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7 spooky writing ideas to try with your class!

  • by: Anna from Pobble
  • On: 15, Oct 2020
22 min read

‘Tis the season to get spooky! It’s a great time to let children’s imaginations run wild with thoughts of mysterious magic, ghostly goings-on and spooky spells.

If you’re looking to bring some wicked wizardry into your classroom, here are 7 spooktacular writing ideas for you to try.

Scary spell writing 🧙🏼‍♀️

Spells, potions or enchantments can trigger magical effects. Can your class write their own? What would they use their spell for? You could combine them into a class book of spells once they’re complete. See lots of examples of super spells here.

Pumpkin poetry 🎃

Pumpkins are synonymous with harvest and autumn, add a carved face and give it a bit of character and they make the perfect poetry subject. Pick a powerful poetry type to have a go at and take a look at a fun example of a pumpkin poem here.

Spooky news 🧟‍♂️

Hold the front page! There’s a zombie on the loose! Or perhaps a ghost sighting in the school? Ask your class to become reporters and write a news report about a spooky event. There’s an example here.

Sinister stories 👀

Sharpen the pencils and get your class to write a sinister story. Let their imaginations loose or give them a great starting point with a story starter. ‘Eyes wide open’ is a spooky starter, ready-made and free on Pobble.

Eerie Instructions 🧹

When you’re teaching writing, instructions are a must. They can however often be a bit tedious. Give them an eerie twist to make it more exciting. You could write instructions on ‘How to cast a spell’, ‘How to fly a broomstick’ or ‘How to carve a pumpkin.’ Here’s a nice example. 

Haunted house descriptions 🏚

Writing setting descriptions is a great opportunity to call students' attention to interesting, descriptive word choices. They could find a picture of a haunted house or draw their own before writing a devilish description. You could even mix it up and write about a haunted classroom instead! 

Petrifying podcasts 👻

Getting your class to create a podcast has lots of educational benefits. They can research their subject, write out their script and then record it, making sure to add lots of scary sound effects to give it a seasonal twist! Here’s an example.

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All of the writing ideas and examples mentioned above have been shared on Pobble by teachers from around the world. With a Pobble account, you can access these and hundreds of thousands more. It’s the world’s largest bank of children's handwritten work, sorted by age, genre and topic. Ideal for exemplification, finding ideas and lesson inspiration!

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