. She taught grades four through twelve in both public and private schools. Subjects included English, U.S. and world history and geography, math, earth and physical science, Bible, information technologies, and creative writing.

Susan has been freelance writing for over ten years, during which time she has written and edited books, newspaper articles, biographies, book reviews, guidelines, neighborhood descriptions for realtors, Power Point presentations, resumes, and numerous other projects.

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15 Haunted Halloween Writing Prompts

by Abigail Perry and Ruthanne Reid | 10 comments

BOO! Halloween is right around the corner—what better day to write some spooky stories? Sharpen your pencil and take a stab at one of these Halloween writing prompts !

Scary Stories Connect With Readers in Big Ways

You write to get a reaction out of your readers. No matter the genre, you want your reader to feel  something when they read your writing.

For horror writers, that feeling is fear. But it's also so much more.

Great horror stories take the everyday creepy and turn it into something even  more  creepy (and often become a condemnation of injustices in society). The great thing is, horror stories teach you that those creepy things can be beaten. That's what keeps bringing the readers back.

And that's why horror writers keep churning out the fear.

Maybe you love writing scary stories. Maybe you don't, but I hope you'll give it a try, just for practice (we're fans of that around here!).

Just like reading outside your genre is valuable to mastering the writing craft, so is writing a scary story .

This story doesn't have to be long, it could be a short story . Try for something you can write in one sitting, like 1,500 words.

To get you started, use one of the Halloween writing prompts suggested in this article. Then let loose, and have fun!

Creepy Story Writing Prompts

1. It's late at night, and you hear footsteps in the cellar, but you're definitely home alone…or so you thought.

2. You've put that doll in the cabinet, in the closet, in the attic, but no matter where you tuck it, it always shows back up on the sofa. On Halloween night, you find it watching you…

3. A bad-tempered businessman is driving home after a long day of work. He thinks he sees his kids trick-or-treating and stops to pick them up but those aren't costumes.

4. It's Halloween night and you and your friends think it would be fun to visit the local town's annual corn maze. But when you're inside it, someone inside the maze doesn't look like an actor in a costume. And shortly after, your friends start to disappear one by one.

5. You don't believe in the rumors that say a certain scary book is cursed—and that anyone who reads it will meet their maker by the end of the week. So naturally, you read it. And then things start going wrong…

Monster/Ghost Story Writing Prompts

6. A young woman goes to her grandmother's house for tea on Halloween night. They have a wonderful time together, sharing stories, joy, and the best times of family. The next day, the woman learns her grandmother has been dead for a week and no one could get ahold of her to tell her.

7. A little boy is lost in the woods, but at least his faithful dog is with him. As they look for the way out, the dog defends his master against terrifying monsters and animals. But the closer they get to the escaping the dark forest, the more apparent it is that they'll need to face the person, or thing, releasing these monsters in the first place.

8. A farmer who dreams of being a scientist experiments on this year's pumpkins, hoping to enlarge them. He has a lot of success, until one of his potions is tampered with, and the cute pumpkin in his patch morphs into a monster that eats anyone who stumbles over its vines.

9. Your girlfriend/boyfriend brings over your favorite treat on Halloween, but when you eat it, you transform into a giant, poisonous snake that kills anyone who touches you. What do you do next?

10. You wake up on Halloween night, look outside your window, and see your sister sleep walking away from the house. You chase after her but can't catch her until she plunges into a dark lake, where there's a mysterious song that starts to pull you deep below the surface.

Not-So-Spooky Story Writing Prompts

Not all people love scary stories. If this is you but you'd like to try to write a scary story—and have a fun time writing it—try tackling a (not-so) scary story prompt that could turn a potentially scary tale into something that is fun (even funny):

11. You hate clowns, which makes it even worse when your husband secretly decides to hire a clown for you son's birthday party—which just happens to be on Halloween.

12. Aliens have just landed on Earth and boy, did they pick a weird day to come. How do they respond to Halloween, supernatural or otherwise? Do they decide this place is just too bizarre and get the heck out, or do they stick around and join in the fun?

13. On Halloween night, lovers get to come back and spend the evening together one more time. One couple from the Roaring Twenties decides to come back from the grave to help their extreme nerd great-grandchild or the kid will never get married.

14. You decide that this year you're going to crash the ten top costume parties in town—and prank each one while you're at it.

15. A mad scientist determined to destroy the world falls hopelessly in love with a not-so-wicked witch. As hard as he tries, he can't impress her.

Write Your Spooky Stories

Writing a scary story can be a fun exercise to give your students (regardless of age, elementary students to college graduates) around this time of year. It also can stir some exciting writing ideas in  any  writer, whether or not they're part of an entire class or their personal writing group.

As mentioned above, writing scary stories can also push you to better your creative writing skills, even if it's not normally in your genre lane. Bestselling author Neil Gaiman has some great insight about  why  this is true:

Fairy tales are more than true: Not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.

You don't have to love horror stories to write one, but you will learn about protagonists who face trialing, often life or death, situations when writing them. Challenge students or writers to become better at their writing craft by pushing them to write a short scary story with one of the writing prompts in this article.

Sit down with your favorite candy or flavor of candy corn and get ready to write. Pluck it from the list, and let your imagination free!

What is your favorite Halloween writing prompt from this list?   Why did it stand out to you?  Let us know in the comments .

Abigail Perry

Abigail Perry is a Certified Story Grid Editor with professional teaching, literary agency, and film production experience. In addition to writing Story Grid masterwork guides, she works as a freelance editor and is the Content Editor for The Write Practice. Abigail loves stories that put women and diverse groups at the center of the story—and others that include superpowers and magic. Her favorite genres include: Smart Book Club Fiction, Women's Fiction, YA Fantasy, Historical Fiction, and unique memoirs. She also has a B.S. in TV, Radio, and Film and loves working on screenplays that are emotionally driven and/or full of action. You can learn more about Abigail on her website.

Ruthanne Reid

Best-Selling author Ruthanne Reid has led a convention panel on world-building, taught courses on plot and character development, and was keynote speaker for The Write Practice 2021 Spring Retreat.

Author of two series with five books and fifty short stories, Ruthanne has lived in her head since childhood, when she wrote her first story about a pony princess and a genocidal snake-kingdom, using up her mom’s red typewriter ribbon.

When she isn’t reading, writing, or reading about writing, Ruthanne enjoys old cartoons with her husband and two cats, and dreams of living on an island beach far, far away.

P.S. Red is still her favorite color.

10 Comments

“Damn, I hate those busy bodies. Auditors, they call themselves. Pains in the ass is what they are.” said Joe aloud to no one who could hear. The radio blasted the nightly news and told a grisly story about three kids poisoned by bad candy. Joe, shaking his head from side to side and mumbling,

“For crying-out-loud. They’re just kids. Who in their right mind would do that to kids?”

The traffic became lighter and Joe took the off ramp to his street. As he drove toward his house, he saw his children walking down the sidewalk trick or treating. After hearing the news about the poisoning, he wanted his kids to go home. He stopped the car and walked over to them.

“Jeremy, Julian, why are you out here alone. Your mother was supposed to wait until I got home?”

He stood over the children waiting for an answer. When none came, he grabbed an arm, one child in each hand, and marched them to the car. He opened the back door and demanded they get in.

“In the car. Don’t stand there, get in… I’ve had a rough day, keep this up and you’ll get a Halloween to remember.”

Jeremy, the cutest little goblin, turned to Joe, jumped on top of him, opened his enormous mouth, and swallowed Joe whole. Julian, danced around Jeremy singing

“Remember, remember, a Halloween to remember, A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all fall down”

To the children passing by, the song sounded familiar. They started to sing,

“Ring-a-round the rosie, A pocket full of posies, Hush! Hush! Hush! Hush! We’ve all tumbled down.”

William – I enjoyed your story. Nicely developed in such a short span.

