If you’ve ever searched for Halloween animated shorts, you know the struggle is real. One second you’re watching a perfectly adorable cartoon… and then BAM, something wildly inappropriate pops up in the last five seconds. (Cue teacher panic: Where’s the remote? Where’s the mute button?).
I’ve already done the heavy lifting for you. These films are spooky, funny, and just the right amount of creepy without crossing the “Oops, that wasn’t school-friendly” line. Think goosebumps, not nightmares.
Halloween Animated Shorts Lesson Handout
And yes, I’ve put together a handout with activities if you’d like everything ready to go. The handouts for this post are available in the Fall Vault, along with other fun fall activities your students will love. You’ll find printables and instructions for all the activities mentioned here.
Halloween Animated Shorts Videos and Teaching Ideas
The Passenger
This one starts out all sunshine and butterflies… and quickly takes a turn into thunder, barking dogs, creepy bus rides, and one seriously weird goldfish. Tone and mood are everything here. Students will instantly feel how the “scary” vibe builds.
Classroom idea: Before showing the film, ask students to brainstorm: What makes something feel spooky? (Darkness? Strange music? An empty place?). After the film, compare their list with the film’s techniques.
Gas Station & The Delivery
Gas Station
The Delivery
Both of these shorts are perfect for comparing and contrasting. Each one starts off with a character stuck in a dark, eerie situation. Each ends with a twist that’s more silly than scary.
Classroom idea: Give students a Venn diagram and have them sort the similarities/differences. Or, go dramatic by splitting the class in half and letting them act out “spooky beginnings” vs. “funny endings.” Bonus points for zombie groans and monster growls.
Angry Birds – Ham o’ Ween
The Angry Birds crew goes trick-or-treating. Of course, pigs try to mess it all up. There’s candy, costumes, disguises, a monster-sized bird, and even some burping. Basically, it’s Halloween chaos.
Classroom idea: Have students retell the story from the little bird’s perspective. (What’s it like being mistaken for candy, nearly eaten, then turning into a giant beast?). Creative writing + Halloween fun = win.
Foxed!
This one is creepy in the best way. Foxes kidnap kids to work in mines (yikes), and poor Emily finds out a fox has shape-shifted to take her place at home. Double yikes. The film ends on a haunting note that is perfect for cause-and-effect practice.
Classroom idea: Discuss with students: What’s scarier: the foxes underground or the idea that someone else could take your place? You’ll get some fascinating answers.
Boneless
What’s Halloween without a skeleton who loses his bones, literally? This short is goofy, gross (in a kid-friendly way), and full of physical comedy.
Classroom idea: Let students create a “Problem-Solution Comic Strip” retelling the skeleton’s misadventures. Bonus twist: challenge them to invent a NEW ending where the skeleton outsmarts the dog.
Extra Classroom Add-On Ideas to Use with Halloween Animated Shorts
Want to stretch the Halloween animated shorts into a mini-unit? Here are some quick extensions teachers can add:
- Tone Detective Game – Play short clips and have students hold up cards (funny, spooky, suspenseful, silly).
- Soundtrack Switch-Up – Replay a scene with the sound muted. Students suggest new music that would totally change the mood.
- Halloween Figurative Language Hunt – Have students write similes/metaphors based on the shorts (e.g., “The skeleton hopped like a pogo stick gone wrong”).
- Quick-Write Prompts – “What would you do if you found a monster goldfish on the bus?” or “Write the sequel to Boneless where the skeleton gets revenge.”
These animated shorts keep things festive without giving you (or your students) nightmares. Grab some popcorn (or candy corn if you’re brave), dim the lights just a little, and let your class enjoy a few laughs and shivers this Halloween season.
All the Halloween animated shorts activities are tucked inside the Fall Vault, ready to print or assign digitally. Whether you’re looking for a quick literacy boost or a full-on Halloween-themed lesson, these shorts are a treat (no tricks included).
📥 Grab the handout
🎃 available in printable and Google Slides formats
🧠 Skills: Tone · Cause & Effect · Compare/Contrast · Problem/Solution
👻 Perfect for grades 4–6
7 comments
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Thank you so much for sharing this precious activity. I can just imagine your classroom decorated with these vocabulary apple trees. And, it was so nice visiting with you at the TPT conference. Sandy
I absolutely LOVE these trees, and I love your vocabulary activities! Thanks so much for sharing! I am going to try them next week with my second graders!
~Jennifer
Author
My students really enjoyed making them. They know the vocabulary words as well. I hope it is a huge success with your students.
These trees are awesome! What a great way to display important knowledge! 🙂 Thank you for hosting this hop!
Excellent activities, Gay! Thanks so much for all of your hard work with the coding. We all appreciate it.
Carla
I can’t wait to try the trees this week with my class! Great ideas! thank you!!!
I couldn’t resist commenting. Exceptionally well written!