Halloween in Spanish is one of the easiest ways to get kids using the language. Costumes, candy, and spooky fun give them a real reason to talk. As a Spanish teacher and a bilingual mom, I’ve always believed in making language learning fun and engaging, and holidays do that well.
Below you’ll find the vocabulary I’d start with, easy sentences, and activities for Spanish teachers and homeschool parents. ¡Vamos a empezar!
How Do You Say Halloween in Spanish?
Many Spanish speakers just say el Halloween. You’ll also hear la Noche de Brujas (Witches’ Night), especially in Latin America. Some places use la vÃspera de Todos los Santos or el dÃa de las brujas.
Halloween Vocabulary in Spanish
Easy Halloween Sentences in Spanish
- ¡Feliz Halloween! (Happy Halloween!)
- ¡Truco o trato! (Trick or treat!)
- Soy un esqueleto. (I’m a skeleton.)
- Mi disfraz tiene alas de murciélago. (My costume has bat wings.)
- La bruja vuela en la escoba. (The witch flies on the broom.)
- El murciélago es nocturno. (The bat is nocturnal.)
Say one, have kids repeat it, then swap in different words.
Halloween Activities in Spanish
Pumpkin Carving or Decorating
Start your Halloween unit with pumpkins. Have kids carve or decorate one, then describe it in Spanish with words like calabaza (pumpkin), fantasma (ghost), or araña (spider).
Halloween Craft Session
Run a craft session with Halloween-themed crafts. Give the instructions in Spanish and have kids talk through the steps in Spanish too. Masks work well: Recorta aquà (Cut here), Pega las alas (Glue the wings). They use the language while their hands are busy.
Read Aloud in Spanish
Pick a Halloween book in Spanish, or a bilingual one if your group has mixed levels. Pause to explain words like espeluznante (spooky) and calabaza. Ask what they think will happen next, and let them answer in Spanish. More reading ideas here: My Top 10 Spanish Reading Comprehension Strategies.
Legends and Scary Stories
Older kids can handle short stories and legends from Spanish-speaking countries, like La Llorona or el Chupacabras. Tell them and talk about them in Spanish. Then have kids write their own. HabÃa una vez (Once upon a time) starts the story, and De repente (Suddenly) adds the suspense.
Cooking with a Halloween Twist
Make Halloween snacks together and give the recipe in Spanish: Añade azúcar (Add sugar), Revuelve la mezcla (Stir the mixture). It’s real-life language, and it builds practical skills too.
Halloween Costume Parade
Have kids introduce themselves and describe their costume in Spanish: Soy un esqueleto, Mi disfraz tiene alas de murciélago.
No parade? Let them design a costume on paper, then draw it and label it in Spanish. I made a free one you can print: Halloween in Spanish: Design and Build Your Halloween Costume.
Teach Feelings with Halloween
Halloween is full of feelings, which makes it a good time to teach them. Describe a small scene, like Hay un esqueleto en la puerta, and ask ¿Cómo te sientes? Kids can answer Me siento asustado or Me siento emocionado.
I wrote more about this here: Emotions in Spanish That Go Beyond Vocabulary. For PreK through 1st grade, there’s also a ready-made pack: Feelings and Emotions (Spanish).
Sentences, Riddles, and Writing
- Sentence building: Have kids build full sentences with Halloween words, like La bruja vuela en la escoba.
- Riddles: Soy naranja y se talla en Halloween. ¿Qué soy? (I’m orange and carved at Halloween. What am I?)
- Story starters: En una noche de Halloween, un gato negro cruzó mi camino y… (On a Halloween night, a black cat crossed my path, and…) Kids finish the story.
- Acrostic poems: Write HALLOWEEN down the page. Each letter gets a Spanish word, like H for huesos (bones) and E for esqueleto (skeleton).
- Halloween math: ¿Cuántos caramelos tienes si tienes 3 bolsas con 5 caramelos cada una? (How many candies do you have if you have 3 bags with 5 candies each?)
Halloween Games and Printables in Spanish
- Mystery game: Kids solve a Halloween puzzle or riddle with clues in Spanish, working together.
- Scavenger hunt: Make a list of Halloween items to find around the classroom or house. Kids write the Spanish name of each one they find.
- Bingo: Make cards with ghosts, bats, and pumpkins. Call the words in Spanish.
- Word search, crossword, matching game, and puzzles: Use Halloween words, with crossword clues in Spanish and labeled jigsaw pieces.
- Labeling: Give kids a picture of a haunted house or a spooky forest and have them label what they see, like caldero de bruja (witch’s cauldron).
- Coloring pages with labels: Kids color, then label each item in Spanish.
If you’d rather not make all of this yourself, my Halloween in Spanish: Math and Literacy Activities pack has a close reading passage, bingo, a memory game, a word search, a crossword, puzzles, a riddles scavenger hunt, and more. It’s made for grades 1-3.
Frequently Asked Questions About Halloween in Spanish
How do you say Halloween in Spanish?
Many Spanish speakers just say el Halloween. You’ll also hear la Noche de Brujas.
How do you say Happy Halloween in Spanish?
¡Feliz Halloween! In some places you’ll also hear ¡Feliz Noche de Brujas!
How do you say trick or treat in Spanish?
¡Truco o trato! The wording varies by country, and you’ll also hear ¡Dulce o truco!
Is Halloween the same as DÃa de los Muertos?
No. Halloween is about costumes and candy. DÃa de los Muertos, on November 1 and 2, is about remembering loved ones who have passed. I wrote about it here: Day of the Dead in Spanish.
What’s a good Halloween activity in Spanish for beginners?
Pumpkin decorating. Kids use words like calabaza, fantasma, and araña while they work.
Halloween is a great excuse to make Spanish fun. Learning Spanish doesn’t have to be scary. In fact, it can be a real treat!
Interested in more?
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