Great lead-in to the story as a way to introduce taking his kids home. One suggestion in the first paragraph … not sure you need “from side to side” after “shaking his head”, and you could modify it to ” Joe, shaking his head, mumbled, …” or “Joe shook his head and mumbled, …”

While it could be viewed as too abrupt (I didn’t think so), I love how Jeremy “the cutest little goblin” got right down to business and “jumped on top of [Joe], opened his enormous mouth, and swallowed Joe whole”, with Julian dancing and singing along. Those two lines plus Julian’s clever integration of “Remember, remember, a Halloween to remember” made for a ghoulishly delightful twist.

Thanks for the Halloween treat.

– Susan

Thanks Susan. I already made the change (Joe, shaking his head, mumbled). It reads much better. William

Hi thanks for writing this story it gave my students some ideas to write about since halloween is coming up

Thanks for the Halloween treat, Ruthanne. Great prompts.

I love prompt #4 with the grandma, I was devastated when my grammy died…. this will be good to write about.

Harold Saggerbob loves Halloween. Has his very own Pumpkin Club. But while the ‘pumpkins’ on his shelf, might be round, they are certainly not orange. And every Halloween, several kids disappear near his home…

It’s not really creepy but I tried it with my characters. English isn’t my first language so if you see any mistake, please let me know:

“Aymeric was eating alone in the kitchen. He didn’t have much appetite and spent more time looking at the dark sky through the window than eating. He sighed. He wished he had company. But that wouldn’t happen. Rose was back to his home and was probably already sleeping – flowers go to sleep with the sun, after all. The sky was covered in dark clouds so thick he couldn’t even see the Moon – and it was definitely up somewhere. He could feel it. It felt as if he had a knot in his throat. He covered his plate and put it in the fridge. He would eat it later, when he’d be hungrier. Suddenly, he stilled. He had heard footsteps. He closed the fridge slowly, careful not to make any noise. It wasn’t some kind of rodent. They were scared of lycanthropes. And Aymeric was able to recognize footsteps from rodents. With a hearing like his, no one could fool him. He put his fork and his knife in the sink, shrugging. It wasn’t as if the intruder could mess with his stuff unnoticed, anyway. What bothered him was that he didn’t heard the intruder enter. It was definitely strange. He didn’t know what or who it was but he’d better be careful. He grabbed a dagger and followed the noise. It definitely came from the cellar. He barged in there, determined to end all this quickly. The moon was rising and waxing, anyway, so he shouldn’t have any problem dealing with whoever it was. What he saw still surprised him. A tiny body in the middle of the room. Thick wavy blond hair, long ears, big grey eyes. Aymeric recognized the child immediately. When the little elf saw him, he rushed into his arms. “Hey, what’s wrong, champion?” He didn’t expect the kid to reply. The elf only hugged him tightly. Aymeric could feel his relief and his fear. The ability they had to travel between spaces and times was really something he couldn’t get used to…”

Noah was waking up. He had been knocked down while he was chased by a group of teens. It was Halloween. Noah left his home with Oscar his dog. He headed to park across the street where his friends were waiting for him for trick or treating around the neighborhood. As they got treats from the third house Noah and his friends headed for the next house. Suddenly a huge dark figure appeared and almost grabbed one of Noah’s friends. The group was actually chased by teenage boys who looked hideous beasts in their costumes. Noah and his friends were dispersed. Some managed to stick together, some made it back home. Noah lost the sense of direction and was running for a while now. Suddenly he stumbled and tripped over. He knocked his head hard on something and passed out. After he got up he could see dark figures with blazing eyes staring down at him. Noah jumped to his feet and fled into the woods that were the only easy hideout he could access fast. Oscar was behind him growling and barking at the dark figures that followed them into the woods. As he went farther it got more and more dark. The only thing that kept him going was Oscar who was right behind him keeping the dark figures at a distance. Noah saw bushes and managed to hide within. Oscar had stopped barking now and there was a deadly silence. Noah was panting and was trying to calm down. He was about to lie down when he saw a huge hand trying to grab him from within the bushes. Noah screamed in panic when Oscar jumped in between just in time to save him. Noah was running fast when suddenly he saw light piercing through the darkness. He ran towards the light fast. When he came near he couldn’t believe his eyes. The sun shone bright and there were beautiful flowers and trees. Far away he could see children playing. He quickly entered the garden as he had no better choice to escape the dark figures. Oscar slowly paced back and ran all the way home where Noah’s parents were mourning his death.

great Helloween

http://www.emetechnologies.com/industrial-training-in-chandigarh/6-months-android-app-development-in-chandigarh-&-mohali.php

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100 Best Halloween Writing Prompts to Boost Your Creativity

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Table of Contents

A list of the best journal prompts for Halloween

With Halloween right around the corner, I couldn’t help but get into the spirit of the season by creating a blog post about the best Halloween writing prompts.

Halloween isn’t just about dressing up in spooky costumes or munching on candy (though those are definitely highlights!).

It’s also a perfect time to ignite our creativity and delve into some bone-chilling Halloween writing prompts that not only give us a good scare but also help us grow as individuals.

So, grab your favorite pumpkin-spiced drink, cozy up with a blanket, and let’s dive into some Halloween-themed journal prompts that’ll send shivers down your spine and spark some serious personal growth!

This post may contain affiliate links. That is, if you click on a link and buy something I recommend, I will receive a small compensation at no additional cost to you.

Halloween journal prompts about the holiday in general

• Reflect on your favorite childhood Halloween memories.
• Describe your ideal Halloween costume and why it appeals to you.
• Write about a spooky encounter you’ve had on Halloween night.
• Discuss your thoughts on the origins of Halloween and its significance.
• How do you typically celebrate Halloween? Describe your traditions.
• Write a letter to someone you’ve lost, sharing memories of past Halloweens together.
• Explore the symbolism of pumpkins and jack-o’-lanterns in Halloween folklore.
• Discuss your feelings about haunted houses and whether you’ve ever visited one.
• Describe your favorite Halloween movie or book and why it resonates with you.
• Write about a Halloween party you attended and the memorable moments from it.
• Share your thoughts on the commercialization of Halloween in today’s society.
• Describe the scariest costume you’ve ever worn and the reaction it received.
• Reflect on the role of fear in Halloween and how it impacts your experiences.
• Write a spooky poem inspired by the atmosphere of Halloween night.
• Discuss your superstitions or beliefs surrounding Halloween and the supernatural.
• Describe a Halloween-themed dream you’ve had and its significance to you.
• Share your favorite Halloween recipes or treats and why you enjoy them.
• Reflect on the changing traditions of Halloween over the years and how they’ve evolved.
• Write about a Halloween prank you’ve pulled or experienced firsthand.
• Explore the cultural differences in how Halloween is celebrated around the world.
• Discuss your opinions on the controversy surrounding cultural appropriation in Halloween costumes.
• Describe a spooky urban legend or ghost story associated with Halloween.
• Reflect on the role of community and camaraderie in Halloween festivities.
• Write about a Halloween-themed adventure you’d love to experience someday.
• Share your hopes and aspirations for future Halloweens and how you’d like to celebrate them.

Spooky or creepy Halloween writing ideas

• A group of friends accidentally summons a malevolent spirit during a Halloween seance.
• A trick-or-treater discovers that the house they’re visiting is actually inhabited by monsters.
• A haunted mirror reveals unsettling truths about anyone who gazes into it on Halloween night.
• An ancient curse is unleashed upon a small town during its annual Halloween festival.
• A mysterious stranger offers children candy that has sinister consequences.
• A group of teenagers explores an abandoned asylum on Halloween, only to uncover its dark secrets.
• A child’s imaginary friend turns out to be a ghost seeking vengeance on Halloween.
• A family moves into a new house and discovers a hidden room filled with cursed objects.
• A young girl receives a cursed doll as a Halloween gift and must find a way to break the curse.
• A creature lurks in the cornfields on Halloween night, preying on unsuspecting trick-or-treaters.
• A Halloween carnival is revealed to be a front for a coven of witches performing dark rituals.
• A teenager discovers that their town’s Halloween parade is a cover for a supernatural gathering.

