5 Halloween Activities for the Middle School and High School History Class

Halloween in the classroom can be tricky. Pun intended! When the holiday falls on a school day, there’s no denying the buzz of excitement in the air. Instead of fighting against the distractions, I like to lean into the energy and use it to my advantage. With the right activities, our students can stay engaged and learning on Halloween. We can keep them focused without feeling like we're just trying to survive the day.

For middle and high school students, Halloween still holds its charm. They may not be dressing up for a classroom costume parade, but that doesn’t mean they’re too old to enjoy the spooky season. In fact, they’re at the perfect age to appreciate the eerie, mysterious, and even bizarre aspects of the history of Halloween. Whether it’s investigating witch trials, diving into historical superstitions, or bringing out their competitive side with review games, there are plenty of ways to make the day meaningful and fun.

I’ve found that my middle schoolers appreciate Halloween activities that let them investigate, debate, and put their curiosity to work. They’re old enough to think critically about the past but young enough to still get excited about anything that involves a little mystery, intrigue, or competition. So, instead of dismissing Halloween as just another day, I like to embrace their energy and direct it toward historical inquiry and engaging activities.

Engaging Halloween Activities for Middle School and High School

If you’re looking for ways to bring Halloween activities into your US History, World History, Civics, or Geography classes without losing valuable learning time, I’ve got you covered! Here are some of my favorite engaging activities that bring a little historical intrigue, problem-solving, and creativity into the mix while keeping our students focused and excited.

1. Transform Your Classroom With A Historical Simulation

If you've ever used simulations in your classroom, you know they bring history to life in a way that no textbook ever could. Halloween is the perfect time to introduce an immersive experience like the Salem Witch Trials Mystery.

In this activity, your students take on the role of investigators. They are analyzing clues and evidence to determine what really happened in Salem in 1692. Your students work together to piece together information, sort out facts from hysteria, and decide for themselves whether the accused were truly guilty or simply victims of mass paranoia.

What I love about this activity is that it taps into higher-order thinking skills, encouraging our students to weigh evidence, think critically, and collaborate. Plus, the detective-style setup is naturally engaging, making it feel more like a true crime investigation than a typical history lesson.

If you are short on time, no worries! Set up stations with different clues and have your students rotate through them. As they rotate, they can gather evidence in small groups. This makes it fast-paced and interactive, keeping their attention while still reinforcing historical thinking skills.

2. Make It a Review Game Day!

On Halloween, your students are already in the mood for fun. If you don't have a topic that makes a connection with the holiday, try a game day focused on review. 

Instead of struggling to hold their focus, I like to tap into the engaging power of games. Over the years, I have created a variety of interactive games that are perfect for review. You might choose a digital tower building game, board game, or even a game of Tic-Tac-Toe. These game styles that kids love are the perfect platform for adding in some review. But one of my favorites is a Jeopardy-style quiz show game that gets my students excited. In all of these games, students get so caught up in the challenge that they forget they’re reviewing!

For easy-to-use review games, check out my TPT Store. There you will find a variety of game styles for almost any unit you teach. Whether you want to reinforce concepts from earlier in the year or prepare for an upcoming test, these games will keep your students engaged while still hitting key learning objectives. Check out the quick links below to find games your students will love.

• US History to 1865
• US History 1865 to Present
• Ancient Civilizations
• World History
• US Government and Civics

3. Try some Free Halloween Trivia 

Your students are going to love Halloween in your classroom with this next activity. This digital mystery picture uses the concept of pixel art to create a Halloween themed picture.  The catch? To get the pixels to appear your students must correctly answer Halloween trivia questions. There's sure to be lots of holiday learning happening.

Try my Halloween Mystery Image Activity! This free no prep Google Sheets challenge is perfect for an easy Halloween day of engaged learning. It’s digital, self-checking, and perfect for adding a festive touch to your lesson plans. 

You can complete this activity as a class, by projecting the mystery picture to the front board. This is a great way to have a discussion while learning new things about the holiday. You can also assign this directly to students and have them complete it independently or with a partner. This is a great option in a 1:1 classroom setting or when you have access to computers or tablets.

4. Connect History to Spooky Myths and Legends

Holidays are always a great time to dive into cultural studies using the holiday as the piece that connects the cultures together. In this activity, you can blend history and Halloween by diving into myths, legends, and superstitions that have shaped different cultures. Many of the fears we associate with Halloween, like ghosts, witches, and curses, have deep historical roots.

I like to have my students research and present on a historical myth or legend. Some great topics include:

• The Lost Colony of Roanoke – Was it mass hysteria, a supernatural event, or just an unsolved mystery?
• Medieval fears of the supernatural – How did the Black Death fuel myths about witches and vampires?
• Ancient Egyptian curses – What role did tomb curses play in early archaeology?
• The real inspiration behind Dracula – How did Vlad the Impaler become the basis for Bram Stoker’s novel?

This activity allows our students to research, analyze primary sources, and even create their own spooky retellings of historical events. It's a great activity for Halloween week, or to use a joint effort with the language art teacher.

4. Use Primary Sources to Analyze Fear in History

Halloween is all about things that you wouldn't want to bump into in the night. Fear has also played a major role in shaping historical events. I like to give my students primary sources, like political cartoons, newspaper articles, or firsthand accounts, that reflect how fear has influenced history.

Some great topics include:

• The Red Scare and fear of communism
• The Cold War and nuclear paranoia
• Fear of immigrants in different historical periods
• The Salem Witch Trials as an early example of mass hysteria

Then, my students analyze how fear shaped decisions and public policies. They compare these fears to modern-day concerns. It’s an excellent way to bridge past and present, all while keeping the lesson engaging.

5. Creating Writing Tasks for Halloween Activities

For your students who love storytelling, a historical horror story assignment is the perfect way to blend creativity with historical knowledge. You can have your students choose a real historical event and reimagine it as a ghost story, a thriller, or a supernatural tale. Some ideas include:

• A ship lost in the Bermuda Triangle
• A mummy’s curse in ancient Egypt
• A haunted battlefield from the Civil War
• The mystery of Anastasia Romanov

This activity taps into historical research, critical thinking, and creative writing. It also allows your students to have fun with the eerie side of history.

Halloween Activities That Keep Students Engaged

Rather than fighting the Halloween energy, I embrace it with Halloween activities that turn the day into a learning opportunity. Whether we’re solving a mystery, playing a review game, or diving into historical fears, there are plenty of ways to make the most of this exciting day in the classroom. Give these activities a try, and watch your students stay engaged and excited, even on Halloween! 

Save for Later

Remember to save this post to your favorite social studies Pinterest board for quick access to these Halloween activities!

0