[Free Printables] Halloween Classroom Activity: You've been Boo'd!

Have you been BOO'd yet? Not sure what that even means? 

Growing up, October was one of my favorite months. Seriously, who can say no to the candy, the parties, the s’mores and campfire nights, the visits to the pumpkin patch, and of course, the trick or treating? On top of all that fun, my neighborhood always had a cute tradition for the month of October.

The more I thought about this tradition, I thought it would be fun to start a tradition like this in school. So, instead of keeping it a “teacher thing” - I introduced it to my class, with great enthusiasm! 

It’s also a great extension to our Social-Emotional Learning Unit Lesson Plan on Kindness.

Here’s how it works:

1. Gather your class together and decide whose class you would like to BOO. I like to this see this activity spread throughout the entire school instead of limiting it to a specific grade level/department, so I encourage my students to pick a class or a teacher we might not have a direct connection with.
2. After the class decides who they would like to BOO, the next step is to brainstorm what kind of treats to include in the BOO basket.
3. Build the BOO basket together with your students and make sure you attach the "We’ve been Boo’d" poster, along with the "You've been Boo'd" directions.
4. Deliver the treats without being detected! Always good to plan ahead and maybe consider checking the master schedule to find out when they’ll be out of the classroom for lunch, recess, or special area classes.

My students are always so excited to sneak around the hallways after ensuring no one is in the room, while we deliver our treats to unsuspecting teachers and friends.

It always amazes me how far these BOO signs spread from one grade level/department to another, and sometimes even to other schools. They start to pop up on every door throughout school hallways, and students eagerly chat with one another as they try to guess who "Boo'd" who, and who will be next. So fun!

If you need some ideas on what to include in the Boo Basket, check out the following list I put together:

• Halloween Pens or Pencils
• "I Spy" Game Boards - I laminate them for reuse purposes
• Halloween Stickers
• Coloring Sheets
• Bookmarks
• Colored Pencils/ Markers/ Crayons
• Whiteboard Markers
• Treats (candies, fruit snacks, crackers, baked goods etc.)

You can download Boo box materials and posters for this Halloween activity here, for free! (And VariQuest Cutout Maker 1800 Digital Die-Cut Machine owners can utilize our Halloween cutout shapes for pencil toppers, bookmarks, and popsicle stick puppets!)

I hope I've given you inspiration for a spooktacular Halloween!

Want to learn more about the VariQuest Cutout Maker 1800 or Perfecta® Poster Design System, used to create and enhance this activity? Request a demo to see live how our tools could save you tons of time, and be a great fit in your school!

Carman Le, Education Development Specialist for VariQuest, is an elementary school educator with experience teaching in multiple school settings, ranging from Title I to STEM magnet to National Blue Ribbon schools. Carman has a master’s degree in teaching (MAT) from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She was recognized as a MeckEd Teacher of Excellence in 2015. Carman is passionate about collaborating with teachers and engaging students through hands-on learning and the integration of technology.