• A family inherits a mansion haunted by the ghosts of its former inhabitants, who died under mysterious circumstances on Halloween.
• A group of friends becomes trapped in a cursed maze while exploring a cornfield on Halloween night.
• A trick-or-treater stumbles upon a portal to another dimension hidden in a pumpkin patch.
• A cursed costume transforms its wearer into a monstrous creature on Halloween.
• A ghostly figure appears at a Halloween party, seeking revenge for a long-forgotten betrayal.
• A cursed book of spells falls into the wrong hands, leading to disastrous consequences on Halloween.
• A child discovers that their town’s Halloween decorations are alive and plotting something sinister.
• A mysterious fog descends upon a town on Halloween night, bringing with it creatures from another realm.
• A vengeful spirit seeks to possess the body of a trick-or-treater on Halloween.
• A group of friends summons a demon while playing with a Ouija board on Halloween.
• A cursed carnival ride traps its passengers in a nightmarish alternate reality on Halloween.
• A family’s Halloween pumpkin comes to life and wreaks havoc on their neighborhood.
• A child’s shadow takes on a life of its own on Halloween night, leading them into a world of darkness.

Halloween-themed writing topics that take place in the fall

• Write about a group of friends exploring a mysterious abandoned mansion on a chilly fall evening.
• Write about a pumpkin carving contest in a small town, where the winner’s creation comes to life.
• Write about a family’s tradition of visiting a haunted corn maze every Halloween season.
• Write about a young witch-in-training who must complete a series of challenges before Halloween night.
• Write about a secret Halloween party held in an enchanted forest, attended by magical creatures.
• Write about a town where the leaves turn blood-red every fall, signaling the return of a vengeful spirit.
• Write about a haunted hayride that takes unsuspecting passengers on a journey through the afterlife.
• Write about a mysterious fog that descends upon a town, trapping residents in a time loop on Halloween.
• Write about a pumpkin patch where the pumpkins come to life and wreak havoc on the town.
• Write about a Halloween carnival where the games are rigged by ghosts seeking revenge.
• Write about a family’s tradition of telling ghost stories around the campfire on Halloween night.
• Write about a small town where the residents transform into werewolves under the full moon on Halloween.

• Write about a group of teenagers who accidentally summon a demon while performing a Halloween ritual.
• Write about a cursed painting that brings misfortune to anyone who gazes upon it during the fall season.
• Write about a town where the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest on Halloween night.
• Write about a pumpkin farmer who discovers a portal to another dimension hidden in their field.
• Write about a ghostly figure that haunts a local cemetery, searching for closure from a past life.
• Write about a family of witches who must defend their home from dark forces on Halloween.
• Write about a Halloween parade where the floats come to life and wreak havoc on the town.
• Write about a group of trick-or-treaters who stumble upon a hidden underground city inhabited by monsters.
• Write about a cursed forest where the trees come alive and snatch unsuspecting travelers on Halloween.
• Write about a haunted amusement park where the rides are operated by ghosts on Halloween night.
• Write about a town where the residents transform into their costumes at midnight on Halloween.
• Write about a cursed mask that grants its wearer supernatural powers but comes with a deadly price.
• Write about a town where the ghosts of past Halloween celebrations return to wreak havoc on the living.

Monster/ghost story writing prompts

• Write about a family moving into a haunted house and discovering the tragic history of its former inhabitants.
• Write about a group of friends encountering a shape-shifting creature while camping in the woods.
• Write about a cursed mirror that reflects the darkest desires of anyone who gazes into it.
• Write about a ghostly apparition haunting a lighthouse, warning sailors of impending danger.
• Write about a werewolf hunter tracking down a pack of werewolves terrorizing a small town.
• Write about a child’s imaginary friend turning out to be a ghost seeking companionship.
• Write about a scientist experimenting with reanimation and accidentally creating a monster.
• Write about a cursed book of spells that brings misfortune to anyone who reads from it.
• Write about a haunted doll that comes to life and terrorizes its owner.
• Write about a vampire hunter facing off against a powerful vampire lord.
• Write about a group of explorers stumbling upon a hidden graveyard inhabited by vengeful spirits.
• Write about a creature lurking in the shadows of a small town, preying on unsuspecting victims.
• Write about a haunted carnival where the attractions come to life after dark.
• Write about a family inheriting a cursed mansion and uncovering its dark secrets.
• Write about a group of friends investigating a series of mysterious disappearances in their neighborhood.
• Write about a ghost ship appearing off the coast every Halloween, signaling impending doom.
• Write about a cursed painting that brings death to anyone who possesses it.
• Write about a creature from folklore coming to life and terrorizing a rural community.
• Write about a haunted asylum where the spirits of former patients seek revenge on the living.
• Write about a group of paranormal investigators exploring a haunted house on Halloween night.
• Write about a cursed artifact that brings about the downfall of anyone who possesses it.
• Write about a ghostly figure haunting a theater, seeking closure for a past tragedy.
• Write about a town plagued by a series of mysterious murders, with suspicion falling on a supernatural entity.
• Write about a creature living in the depths of a lake, emerging to prey on unsuspecting swimmers.
• Write about a cursed forest where the trees come alive and trap anyone who enters.

What are Halloween writing prompts, and why should I use them?

Imagine yourself on a cozy autumn evening, wrapped in a blanket with a cup of hot cocoa in hand.

Outside, the leaves rustle in the cool breeze, and you’re sitting at your desk with a blank page before you, waiting to be filled with words.

Now, why should you even consider delving into Halloween writing prompts, you might ask? Well, let me paint you a picture.

These prompts are like keys that unlock hidden chambers within your mind —chambers filled with stories waiting to be told.

They’re not just about crafting spooky tales (although that’s certainly part of the fun!), but they’re also about pushing the boundaries of your creativity.

Each prompt is a challenge, an invitation to explore new ideas and stretch your imagination beyond its usual limits. And there’s something incredibly liberating about facing your fears through the medium of writing.

It’s a safe space where you can confront the things that scare you most, whether they’re ghosts, monsters, or deeper, more personal fears.

By putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), you’re not only telling a story but also engaging in an act of self-discovery and growth .

So, whether you’re a seasoned writer looking for a new challenge or someone who’s never written a story before, Halloween writing prompts offer a gateway to a world of creativity and personal exploration.

They’re an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone, to embrace the unknown, and to emerge on the other side with a deeper understanding of yourself and your craft .

Will you use any of these Halloween writing prompts?

I consider myself an expert when it comes to positive affirmations, journaling, and inspirational quotes. My blog is all about spreading good vibes and helping you feel awesome! I’ve got loads of cool stuff for you to explore, like uplifting affirmations that can boost your confidence, fun journal prompts to spark your creativity, and inspiring quotes to motivate you every day. Let’s embark on this amazing journey together as we discover more about ourselves, uncover our hidden strengths, and create a life that’s full of happiness and success.

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Halloween Writing Prompts and Activities for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade

Need some low prep Halloween writing activities, prompts, and ideas for your 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade classroom?

Halloween covers a variety of topics - from bats, to jack-o-lanterns, to monsters, to spooky stories, to candy, and more.  No matter what your upper elementary students need, one of the 9 Halloween writing prompt ideas below is bound to work for your classroom.

9 Halloween Writing Prompt Ideas

1. halloween from the point of view of a jack-o'-lantern.

It's always fun to have students practice point of view through writing!

Have students write a narrative that considers what a jack-o'-lantern might be experience on Halloween.  Have students think about:

• What unusual things the jack-o'-lantern might see, smell and hear?
• How might a jack-0'lantern describe humans?
• What might a jack-o'lantern think about Halloween?

Let your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students' creative juices flow!

