October brings pumpkins, costumes, and candy—but it can also bring some of the most engaging learning opportunities of the school year. If you’re looking for a way to keep 4th and 5th graders focused while still celebrating the spooky season, these Halloween-Themed Math & ELA Centers are just the trick (and treat!) your classroom needs.
Why These Centers Work
Teachers know that Halloween week can be filled with distractions, so why not channel that excitement into meaningful academic review? These centers combine the best of both worlds: rigorous practice in key math and ELA skills with a festive, hands-on twist that keeps students motivated and engaged.
Each activity is low-prep, student-friendly, and designed for collaboration, making it easy to set up and fun to run. With built-in instructions and visuals, students can work independently or in pairs—freeing teachers to facilitate, encourage, and celebrate learning.
What’s Included
This set features six interactive stations that bring math, literacy, and STEM to life with Halloween spirit:
🏗️ Candy Corn Catapult – A STEM engineering challenge that builds problem-solving and design thinking.
👹 Franken-FANG – Reading and writing numbers in standard form with a spooky monster theme.
👁️ VARI-eyeball – Exploring variables in a way that feels approachable (and a little creepy-cool).
✖️ Monster Multiplication – Practice with multi-digit multiplication.
🏀 BAT-sketball – Subtraction skills disguised as a game of hoops.
📖 Halloween Homophones – A literacy challenge that sharpens reading and word knowledge.
Each center comes with:
✔ Student instructions & visuals
✔ Black-and-white student packets
✔ Full-color posters for display
✔ Editable templates so you can customize
Skills Students Will Strengthen
Place value and number form
Multiplication and subtraction fluency
Variable usage in math
Homophone recognition and usage
Problem-solving and engineering design
In other words, students are reinforcing exactly the skills they need—while having a blast.
Why Teachers & Parents Love It
✅ High engagement meets skill review—kids stay focused because the activities feel like games.
✅ Easy prep—just print, set up, and watch the learning unfold.
✅ Cross-curricular connections—students practice both math and literacy, with a dash of STEM.
✅ Collaboration-friendly—perfect for pairs or small groups.
✅ Adaptable—editable templates make it easy to tweak for your class needs.
Perfect For
Classroom transformations or themed days
Halloween week review and enrichment
Early finishers who need an engaging challenge
Partner or group work that encourages teamwork
Final Treat
Halloween doesn’t have to derail your lesson plans. With these Halloween-Themed Math & ELA Centers, you can keep the rigor high while letting your students experience the joy and excitement of the season. It’s the perfect way to make October both magical and meaningful.