25 Halloween Writing Prompts for Middle Schoolers

Halloween is coming, and you can add charm to your writing assignments by tying them to this favorite holiday. These 25 Halloween writing prompts will be all treats and no tricks for your middle schoolers.

25 Halloween Writing Prompts for Middle School Writers

Writing can be a tough sell, especially if you don’t know what to write about. You can cross that obstacle off the list with these 25 Halloween writing prompts. They draw from the different types of writing: narrative, poetry, expository, persuasive, and descriptive writing.

Halloween Narrative Writing Prompts for Middle School

Narrative writing involves a story, dialogue, and the retelling of an event from a character’s point of view.

A Scarecrow’s Life

A scarecrow’s job is to protect a field from crows, but every Halloween this scarecrow comes to life to protect the farm from something way worse. What is it?

Sweet Perspective

What is Halloween like from the perspective of a piece of candy? Imagine each stage of the process.

Pumpkin Head

You stay up late one night carving a jack o’lantern from the most unusual pumpkin you’ve ever seen. The next morning you awake to find your head is now the jack o’lantern. What do you do? How do people react? How do you undo the magic?

School of Ghosts

Imagine a young ghost had to attend a boarding school for ghosts to learn the tricks of the trade. What would it be like? Which subjects would he/she take? What would the accommodations be like? Tell the story from his/her perspective.

My Best Friend Is a Cat

This stray black cat won’t leave you alone! When it does approach you, it can talk! It turns out a friend of yours has transformed into a black cat. How did this happen? What do you do? What does your cat/friend say? It sounds like the start of an adventure…

Halloween Poetry Prompts for Middle School

Poetry can be rhymed or unrhymed; it can have a meter or be free verse. Poetry can be humorous or emotional, lovely or ridiculous. Everyone can write poetry!

Halloween Haiku

Write three lines (5 syllables, 7 syllables, and 5 syllables) about nature. Can you create a Haiku about a spooky night? Think about the appearance of the moon, the gnarled tree branches, and the unsettling sounds you hear.

Acrostic Poem on Halloween

Choose a Halloween-themed word to write an acrostic poem (each line starts with a letter of the word). Here are some ideas: HALLOWEEN, TRICK OR TREAT.

Ode to Halloween

An ode is a poem written in praise of someone or something. It is typically pretty short. Write an ode to your favorite Halloween creature: mummies, ghosts, cats, spiders, scarecrows, or skeletons.

Ballad for Halloween

A ballad is a song made of verses that have 4 lines (most pop songs are ballads). The lines typically rhyme in an ABAB pattern. Write a verse (or more) about an imagined Halloween adventure.

Halloween Limerick

A limerick is a humorous poem with its own rhyme and meter (Edward Lear was the master at them). Read a few aloud to your students and then ask them to write their own Halloween limerick. Consider the topic: Have your hopes ever been dashed on Halloween? Maybe you had a costume malfunction, a sugarless night, or got sick and had to miss the whole thing. Perhaps you have braces and can’t eat half the candy!

Halloween Expository Writing Prompts for Middle School

Expository writing, also called information writing, relies on facts; it’s the type of writing you find in textbooks. While this type of writing usually involves research, you can assign prompts with which the student is already familiar.

Candy Categories

What are the main categories of candy? What characterizes each? How would you sort your Halloween haul?

Halloween Costume Options

Think of a Halloween costume you could make from what you have at home. Write instructions on how to put it together.

Leftover Candy

What can you do with all that extra Halloween candy? Think of several uses.

Skeletons

Write a paragraph and include what you know about bones and skeletons.

How to Carve a Pumpkin

What are the steps of carving a pumpkin? How do you decide what your design will be?

Halloween Persuasive Writing Prompts for Middle School

Persuasive writing involves making an assertion (e.g., “Butterfingers are the best Halloween candy.”) and then persuading your reader that you are correct. You have to provide reasons for your assertion (e.g., “They are crunchy, they are coated in delicious chocolate, and they get stuck in your teeth so you can enjoy them longer.”)

Which Is the Best Halloween Movie?

What is your favorite Halloween movie and why? Convince your reader to watch it.

Three Must-Haves at a Halloween Party

What makes a Halloween party a success? Great food? Music? Atmosphere? Activities? Convince the reader that they must have these three elements at their Halloween party.

The Worst Candy

What is the worst Halloween candy to receive? Persuade your reader to see it your way.

When Should You Stop Trick-or-Treating?

Pick an age when people should stop trick-or-treating and defend your answer.

Whether You Should Be Superstitious

Are you superstitious? Convince your reader why they should or should not be the same as you.

Halloween Descriptive Writing Prompts for Middle School

How can you make your reader a picture when he or she reads? Use descriptive words that involve the five senses!

Describe Carving a Pumpkin

What do you see, smell, hear, and feel as you carve a pumpkin?

Describe a Your Favorite Costume

Have you seen an amazing Halloween costume? Describe it in detail so your reader can envision it.

Describe a Spooky Night

Imagine walking outside at night and feeling the hair prick up on the back of your neck. What is spooking you? Describe the sights and sounds of the scene.

Describe a Spider

If you can’t find a live example, look at a picture of a spider. Write a detailed description of it.

Describe a Halloween Festival/Party

Have you ever been to a Halloween festival or party? What are the sights, sounds, and smells of the place?