2. A No Prep Monster Descriptive Activity

This Halloween writing activity is always a favorite!

Have students secretly draw a picture of a monster and write a matching description.  Then, display all of the monster drawings while students read their descriptions to the class.  If students have included plenty of details in their writing, then the class should be able to figure out which monster is theirs!

For a no prep, scaffolded version that walks students through the entire writing process, check out this Monster Descriptive Activity Resource.  

Stick with the theme with these other fun monster reading and writing activities.  

3. Candy Corn Opinion Writing

4. Write a Halloween Squiggle Story

If you haven't ever tried squiggle stories with your upper elementary students, Halloween is a great time to try.

To write a squiggle story, give students a sheet of paper with a random squiggle on it.  Have them create a Halloween drawing that incorporates that squiggle.  Then, they write a short story based on their drawing.

This no prep resource includes plenty of squiggles and "prompts"   to help direct students writing.  And best of all, it can be used all year, not just for Halloween.

5. Make an Edible Spider How - To Writing

Food makes everything more fun!  As a class, make an edible spider together.  Then, have students write a how to paper that gives instructions on how to make that spider.

This edible spider is made chocolate donuts and pretzels, while this one uses Oreos and licorice.  

This is a fun option for schools or students that do not celebrate holidays or Halloween.

6. Use These Free October Themed Writing Prompts

This Halloween freebie includes 24 October themed questions that can be used as team building discussion questions or as writing prompts.

While not all of the questions are directly related to Halloween, they are related to October themes.  Some of these questions make good alternatives for students or classrooms that do not celebrate holidays.

7. Compare and Contrast Hallowen and Dia de los Muertos

Instead of focusing on Halloween, spend a little class time on Día de los Muertos.  You could read a book like Pablo Remembers the Fiesta of the Day of the Dead or teach a   more comprehensive lesson like this one.

Once students have been introduced to Día de los Muertos, they can compare and contrast the two holidays. Using paragraphs frames to help scaffold compare and contrast writing like this can be very helpful.

8. Write a Halloween Poem

Sometimes the idea of writing poetry can feel overwhelming.  But Halloween can make for fun inspiration.

You could keep it simple, and have students write a short couplet - 2 lines that rhyme.

This is also a great opportunity to have students write a Halloween haiku.  Writing haiku will require students to have a basic understanding of haiku.  (This no prep haiku resource can help with that.) Since haiku are short and structured, however, even your more hesitant writers will be eager to write.

Dana Kessler, a 2nd-5th grade teacher, has her students use scary paintings as inspiration for their poetry.  You could use paintings like The Scream or The Abbey in the Oakwood.

Check out these examples of haiku that you can include in your poetry lessons.

9. A Fun Halloween Writing Prompt

Looking for more ideas?  Check out these Halloween freebies for reading, math, and just for fun!

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66 Halloween Writing Prompts for Middle School: Spooky Fun for Everyone!

By: Author Valerie Forgeard

Posted on September 13, 2022

Categories Creativity , Education , Inspiration , Storytelling , Writing

It’s that time of year again when the leaves change color, the days get shorter, and pumpkins appear on doorsteps. Yes, it’s almost Halloween! This is a great time for students to get creative and have fun writing. We’ve put together a list of spooky writing prompts for middle school students that will get their imaginations flowing. Whether they are writing essays or stories, or journaling about their thoughts and feelings, these prompts will surely provide some Halloween fun!

Halloween Writing Prompts for Persuasive Writing

An opinion writing prompt is a great way to get your students to think critically about a topic. They can be used in any genre and are especially helpful if you want to teach your students how to write persuasively.

• What does Halloween mean to you?
• Why do we celebrate Halloween? What message does it send to society, and what does it say about our values and beliefs?
• Do you think Halloween is scary or fun? Why do you think that?
• Why do you love or dislike Halloween?
• How would you describe Halloween night?
• What’re some of the best things about Halloween activities? What’re some things that are annoying about Halloween activities? Why do you think these things are good or bad?
• What would make this year’s Halloween the best?
• Do you think it’s good when people dress up as vampires, werewolves, and witches for Halloween? Why or why not?
• How do you think people should dress up for Halloween parties and events like this one night a year where everyone has fun (or is scared) with their costumes, makeup, masks, or whatever else they wear? Do these rules apply even if someone doesn’t have a chance to dress up because they don’t have any money left after buying all the presents/pumpkins/etc.?
• What do you like least about Halloween? And why?
• What’s the best part about being in middle school in October? Why is it so great during this time of year? Or do you think October will be better when you’ll be in high school?
• Do you think Halloween is too commercialized these days? Why or why not?
• If you could give one piece of advice on celebrating Halloween this year, what would it be?
• Do you like to get spooky on Halloween, or are you more of a party person?
• Should schools celebrate Halloween? Why or why not?
• Do you think it’s okay for adults to dress up like children on Halloween night? Why or why not?

Reactivate Memories With Halloween Writing

Memories make us who we’re today and how we act in the future. Writing about the past can help story starters learn from their mistakes, celebrate their successes, and get an idea of where they’ve been, so they know where they want to go next (e.g., better prepare for high school).

Halloween writing prompts will help your students reflect on their past and inspire them to write.

• Write about your first experience with Halloween
• Write about your favorite Halloween memory.
• What’s the scariest thing that happened to you on Halloween?
• Write about something that scared you as a child but doesn’t scare you anymore. Do you’ve any Halloween superstitions? What’re they, and how do they affect how you celebrate the vacation (if at all)?
• Write about the scariest thing that happened to you.
• Describe how you were once scared of something that turned out to be harmless.
• Write about something that happened to you last year on Halloween.
• Write about someone who taught you to be brave on Halloween or in general! What did that person say or do? How did it help you?
• Write about an event where you were afraid of something that wasn’t real.
• Write about the scariest thing that happened to someone else.

Improve Their Writing Skills by Getting Them to Describe

Description is one of the most important parts of writing. It creates a picture in the reader’s mind and helps them connect with what the author is saying.

• Write about your favorite Halloween costume during childhood.
• Write about what you’re going to go as for Halloween this year.
• What’re your plans for Halloween this year? Describe how you plan your celebration.
• What’re your favorite scary stories you’ve heard at school or around the neighborhood? Can you remember any specific details that stuck with you today?
• What’s your favorite Halloween movie?
• Who’s your favorite character in a horror movie?
• Write down what scares you the most and why.
• Write down what would scare your parents if they knew and what wouldn’t scare them, and why those two things are different.
• Describe your favorite Halloween candy.
• What’s your favorite thing to wear on Halloween? And why?
• What kind of costumes do you like to wear on Halloween? Why this type of costume?
• Describe your worst Halloween costume ever.
• What’s the most unusual costume you’ve seen at a costume party or on Halloween night?
• Write about someone creepy, but not in a bad way (e.g., a neighbor).
• Write a poem about your favorite vacation tradition.

Fun Writing Prompts for Creative Writing

Halloween is the perfect time to spark your kids’ Halloween creative writing activity. Whether you’re having a fun costume party or just getting ready to go trick-or-treating, here are a few October writing prompts to help your kids use their imaginations and explore the world of fantasy:

How would you answer if someone dressed as a witch asked for directions?

• What do you think it would be like to be a ghost?
• If you could be a ghost on Halloween, what would you do?
• If you could create your monster, what would it look like?
• If you could fly on a magic broomstick, where would you fly?
• If you could have a superpower, what would it be? And why?
• Write a story about a haunted house.
• If you were stuck in a haunted house, who’d you call for help?
• Write a story about a child who’s afraid of the dark, but then something happens that changes that fear.
• Write a story about two children who go trick-or-treating and see a ghost.
• Write a story about a ghost that’s not scary but sweet and kind.
• Write about a ghost that’s bored of haunting.
• If you could talk to a ghost, what would you say?
• How do you imagine a Halloween party when you’ll be in high school? How will Halloween fun differ from middle school?
• Write about one thing that would never scare you.
• What would happen if you opened a door and found yourself face to face with a monster?
• If Halloween was celebrated in the summer, would it be different?
• Imagine celebrating Halloween on the moon; how would that feel?
• Who’d it be and why if you could pick one person to spend Halloween with?
• Where would it be and why if you could pick any place to spend Halloween?
• If you could pick the date for Halloween, when would it be and why?
• Do you believe in ghosts or other supernatural beings? Why or why not?
• If you could change one part of Halloween, what would it be? How would you change it?
• Write a short story about a vampire who wants to become human again.
• Where would you go if you were invisible?
• Who’d you choose if a superhero could save you from ghosts on Halloween?

