Who says we have to reinvent the wheel year after year? Every once in a while, I love to dig into the vault and share some of my favorite fall classroom activities that have stood the test of time. These are the fall freebies I used with my students years ago—and they still work beautifully in classrooms today! Some may call them oldies but goodies.
If you’re looking for no-prep, low-stress, high-engagement activities to fill those cozy autumn days, these are it. Each one hits key math or writing skills while keeping students active, creative, and on task. Here’s a sneak peek at what your students will learn.
Skill Focus: Writing a sequence of steps
If your students love hands-on projects (and pudding!), they’ll go crazy for Frankie Food. This yields more than a tasty snack; students also learn about engaging in and writing a sequence of steps.
Here’s how it works:
Teacher Tip: Have students complete a “How-To Writing” page afterward. Encourage them to use transition words like first, next, then, and finally.
For extra practice (and fun), you can incorporate a hands-on Frankenstein math craft, too.
Skill Focus: Subtracting 2-digit numbers
Fall is the perfect time to review subtraction—and this squirrel-themed activity makes it extra fun. Students solve subtraction problems on squirrels, then find and place the matching acorn with the correct answer.
Teacher Tip: Students can color the squirrels based on even and odd answers.
Skill Focus: Practicing math in a fun, active way
This one’s a crowd favorite! Just like the popular childhood game, students get out of their seats to spot and solve math problems in a fun, active way.
Place the Halloween I Spy math cards around the room—on walls, desks, or doors. Students grab a recording sheet, visit each card, solve the problem, and write their answer. Then they move to the next one like a classroom scoot.
There are multiple skills included in this activity, so it makes for a great fall review. It’s also a good intro activity to other engaging Halloween activities like Halloween learning stations.
Teacher Tip: This is perfect for those high-energy October afternoons when everyone needs to get the wiggles out. It keeps students moving, focused, and independent.
Skill Focus: Subtraction without regrouping
Keep the movement going with a seasonal twist—Scarecrow Subtraction I Spy. This is a different variation of the Halloween version, but played the same—simply place scarecrow subtraction cards around the room for students to find and solve on their recording sheets.
The alternative art is great if you can’t use Halloween elements in the classroom. And this version is focused on one specific math skill, making it easy to pair as practice for a designated lesson of the day.
Teacher Tip: Make it a partner activity! Pair students so one reads the problem while the other writes the equation. Then they switch jobs at the next card.
Skill Focus: Distinguishing between operations
This math activity is quick, simple, and a great formative assessment. Students solve 2-digit problems inside a festive fall wreath, and sort them based on whether they’re addition or subtraction.
Teacher Tip: Students often mix up operation symbols earlier in the year. This sorting activity reinforces the importance of reading carefully and truly understanding those symbols.
These fall classroom activities have been favorites in my classroom for years because they blend fun, movement, and academics—and they still feel fresh every fall. If you’re looking to simplify your seasonal lesson planning, try bringing one (or all!) of these activities back to life in your own classroom this year. Sometimes the best ideas really are the ones worth pulling out of the vault.
Hey, y’all! My name is Amy Lemons and I am passionate about providing students with both engaging and effective standards-based Math and ELA lessons.
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