Halloween costumes are a way to add some fun to your school day on Halloween. Finding a creative, yet school-suitable Halloween costume can be challenging. Every time I try to shop for a pre-made costume, it is rarely appropriate for an educational setting. Some costumes are too revealing while others portray cultural or religious stereotypes that would be offensive to my students and fellow staff members.
Below is a compiled list of school and culturally appropriate Halloween costume ideas for English teachers.
Well known characters from picture and chapter books. E.g. Olivia, Where’s Waldo, the Paper Bag Princess, Katniss, Alice in Wonderland. The list is endless of great literary characters to derive inspiration from.
Alphabet Soup. Create a costume that resembles Campbell’s soup can colours. Then put random letters on the costume.
Spelling Bee. Dress up like a bee, but add words all around the costume. For extra flair wear a pageant banner and hold a trophy.
Grammar Police. Dress up in a police uniform or in all black or blue clothing. Visit your local dollar store for plastic toy handcuffs and a sheriff’s badge. Add a sign to your shirt that says “Grammar Police”.
School Supplies. Pick your favourite school supply pen, pencil, paper, glue, stapler, red pen, highlight. The list is endless. Work your magic with some paint and cardboard.
Social Media. For a group of English teachers, each person can come dress in the colours of their selected social media channel (Pinterest, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). Then tape the printed icon onto their clothes.
Play on Words. English teachers love their words, don’t they? Why not be the Spice Girls (Thyme, Oregano, Cinnamon, etc) or a Formal Apology (dressed up with many “sorries” written all over your clothes).
Be an Emoji. These cute pictures have replaced many words and are definitely not something any English teacher wants to see when grading papers.
Word Wall. These popular teaching tools are seen in classrooms everywhere. Have some fun today and becoming a moving word wall.
To celebrate the season as well as staying focused on curriculum, I love to use this Halloween Unit with my classes. This engaging Halloween Unit contains 5 different activities that will help reinforce your students’ reading and writing skills. Students will learn about the historical background of Halloween traditions and prepare for a Halloween discussion about current Halloween customs. Find this resource on Shopify CAD and Teachers Pay Teachers USD.
More Fall Lesson Ideas
- Fall Themed Middle School Lessons
- 10 Tips for Dressing Well on a Teacher Budget
- Remembrance Day Lessons For All Grades
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