Create a Context

To inspire your middle school students to write around a creative writing prompt, you should create a context before giving them the assignment to work on.

Here are a few ideas for this task:

• First, ask them what kind of short story they’d like to write. This will help you figure out if you need to adapt the prompt you give them or if it’s too general for their tastes.
• Point out to them that this is a fantasy story, not a real-life scary story – this will help them focus on the elements of storytelling rather than what happens in real life.
• Give them a setting: where’s the Halloween story set? Who’s there? Is there anything unusual about the place? What do they see when they look around? What do they smell? Etcetera…
• Then give them something happening: What’re the characters doing right now? What’re they talking about? Are they having fun together, or are they arguing? How do they feel about each other right now? Etcetera…
• Finally, ask your students questions about their characters: Who’re these people? Why are they here today? What do they want most in life right now?

Use Pictures or Short Videos

You can help your students write Halloween-themed stories by using additional materials:

• Use pictures or short videos to get them into your fall writing prompts. A picture is worth a thousand words – the trick is to use it to get your students in the Halloween mood and spark their creativity during the Halloween writing activity!
• Ask them to describe what they see in the picture or video. If someone says, “I see a girl with long brown hair,” have them describe what kind of girl they see (tall, short), what color her hair is (dark brown), etc. Then have them add more details (she’s pigtails) or ask another question (she’s wearing a purple sweater).
• Ask children to describe the characters in the Halloween story and their feelings about those characters using words from their class vocabulary list (e.g., friendly, mean). This will teach them how to use language effectively and improve their writing skills at the same time!

Halloween Writing Prompts for Kids

Halloween is coming, and what better way to scare off the ghosts and creepy crawlies than to show off fangtastic creative writing skills?

Our Halloween writing prompts will inspire your child to write spooktacular poems, recipes, short stories, and much more:

• Write an acrostic poem with the word SPOOKY. The first line will start with a word that begins with S. The second will start with a word that begins with P, next O and so on. Keep writing these lines until you spell SPOOKY.
• Write a spooky recipe for a witch’s brew!
• You’re throwing a Halloween party! Write a list of Halloween-themed supplies you may need.
• Do you like reading scary books or watching scary movies? Why or why not?
• In your opinion, what’s the best Halloween treat? Why is it your favorite?
• Are you dressing up in a Halloween costume this year? If so, what character are you dressing up as, and why?
• Your family takes you to a corn maze to celebrate Halloween and you get lost! Write a story about how you manage to find your way out.
• A group of giant goblins are trying to break into your house! What happens next?
• If you could dress up as any Night Zookeeper character, who would you pick and why?
• What’s your favorite Halloween night activity? Do you usually go trick-or-treating or stay in and enjoy a scary film with your family? 🍿
• Draw a picture of your perfect haunted house! Then write a paragraph describing it.
• Write a spooky poem , all about Halloween! Make sure to use the word “haunted”.
• Do you like to go trick-or-treating? Do you go with your friends, family, or both? Describe your yearly trick-or-treating routine.
• Imagine the jack-o-lantern you just carved started speaking! What does it say?
• Write a spooky story about a black cat that has been created by a mad scientist to defeat their scariest creation - Frankenstein!
• Imagine that you met a friendly ghost. Write what this ghost’s name is, what they look like and why they are friendly!
• Write a Halloween story mentioning as many common Halloween costumes as you can.
• Journal prompt: Imagine you're a friendly ghost for a day! Describe this ghostly day in your journal.
• Story starter: As I watched the huge spaceship land in my backyard, I knew I was in for an out-of-this-world adventure!
• Write a scary story about a magical broomstick that can fly on its own.

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• Picture Writing Prompts

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7 Quick Halloween Creative Writing Prompts

The teachhub team.

• October 23, 2016

Halloween is a favorite among students of all ages. Whether you want to take a few minutes to have students “quick-write” or spend 20-30 minutes writing in-depth responses, these easy-to-use writing prompts will encourage your students to be creative. While all of the writing prompts are easy to incorporate independently, some can be used in collaboration with a story or novel that you are reading in class.

Halloween Writing Prompts

• If you could create your very own monster, what would it look like? What would it be called? What types of things would it do to scare people? Where does the monster live? Tell me everything there is to know about your monster. If you want, draw a picture of the monster.
• Do you love trick-or-treating? Dressing up in costumes? Haunted houses? Costume parties? Halloween games? Halloween decorations? Scary movies? Write a poem about your favorite part of Halloween, sharing why it is special to you.
• Write a story about a kid who goes trick-or-treating. Start from the minute he or she puts on his or her costume and finish when he or she gets home and puts on normal clothes again. Tell me everything that happens.
• If we had a Halloween party in class, what would you want to see? Should we decorate the classroom? How would we do that? What types of food and activities would we have? What costumes would you want to see?
• What was the best Halloween you ever had? What made it great? What would make this Halloween even better than that?
• Write a spooky story to tell around the campfire. Remember, you want to build suspense using onomatopoeia and alliteration. Don’t forget to have a big finale to frighten everyone who is listening.
• If you could design a haunted house, what would you name it? What types of rooms would you have? Describe, in detail, three of the best rooms in your haunted house.

Have fun with these Halloween-themed writing prompts. Your students definitely will!

• #Halloween , #WritingPrompts

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Halloween Creative Writing Prompt #1: The Haunted House

Learners practice their creative writing with this suspenseful, Halloween-themed writing prompt about a visit to a haunted house! Using the prompt to inspire them, writers will draft a creative story that includes interesting characters, a plot with a clear conflict and resolution, and descriptive language to bring the setting and events to life. Designed for fourth through eighth graders, this worksheet is the perfect way to get in the Halloween spirit while honing and developing fiction writing and storytelling skills.

Be sure to check out the other worksheets in this series for additional prompts and inspiration: Halloween Creative Writing Prompt #2: The Trick-or-Treat Tale and Halloween Creative Writing Prompt #3: The Enchanting Costume !

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Halloween Creative Writing Prompts - 4th and 5th Grade

Updated:  18 Sep 2023

Develop narrative writing skills this Halloween season with a set of printable Halloween writing prompts for 4th graders and 5th graders.

Editable:  Google Slides

Non-Editable:  PDF

Pages:  1 Page

• Curriculum Curriculum:  CCSS, TEKS

Grades:  3 - 5

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Unleash Your Students’ Imagination With Halloween Story Starters!

Are you ready to take your students on a spellbinding journey into the world of narrative writing? Imagine young minds weaving tales of magic and mystery, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Dive into the story of a ghostly roommate, a mysterious whisper, a spooky abandoned house, or a trip to a strange pumpkin patch. This narrative writing resource pack is here to transform your students into real authors!

Spooky and Creative Writing Prompts for Kids:

In this resource pack, students will write one of four stories designed to bring about that creepy Halloween spirit. This worksheet includes creative story starters such as

• Last week, I got lost on my walk home from school. I tried a new shortcut, but I ended up near the cemetery two streets away from my house. After figuring out where I was, I walked the two blocks home and went inside to rest. As I lay on my bed, I heard a strange sound and realised something else had come home with me. A cemetery ghost had followed me home, and now he was moving in! I jumped up from my bed and …
• As I watched the abandoned house at the end of the street, I noticed eerie shadows dancing in the moonlight. There was something in there, and I had to investigate. I crept outside and went right up to the house. I peeked in a window and saw nothing, so I tried the doorknob. The knob turned, and the door opened with a creak, so I stepped inside. Suddenly, …

These story starters make perfect Halloween writing activities because they drop the student into the story right in the middle of the action. They don’t have to worry about making up a character, developing the setting, or any of the hard stuff. They simply pick up where the story leaves off and let their imagination take it from there!

