With costumes, candy, and excitement, it can be hard to keep students focused on learning during October. But seasonal activities don’t have to take away from instruction. With a few simple ideas, you can bring the Halloween fun into your classroom while continuing to practice important academic skills. Halloween is the perfect time to add a little extra creativity to the classroom!
Today I’m sharing several Frankenstein activities for elementary students that combine reading, math, writing, and hands-on learning. From a shape Frankenstein craft to a monster-themed snack, these activities are easy to incorporate into your October lesson plans without losing sight of your learning goals.
Frankenstein Shape Craft: A Halloween Math Activity for 2D Shapes
One of my favorite ways to incorporate seasonal fun into math is through a craft that reinforces the skills students are already learning. This Shape Frankenstein Math Craft combines geometry practice with a creative project that students can proudly display.
Students create their own Frankenstein using a variety of two-dimensional shapes. As they assemble their monsters, they identify the shapes used for each part of the craft. The accompanying recording sheet allows students to name the shapes and identify the number of sides and vertices.
Math is probably my favorite area to incorporate thematic elements. I have quite a few October or Halloween math crafts that keep the learning going even through the sugar rush!
Skills Practiced: Identifying 2D shapes, counting sides and vertices, and using geometry vocabulary.
Create a Frankenstein Halloween Bulletin Board
Once students have completed their Frankenstein shape crafts, you have everything you need for a colorful Halloween bulletin board!
The Frankly, Learning Is a Treat banner ties the entire display together. Pair the banner with student Frankenstein projects mounted on bright construction paper for a classroom display that celebrates both creativity and learning.
I love the idea of displaying the completed math recording sheets with each Frankenstein. Rather than hanging up a craft by itself, you are showcasing the academic work that went into the project. Students can see how their classmates used different shapes, and the display becomes a visual reminder of the geometry skills they practiced.
This is a simple way to turn student work into a meaningful Halloween classroom decoration!
Frankenstein and Monster Picture Book Read Alouds for October
A good picture book is an easy starting point for bringing a seasonal theme into your reading instruction. Frankenstein and monster-themed books provide opportunities to explore characters, discuss story elements, build vocabulary, and practice reading comprehension.
Here are three picture books that would make fun additions to your October read-alouds.
Crankenstein by Samantha Berger
Crankenstein introduces readers to a little boy who turns into a cranky monster when things don’t go his way. It’s a humorous story that creates opportunities to discuss character traits, feelings, and how characters respond to different situations.
Even Monsters Need Haircuts by Matthew McElligott
Even Monsters Need Haircuts follows a young barber who has a very unusual group of customers. This imaginative story is filled with entertaining illustrations and provides opportunities for students to practice making predictions and identifying story details.
The Monster’s Monster by Patrick McDonnell
The Monster’s Monster tells the story of three little monsters who decide to create an even bigger monster. However, their creation doesn’t behave quite the way they expect.
This book is a great choice for discussing character development, kindness, and how actions can influence others. Students can compare the characters at the beginning and end of the story or identify the lesson the monsters learn.
Frankenstein Poem for Kids: Poetry and Reading Comprehension
Poetry is another way to incorporate Halloween into your literacy lessons. The poem When Frankenstein Was Just a Kid by Kenn Nesbitt offers opportunities to practice fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension in a seasonal context.
Students can read and annotate the poem, highlighting important details and identifying unfamiliar words. The poem can also be used to explore how stanzas are organized and how the poet uses humor to tell a story.
To extend the activity, students can answer comprehension questions that encourage them to look closely at the text. Some possible skills to focus on include identifying cause and effect, determining the speaker, finding synonyms, and identifying the main idea of a stanza.
Skills Practiced: Poetry comprehension, identifying stanzas, cause and effect, vocabulary, and text evidence.
Frankie Food: A Halloween Snack and How-To Writing Activity
Who says Halloween snacks can’t be educational? This Frankie Food activity combines a simple monster-themed treat with procedural writing and sequencing practice.
Students create a Frankenstein-inspired snack using green pudding and crushed chocolate sandwich cookies. The pudding becomes Frankenstein’s green face, while the crushed cookies create his dark hair. Students can even draw a monster face on their clear cups before adding the ingredients.
The snack is simple to prepare and requires only a few materials:
- Clear plastic cups
- Pudding and green food coloring
- Crushed chocolate sandwich cookies
- Spoons
- Black permanent markers for decorating the cups
Begin by having students draw a Frankenstein face on their cups. Next, mix green food coloring into the pudding and scoop it into the cups. Finish by sprinkling crushed cookies on top to create Frankenstein’s hair.
The real learning opportunity comes when students connect the snack to how-to writing. After following the directions, students can discuss the sequence of steps and explain how they made their Frankie Food.
Encourage students to use transition words such as first, next, then, and finally as they describe the process. They can also write their own set of directions, illustrating each step to help a reader understand the procedure.
Bringing Halloween Fun Into Everyday Learning
You don’t have to put your regular lessons on hold to celebrate Halloween in the classroom. Sometimes the simplest seasonal activities are the ones that fit most naturally into your teaching plans.
The goal isn’t to fill every minute with Halloween activities. It’s to find small ways to make the skills you’re already teaching a little more memorable.
Shop all of the Frankenstein Activities for elementary students mentioned inside The Library.
