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Here's a collection of (fairly easy) halloween games from the British Council.

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© British Council
The United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland).

ICP#: 10044692

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© British Council The United Kingdom's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland). ICP#: 10044692

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This is an easy memory game with some Halloween terms.

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Learn Halloween Monster Costumes Vocabulary with this ESL Memory Game (mummy, ghost, witch, pirate, vampire etc.) . This game is also excellent for Vocabulary Teaching and Practice. ESL Learners and Teachers can use it to review English vocabulary or simply practice these words. This memory games has audio, images and text which makes it possible to practice spelling, reading, listening and word recognition. It is great for beginner and elementary ESL Lesson Plans.

Games are great for motivating students to learn. By playing our fun educational games, students can practice and review key English vocabulary, grammar and sentences without the boredom which is usually encountered when doing paper-based gap-fill exercises. Play the game below and do not hesitate to share these resources with other learners. This is the philosophy behind our site - www.eslgamesplus.com.

More Games

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Halloween Costumes ESL Vocabulary Memory Game

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Learn Halloween Monster Costumes Vocabulary with this ESL Memory Game (mummy, ghost, witch, pirate, vampire etc.) . This game is also excellent for Vocabulary Teaching and Practice. ESL Learners and Teachers can use it to review English vocabulary or simply practice these words.

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Play as Pac Man, but instead of just avoiding the ghosts - spell words and eat them!

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Halloween Words Pacman on PrimaryGames.com

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It's Pacman with a twist. Gobble up ghosts in the order of the letters in the given word. Don't eat ghosts out of order or you will lose a life. Use the power-ups to freeze the ghosts.

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If you have Flash enabled, you can play this typing game to save a poor spider.

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Super Hyper Spider Typer on PrimaryGames.com

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Type the words that appear on the chameleons and help the spider escape.

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Guess the correct word before the picture is blanked out. You might have to wait through ads.

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Guess the Halloween word by choosing one of the letters. Find the correct letters to complete the word. Find all of the letters before the entire picture is faded.

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Spell out the words in the pictures.

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Spelling Cards: Halloween on PrimaryGames.com

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Correctly spell the Halloween words below each picture.

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A crossword puzzle with halloween imagery. You will need to wait through some ads.

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Halloween Picture Crossword Puzzle on PrimaryGames.com

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Complete the crossword puzzle by typing the name of picture that appears by each row or column.

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On this page, you should hopefully be able to watch or download a video talking about some idioms (uttryck) that has to do with fear, death and other Halloween-appropriate things.

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Learning English - The Teacher - Halloween: idioms of fear

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The Teacher presents the idioms "shaking like a leaf", "scared stiff" and "it sent shivers up and down my spine". The Teacher: 28 October 2011

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This is an upper intermediary reading exercise, so it's not very easy. Begin with the preparation task, then read the text, then do the two exercises.

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A reading comprehension test on the topic of Halloween.

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Halloween falls on October 31st each year in North America and other parts of the world. What do you know about Halloween? Do you celebrate it in your country? Here is a little history about it. Vocabulary

to evolve (v)- to change little by little

spirit (n)- ghost, some people believe the spirit and body separate when a person dies

holy (adj)- sacred, very good, related to religion. Hallow comes from the word holy.

saint (n)- an honored, holy person

lantern (n)- lamp or enclosed light that can be carried around

turnip (n)- a purple and white vegetable that grows in the ground

Like many other holidays, Halloween has evolved and changed throughout history. Over 2,000 years ago people called the Celts lived in what is now Ireland, the UK, and parts of Northern France. November 1 was their New Year's Day. They believed that the night before the New Year (October 31) was a time when the living and the dead came together.

More than a thousand years ago the Christian church named November 1 All Saints Day (also called All Hallows.) This was a special holy day to honor the saints and other people who died for their religion. The night before All Hallows was called Hallows Eve. Later the name was changed to Halloween.

Like the Celts, the Europeans of that time also believed that the spirits of the dead would visit the earth on Halloween. They worried that evil spirits would cause problems or hurt them. So on that night people wore costumes that looked like ghosts or other evil creatures. They thought if they dressed like that, the spirits would think they were also dead and not harm them.

The tradition of Halloween was carried to America by the immigrating Europeans. Some of the traditions changed a little, though. For example, on Halloween in Europe some people would carry lanterns made from turnips. In America, pumpkins were more common. So people began putting candles inside them and using them as lanterns. That is why you see Jack 'o lanterns today.