We have also included additional lined paper for students whose stories extend beyond the boundaries of a single page.

To download your new resource, use the dropdown arrow on the Download button to select the printable PDF or Editable Google Slides resource file.

This resource was created by Lisamarie Del Valle, a teacher in Florida and Teach Starter collaborator.

Find Even More Short Story Prompts for Writing Lessons

Discover more ways to (pumpkin) spice up your writing lessons. Take a moment to browse through these activities before you go.

[resource:4849115]   [resource:5002041]   [resource:2676222]

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• Writing Activities

105 Creative Writing Exercises To Get You Writing Again

You know that feeling when you just don’t feel like writing? Sometimes you can’t even get a word down on paper. It’s the most frustrating thing ever to a writer, especially when you’re working towards a deadline. The good news is that we have a list of 105 creative writing exercises to help you get motivated and start writing again!

What are creative writing exercises?

Creative writing exercises are short writing activities (normally around 10 minutes) designed to get you writing. The goal of these exercises is to give you the motivation to put words onto a blank paper. These words don’t need to be logical or meaningful, neither do they need to be grammatically correct or spelt correctly. The whole idea is to just get you writing something, anything. The end result of these quick creative writing exercises is normally a series of notes, bullet points or ramblings that you can, later on, use as inspiration for a bigger piece of writing such as a story or a poem. 

Good creative writing exercises are short, quick and easy to complete. You shouldn’t need to think too much about your style of writing or how imaginative your notes are. Just write anything that comes to mind, and you’ll be on the road to improving your creative writing skills and beating writer’s block . 

Use the generator below to get a random creative writing exercise idea:

List of 105+ Creative Writing Exercises

Here are over 105 creative writing exercises to give your brain a workout and help those creative juices flow again:

• Set a timer for 60 seconds. Now write down as many words or phrases that come to mind at that moment.
• Pick any colour you like. Now start your sentence with this colour. For example, Orange, the colour of my favourite top. 
• Open a book or dictionary on a random page. Pick a random word. You can close your eyes and slowly move your finger across the page. Now, write a paragraph with this random word in it. You can even use an online dictionary to get random words:

• Create your own alphabet picture book or list. It can be A to Z of animals, food, monsters or anything else you like!
• Using only the sense of smell, describe where you are right now.
• Take a snack break. While eating your snack write down the exact taste of that food. The goal of this creative writing exercise is to make your readers savour this food as well.
• Pick a random object in your room and write a short paragraph from its point of view. For example, how does your pencil feel? What if your lamp had feelings?
• Describe your dream house. Where would you live one day? Is it huge or tiny? 
• Pick two different TV shows, movies or books that you like. Now swap the main character. What if Supergirl was in Twilight? What if SpongeBob SquarePants was in The Flash? Write a short scene using this character swap as inspiration.
• What’s your favourite video game? Write at least 10 tips for playing this game.
• Pick your favourite hobby or sport. Now pretend an alien has just landed on Earth and you need to teach it this hobby or sport. Write at least ten tips on how you would teach this alien.
• Use a random image generator and write a paragraph about the first picture you see.

