Want to find kindergarten-friendly videos that hit the mark in October? Here is a list of teacher-recommended videos for Halloween.
It can be fun to change up our normal routine in the classroom on a holiday and add a video or two into our lesson plans.
For example, you just might need a learning video that can help bring the level of excitement down from a holiday party or a brain break video that can help get the wiggles out.
Whatever you need – here are Halloween-themed books read aloud, brain break videos, and some learning videos that can help you teach.
Halloween-themed stories
These stories are good read-alouds for Halloween. They are fun and keep the holiday age-appropriate.
I’ll be sharing affiliate links and more information about each book (in case you want to read a hard copy) so you can check things out for yourself.
Big Pumpkin
My personal favorite Halloween read-aloud is Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman.
This book is fantastic and if you can play the audio version for your party while you hold up the book (or have a parent volunteer do it) - even better!
The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything
The most classic Halloween read-aloud is probably The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything.
It's a great pattern-based story that will have kids chiming in. Plus it's easy to add motions for the repetitive parts to help keep the wiggles under control during a sugar-filled-kind-of-day.
Pete the Cat: Trick or Pete?
We're all fans of Pete the Cat in kindergarten. So, why not Pete the Cat: Trick or Pete?
This read-aloud video is super quick - so if you only have a few minutes for a transition or while waiting for something - show this one.
Spookley the Square Pumpkin
Spookley the Square Pumpkin could also be considered a pretty classic story to read to your class. The lesson about learning to not judge is a sweet one and be great to tie into the funny pumpkins project.
Crankenstein
If you want to read something that feels Halloween-related but refreshingly isn't - go for Crankenstein.
Because... we all feel a little cranky sometimes and you can call in what they learned in this book on the day they come back after Halloween {wink}
Ten Timid Ghosts
Go full-on Halloween with Ten Timid Ghosts. It's quick, cute and full of classic, Halloween-y things without being scary.
These books are also pretty good read-aloud books kindergarten teachers read to their classes:
- Creepy Carrots
- Creepy Pair of Underwear
- There's a Witch Under the Stairs
- Room on the Broom
- Go Away Big Green Monster (and activity)
Brain breaks
Brain breaks give students the opportunity to break from focusing by moving to music in order to recharge.
Halloween Stomp
This movement video is designed to get kids moving and done in under 3 minutes. Students move like a monster, witch, skeleton, werewolf, spider, zombie, ghost, and vampire.
Students "move" in place to replicate the movements in the video.
But you might also like this "Halloween Stomp" version -
This stomp song is more directed for students to follow. They will like the costumes and the dance moves. This one is just a bit over 3 minutes so it's still perfect for a brain break.
If You're a Kid... Halloween Remix
What would a video series be without a Harry Kindergarten video? {wink}
Students listen to the directions and move to match the description with a free-dance break in between each set of directions.
Halloween Freeze Game
Students listen to the Halloween-themed directions and move until they hear "Boo!" and then they freeze. In just over 2 minutes students fly, march, shake, tiptoe, and crawl.
Monster Moves
This Go Noodle-style song has a "let me see your monster moves" repetitive section and then simple dance moves that students can do while staying in place. It's just over 3 minutes.
Learning videos
These videos are meant to help you teach mini-concepts in the classroom.
Trick or Treat - What Types of Food?
If you're trying to teach about food choices in connection with Halloween - this song quickly covers good, sour, and sweet foods. It's a quick video (less than 2 minutes) so you can use it as a springboard for discussion.
Five Little Ghosts - Subtraction
This Five Little Ghosts video is just like the Five Little Ducks fingerplay many of us are familiar with. Use this to talk about taking away one and using subtraction.
Let students show how the numbers change using a five frame and little ghost marshmallow cereal manipulatives (available around Halloween time) or drawing the story out on whiteboards. You can model the subtraction sentence in between each section of the video.
Count to 10 Halloween
This video uses groups of ten Halloween characters to practice counting to 10. Count witches, ghosts, monsters, vampires, and werewolves.
If your class is beyond counting objects one-to-one up to ten, I would pick a color for each group of characters and model how you can count by tens.
Draw a ten frame for each group and then use a bingo dauber (dot maker) to quickly show how many. Then count by tens (to fifty) to show how you can quickly count all of the Halloween things together.
Alphabet Halloween ABC Song
See a list of Halloween things from A to Z while listening to letter sounds. This quick alphabet song is very kid-friendly (except I don't think most kinders will know who the Addams family or Uncle Fester is... the selections for Aa and Uu).
But it's a fun way to review letter sounds with some Halloween fun.
Let's wrap it up
There you have it – videos that teachers are using for Halloween in their kindergarten classrooms.
I hope that these books read aloud, exercise videos, and learning videos are helpful as you teach.
Thanks to all of the kindergarten teachers who chimed in to share their favorites on the KindergartenWorks facebook page!
Are you ready to explore kindergarten activities for Halloween?
If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.
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