• Write a letter to your favourite celebrity or character. What inspires you most about them? Can you think of a memorable moment where this person’s life affected yours? We have this helpful guide on writing a letter to your best friend for extra inspiration.
• Write down at least 10 benefits of writing. This can help motivate you and beat writer’s block.
• Complete this sentence in 10 different ways: Patrick waited for the school bus and…
• Pick up a random book from your bookshelf and go to page 9. Find the ninth sentence on that page. Use this sentence as a story starter.
• Create a character profile based on all the traits that you hate. It might help to list down all the traits first and then work on describing the character.
• What is the scariest or most dangerous situation you have ever been in? Why was this situation scary? How did you cope at that moment?
• Pretend that you’re a chat show host and you’re interviewing your favourite celebrity. Write down the script for this conversation.
• Using extreme detail, write down what you have been doing for the past one hour today. Think about your thoughts, feelings and actions during this time.
• Make a list of potential character names for your next story. You can use a fantasy name generator to help you.
• Describe a futuristic setting. What do you think the world would look like in 100 years time?
• Think about a recent argument you had with someone. Would you change anything about it? How would you resolve an argument in the future?
• Describe a fantasy world. What kind of creatures live in this world? What is the climate like? What everyday challenges would a typical citizen of this world face? You can use this fantasy world name generator for inspiration.
• At the flip of a switch, you turn into a dragon. What kind of dragon would you be? Describe your appearance, special abilities, likes and dislikes. You can use a dragon name generator to give yourself a cool dragon name.
• Pick your favourite book or a famous story. Now change the point of view. For example, you could rewrite the fairytale , Cinderella. This time around, Prince Charming could be the main character. What do you think Prince Charming was doing, while Cinderella was cleaning the floors and getting ready for the ball?
• Pick a random writing prompt and use it to write a short story. Check out this collection of over 300 writing prompts for kids to inspire you. 
• Write a shopping list for a famous character in history. Imagine if you were Albert Einstein’s assistant, what kind of things would he shop for on a weekly basis?
• Create a fake advertisement poster for a random object that is near you right now. Your goal is to convince the reader to buy this object from you.
• What is the worst (or most annoying) sound that you can imagine? Describe this sound in great detail, so your reader can understand the pain you feel when hearing this sound.
• What is your favourite song at the moment? Pick one line from this song and describe a moment in your life that relates to this line.
•  You’re hosting an imaginary dinner party at your house. Create a list of people you would invite, and some party invites. Think about the theme of the dinner party, the food you will serve and entertainment for the evening. 
• You are waiting to see your dentist in the waiting room. Write down every thought you are having at this moment in time. 
• Make a list of your greatest fears. Try to think of at least three fears. Now write a short story about a character who is forced to confront one of these fears. 
• Create a ‘Wanted’ poster for a famous villain of your choice. Think about the crimes they have committed, and the reward you will give for having them caught. 
• Imagine you are a journalist for the ‘Imagine Forest Times’ newspaper. Your task is to get an exclusive interview with the most famous villain of all time. Pick a villain of your choice and interview them for your newspaper article. What questions would you ask them, and what would their responses be?
•  In a school playground, you see the school bully hurting a new kid. Write three short stories, one from each perspective in this scenario (The bully, the witness and the kid getting bullied).
• You just won $10 million dollars. What would you spend this money on?
• Pick a random animal, and research at least five interesting facts about this animal. Write a short story centred around one of these interesting facts. 
• Pick a global issue that you are passionate about. This could be climate change, black lives matters, women’s rights etc. Now create a campaign poster for this global issue. 
• Write an acrostic poem about an object near you right now (or even your own name). You could use a poetry idea generator to inspire you.
• Imagine you are the head chef of a 5-star restaurant. Recently the business has slowed down. Your task is to come up with a brand-new menu to excite customers. Watch this video prompt on YouTube to inspire you.
• What is your favourite food of all time? Imagine if this piece of food was alive, what would it say to you?
• If life was one big musical, what would you be singing about right now? Write the lyrics of your song. 
• Create and describe the most ultimate villain of all time. What would their traits be? What would their past look like? Will they have any positive traits?
• Complete this sentence in at least 10 different ways: Every time I look out of the window, I…
• You have just made it into the local newspaper, but what for? Write down at least five potential newspaper headlines . Here’s an example, Local Boy Survives a Deadly Illness.
• If you were a witch or a wizard, what would your specialist area be and why? You might want to use a Harry Potter name generator or a witch name generator for inspiration.
• What is your favourite thing to do on a Saturday night? Write a short story centred around this activity. 
• Your main character has just received the following items: A highlighter, a red cap, a teddy bear and a fork. What would your character do with these items? Can you write a story using these items? 
• Create a timeline of your own life, from birth to this current moment. Think about the key events in your life, such as birthdays, graduations, weddings and so on. After you have done this, you can pick one key event from your life to write a story about. 
• Think of a famous book or movie you like. Rewrite a scene from this book or movie, where the main character is an outsider. They watch the key events play out, but have no role in the story. What would their actions be? How would they react?
• Three very different characters have just won the lottery. Write a script for each character, as they reveal the big news to their best friend.  
• Write a day in the life story of three different characters. How does each character start their day? What do they do throughout the day? And how does their day end?
•  Write about the worst experience in your life so far. Think about a time when you were most upset or angry and describe it. 
• Imagine you’ve found a time machine in your house. What year would you travel to and why?
• Describe your own superhero. Think about their appearance, special abilities and their superhero name. Will they have a secret identity? Who is their number one enemy?
• What is your favourite country in the world? Research five fun facts about this country and use one to write a short story. 
• Set yourself at least three writing goals. This could be a good way to motivate yourself to write every day. For example, one goal might be to write at least 150 words a day. 
• Create a character description based on the one fact, three fiction rule. Think about one fact or truth about yourself. And then add in three fictional or fantasy elements. For example, your character could be the same age as you in real life, this is your one fact. And the three fictional elements could be they have the ability to fly, talk in over 100 different languages and have green skin. 
• Describe the perfect person. What traits would they have? Think about their appearance, their interests and their dislikes. 
• Keep a daily journal or diary. This is a great way to keep writing every day. There are lots of things you can write about in your journal, such as you can write about the ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ of your day. Think about anything that inspired you or anything that upset you, or just write anything that comes to mind at the moment. 
• Write a book review or a movie review. If you’re lost for inspiration, just watch a random movie or read any book that you can find. Then write a critical review on it. Think about the best parts of the book/movie and the worst parts. How would you improve the book or movie?
• Write down a conversation between yourself. You can imagine talking to your younger self or future self (i.e. in 10 years’ time). What would you tell them? Are there any lessons you learned or warnings you need to give? Maybe you could talk about what your life is like now and compare it to their life?
• Try writing some quick flash fiction stories . Flash fiction is normally around 500 words long, so try to stay within this limit.
• Write a six-word story about something that happened to you today or yesterday. A six-word story is basically an entire story told in just six words. Take for example: “Another football game ruined by me.” or “A dog’s painting sold for millions.” – Six-word stories are similar to writing newspaper headlines. The goal is to summarise your story in just six words. 
• The most common monsters or creatures used in stories include vampires, werewolves , dragons, the bigfoot, sirens and the loch-ness monster. In a battle of intelligence, who do you think will win and why?
• Think about an important event in your life that has happened so far, such as a birthday or the birth of a new sibling. Now using the 5 W’s and 1 H technique describe this event in great detail. The 5 W’s include: What, Who, Where, Why, When and the 1 H is: How. Ask yourself questions about the event, such as what exactly happened on that day? Who was there? Why was this event important? When and where did it happen? And finally, how did it make you feel?
• Pretend to be someone else. Think about someone important in your life. Now put yourself into their shoes, and write a day in the life story about being them. What do you think they do on a daily basis? What situations would they encounter? How would they feel?
• Complete this sentence in at least 10 different ways: I remember…
• Write about your dream holiday. Where would you go? Who would you go with? And what kind of activities would you do?
• Which one item in your house do you use the most? Is it the television, computer, mobile phone, the sofa or the microwave? Now write a story of how this item was invented. You might want to do some research online and use these ideas to build up your story. 
• In exactly 100 words, describe your bedroom. Try not to go over or under this word limit.
• Make a top ten list of your favourite animals. Based on this list create your own animal fact file, where you provide fun facts about each animal in your list.
• What is your favourite scene from a book or a movie? Write down this scene. Now rewrite the scene in a different genre, such as horror, comedy, drama etc.
•  Change the main character of a story you recently read into a villain. For example, you could take a popular fairytale such as Jack and the Beanstalk, but this time re-write the story to make Jack the villain of the tale.
• Complete the following sentence in at least 10 different ways: Do you ever wonder…
• What does your name mean? Research the meaning of your own name, or a name that interests you. Then use this as inspiration for your next story. For example, the name ‘Marty’ means “Servant Of Mars, God Of War”. This could make a good concept for a sci-fi story.
• Make a list of three different types of heroes (or main characters) for potential future stories.
• If someone gave you $10 dollars, what would you spend it on and why?
• Describe the world’s most boring character in at least 100 words. 
• What is the biggest problem in the world today, and how can you help fix this issue?
• Create your own travel brochure for your hometown. Think about why tourists might want to visit your hometown. What is your town’s history? What kind of activities can you do? You could even research some interesting facts. 
• Make a list of all your favourite moments or memories in your life. Now pick one to write a short story about.
• Describe the scariest and ugliest monster you can imagine. You could even draw a picture of this monster with your description.
• Write seven haikus, one for each colour of the rainbow. That’s red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. 
• Imagine you are at the supermarket. Write down at least three funny scenarios that could happen to you at the supermarket. Use one for your next short story. 
• Imagine your main character is at home staring at a photograph. Write the saddest scene possible. Your goal is to make your reader cry when reading this scene. 
• What is happiness? In at least 150 words describe the feeling of happiness. You could use examples from your own life of when you felt happy.
• Think of a recent nightmare you had and write down everything you can remember. Use this nightmare as inspiration for your next story.
• Keep a dream journal. Every time you wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning you can quickly jot down things that you remember from your dreams. These notes can then be used as inspiration for a short story. 
• Your main character is having a really bad day. Describe this bad day and the series of events they experience. What’s the worst thing that could happen to your character?
• You find a box on your doorstep. You open this box and see the most amazing thing ever. Describe this amazing thing to your readers.
• Make a list of at least five possible settings or locations for future stories. Remember to describe each setting in detail.
• Think of something new you recently learned. Write this down. Now write a short story where your main character also learns the same thing.
• Describe the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen in your whole life. Your goal is to amaze your readers with its beauty. 
• Make a list of things that make you happy or cheer you up. Try to think of at least five ideas. Now imagine living in a world where all these things were banned or against the law. Use this as inspiration for your next story.
• Would you rather be rich and alone or poor and very popular? Write a story based on the lives of these two characters. 
• Imagine your main character is a Librarian. Write down at least three dark secrets they might have. Remember, the best secrets are always unexpected.
• There’s a history behind everything. Describe the history of your house. How and when was your house built? Think about the land it was built on and the people that may have lived here long before you.
• Imagine that you are the king or queen of a beautiful kingdom. Describe your kingdom in great detail. What kind of rules would you have? Would you be a kind ruler or an evil ruler of the kingdom?
• Make a wish list of at least three objects you wish you owned right now. Now use these three items in your next story. At least one of them must be the main prop in the story.
• Using nothing but the sense of taste, describe a nice Sunday afternoon at your house. Remember you can’t use your other senses (i.e see, hear, smell or touch) in this description. 
• What’s the worst pain you felt in your life? Describe this pain in great detail, so your readers can also feel it.
• If you were lost on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere, what three must-have things would you pack and why?
• Particpate in online writing challenges or contests. Here at Imagine Forest, we offer daily writing challenges with a new prompt added every day to inspire you. Check out our challenges section in the menu.

Do you have any more fun creative writing exercises to share? Let us know in the comments below!

Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.

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Creative Writing Scary Mystery Story Prompts

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

14 November 2023

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20 spooky Key Stage 2 (KS2) or early KS3 imaginative / creative writing story starters cards, featuring high quality photo prompts, vocabulary banks with descriptive words, prompt questions and more. Ideal to inspire horror or mystery stories with spooky setting descriptions for Halloween in October or use them throughout the year (as there is no direct mention of Halloween). These full-page story generators can be used across a range of abilities and ages, especially in Year 4, 5, 6 and 7 (Y4 / Y5 / Y6 / Y7), to spark ideas for stories. They’re great for reluctant writers and they have a dyslexia friendly format. PDF format (not editable for licensing reasons).

You can purchase this as part of this Creative Writing Story Prompts BIG BUNDLE 100 Prompts! .

• Use as warm ups , early finishers activities and as a framework for free writing sessions
• Each of the 20 A4 cards features a visual element ( photo / picture stimulus ), a starter sentence or part-sentence to help launch children into their fiction / narrative writing
• Prompt questions to get ideas going
• A word bank and suggested openers to add variety to their writing
• A box at the bottom reminds students to read their work aloud, check for full stops and capital letters and common spellings
• Range of scariness levels - Students who get more easily spooked can find prompts to suit them too.
• UK and US English versions included, with spellings and references to ‘full stops’ and ‘periods’ etc amended as appropriate
• Designed to offer maximum support for dyslexic learners and those with similar barriers to learning. Verdana font and spacing used are both dyslexia-friendly and the background colours are designed to reduce glare. Both the UK and US cards are also included with the background colours removed and could be used if printing on dyslexia friendly paper or card.
• Could be used to support the writing of a full story
• Could also work well as a regular tool to support struggling writers in one-to-one or small group sessions, where students write a few sentences inspired by the prompts, without worrying about completing a story

  MORE LITERACY RESOURCES… KS2 Writing Complex Sentences Cards Editing SPaG Puzzles Worksheets Full Stops and Capital Letters Cards Improving Sentences Worksheets

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Get this resource as part of a bundle and save up to 31%

A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

100 Creative Writing Picture Prompts BUNDLE

A big bundle of 100 Key Stage 2 or early KS3 imaginative / descriptive writing story starters cards, featuring high quality photo prompts, vocabulary banks, prompt questions and more. These full-page story generators can be used across a range of abilities and ages, especially in Year 4, 5, 6 and 7 (Y4 / Y5 / Y6 / Y7) to spark ideas for stories. In Scotland, they're great for Primary 5, 6, 7 and S1. They're great for reluctant writers and they have a dyslexia friendly format too. *This BUNDLE includes 5 packs of 20 prompts: 2 packs of general prompts (featuring a range of subjects and genres), a pack of scary / mystery story prompts, a pack of winter story prompts and a pack of summer story writing prompts. All can be purchased separately if you prefer.* **[Creative Writing Story Prompts](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/creative-writing-story-prompts-11648009) (MY MOST POPULAR RESOURCE ON TES) [Creative Writing Story Prompts 2 ](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12530007) [Scary Story Creative Writing Story Prompts](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12745015) [Winter Stories Creative Writing Story Prompts](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/winter-story-prompts-creative-writing-12745880) [Summer Story Creative Writing Prompts](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/summer-story-prompts-creative-writing-12746959)** * Use as **warm ups**, **early finishers** activities and as a **framework for free writing sessions** * Each of the **100** A4 cards features a visual element (**photo / picture stimulus**), a **starter sentence** or part-sentence to help launch children into their fiction / narrative writing * **Prompt questions** to get ideas going * A **word bank** and some **suggested openers** to add variety to their writing * A box at the bottom **reminds students to read their work aloud, check for full stops and capital letters and common spellings** * **Range of subjects and genres** including mystery, sport, humour, fantasy, family and historical. Lots of settings too. Plenty of variety so children can choose ones that appeal to them. * **UK and US English versions** included, with spellings and references to 'full stops' and 'periods' etc amended as appropriate * **Designed to offer maximum support for dyslexic learners** and those with similar barriers to learning. Verdana font and spacing used are both dyslexia-friendly and the background colours are designed to reduce glare. Both the UK and US cards are **also included with the background colours removed** and could be used if printing on dyslexia friendly paper or card. * Could be used to support the writing of a full story * Could also work well as a regular tool to support struggling writers in one-to-one or small group sessions, where students write a few sentences inspired by the prompts, without worrying about completing a story.   ***YOU MIGHT LIKE...*** **[Complex Sentences Activity Cards](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/complex-sentences-writing-super-sentences-11534472)** **[Editing SPaG Puzzles Worksheets](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/editing-proofreading-spag-year-5-6-11880677)** **[Full Stops and Capital Letters Cards](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/full-stops-and-capital-letters-11692728)** **[Improving Sentences Writing Worksheets](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/improving-sentence-structure-11651717)**

Halloween Activities Writing and Maths BUNDLE

High quality KS2 or early KS3 Halloween literacy and maths activities in a bundle: 6 fun printable Halloween mental maths puzzles and 20 creative writing prompts (mystery / scary / spooky / horror genre - the prompts can be used all year round as there is no specific mention of Halloween). Click on the 2 individual resource packs that are included in this bundle to see more information and previews. **Halloween Hidden Word Math Puzzles:** * 3 puzzles designed for Year 5 and 6 * 3 puzzles designed for Year 4 (and Year 3 if all concepts have been covered) * Both levels can work well in many classes for differentiation (and the more challenging puzzles can work for consolidation in Year 7 too) * Full Answer Keys included * PDF format within the Zip file * Engaging alternative to standard worksheets - students spot mistakes and use the linked letters to spell a Halloween-related word! * Great for individuals, pairs or small groups * Use for starters, early finishers, homework etc. * Concepts include: Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division, Times Tables, Doubling and Halving, Multiplying and Dividing by 10 and 100, Place Value, Negative Numbers, Fractions, Percentages and Decimals (Not all concepts feature in the lower level puzzles)   **Scary Story Writing Prompts:** * Use as **warm ups**, **early finishers** activities and as a **framework for free writing sessions** * Each of the **20** A4 cards features a visual element (**photo / picture stimulus**), a **starter sentence** or part-sentence to help launch children into their fiction / narrative writing * **Prompt questions** to get ideas going * A **word bank** and **suggested openers** to add variety to their writing * A box at the bottom **reminds students to read their work aloud, check for full stops and capital letters and common spellings** * **Range of scariness levels** - Students who get more easily spooked can find prompts to suit them too. * **UK and US English versions** included, with spellings and references to 'full stops' and 'periods' etc amended as appropriate * **Designed to offer maximum support for dyslexic learners** and those with similar barriers to learning. Verdana font and spacing used are both dyslexia-friendly and the background colours are designed to reduce glare. Both the UK and US cards are **also included with the background colours removed** and could be used if printing on dyslexia friendly paper or card. * Could be used to support the writing of a full story * Could also work well as a regular tool to support struggling writers in one-to-one or small group sessions, where students write a few sentences inspired by the prompts, without worrying about completing a story   ***YOU MIGHT LIKE MY OTHER STORY PROMPTS, which feature a range of genres and subjects:*** **[STORY PROMPTS BUNDLE](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/creative-writing-story-prompts-photo-starters-bundle-12530022)**   ***MORE FULLSHELF RESOURCES...*** **[KS2 Writing](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ks2-writing-11739814)** **[Writing and Grammar Activities](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/literacy-starters-year-5-6-11880756)** **[Full Stops and Capital Letters Cards](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/full-stops-and-capital-letters-11692728)** **[Improving Sentences Worksheets](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/improving-sentence-structure-11651717)** **[Mental Maths Bundle](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/mental-maths-bundle-year-5-6-11671523)** **[Maths Puzzles Worksheets HUGE BUNDLE](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ks2-maths-activities-11809251)**

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A halloween narrative - writing task.

Read a narrative account and use it as model for planning and writing your own narrative about a memorable day.

Editor's note

Can be used at any time of year - not just Halloween!

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