These days Halloween is not usually considered a religious holiday. It is primarily a fun day for children. Children dress up in costumes like people did a thousand years ago. But instead of worrying about evil spirits, they go from house to house. They knock on doors and say "trick or treat." The owner of each house gives candy or something special to each trick or treater.

Check Your Understanding

True or False. Check your answers below.

1. The Celts thought the spirits of dead people returned to the earth on October 31st.

2. The Celts created All Hallows.

3. All Hallows is on October 31st.

4. The word Halloween comes from the word Hallows eve.

5. A thousand years ago Europeans wore costumes to get candy.

6. Americans still carve turnips to use as lanterns.

7. Today Halloween is especially for children.

8. Children get candy by saying "trick or treat."

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A reading comprehension test on the topic of Halloween.

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Read this story about a credible UFO sighting - and then put the pieces of the story into the correct order.

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Intermediate Reading | The Alien Story | esl-lounge Student

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A news story from BBC's series 6 Minute English. Listen to the program and see if you can hear the answer to their question.

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Why do we fear animals that pose no threat to us? Sophie and Neil face their own phobias and discuss the reason why fear of spiders is so common.

This week's question

What's the word that describes an irrational fear of insects? Is it...

a) entomophobia?

b) thanatophobia?

c) pogonophobia?

You'll hear the answer at the end of the programme.

Vocabulary

make your flesh creep
make you feel very frightened

phobia
a strong and irrational fear

arachnophobes
a strong fear of spiders

reflexive awareness
being automatically aware of something, without thinking about it

Transcript

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Neil
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Neil...

Sophie
And I'm Sophie. Neil, what are you afraid of?

Neil
I'm not keen on anything with wings, but I particularly hate moths. They're disgusting, with their fat hairy bodies and... fluttery wings!

Sophie
Oh, Neil. Moths are completely harmless. They aren't something to be scared of.

Neil
Yes, they are... They get in my face... and my hair. It makes my flesh creep just thinking about them.

If something makes your flesh creep it makes you feel very frightened. Well, I hope you're going to survive the show today, Neil, because it's all about animal phobias - and a phobia is a strong and irrational fear. That's a fear not based on reason.

Neil
OK - I'll try. Do you have any animal phobias, Sophie?

Sophie
I can't stand dogs.

Neil
Man's best friend? How can you not like dogs - they're cute and loveable. They protect you. They can do tricks!

Sophie
Look, for you it's moths - and that's pretty ridiculous, by the way - and for me it's dogs. And that isn't ridiculous. Dogs can be aggressive - they have sharp teeth, they bear their teeth and bark.

Neil
What, like this? [sound of dog growling and barking]

Sophie
Yes - and please turn that off, it's upsetting me. It's time for today's quiz question. Can you tell me, Neil, what's the word that describes an irrational fear of insects? Is it...

a) entomophobia?

b) thanatophobia?

Or c) pogonophobia?

Neil
I'll say thanatophobia.

Sophie
Well, we'll find out if you got the answer right later on in the show. But now let's listen to Dr Dean Burnett, neuroscientist at Cardiff University in the UK, talking about what causes phobic reactions in us.

Dr Dean Burnett, neuroscientist at Cardiff University, UK
The sensory information is just relayed directly into your brain. One part of it is routed into the cortex, where it's sort of thought about: 'that's that thing, I know that from last time I experienced this', and you can kind of rationalise your way through it. But it also sends a message directly to the amygdala, which immediately triggers the 'fight or flight' response - bang, fire alarm, off it goes, flood the body just in case. It's a survival mechanism.

Neil
Dr Dean Burnett there. So, the sensory information for me is a moth fluttering around, getting in my hair.

Sophie
That's right - Or for me, it's a dog getting anywhere near me! Anyway, this information goes into our brains and is processed in two different parts of the brain - the central cortex and the amygdala.

Neil
And the information sent to the central cortex triggers a rational response, like, oh it's only a harmless moth - and the stuff that goes to the amygdala triggers an instinctive reaction - the fight or flight response - like, aaarrrggghhh! It's a disgusting moth! Get away from me!

Neil
So, that's the moth flying in my face while I'm reading in bed, and I feel my heart beating so fast I think I'm going to pass out and I nearly die from anxiety.

Stephen and Reena, arachnophobes
'So when I see a spider, I feel like I've been punched in the chest.'
'Complete fear - it's absolutely paralysing. They've never been OK with me. I've always hated them.'
'I've spent a lot of time driving around in the car afraid to go home while my husband worked in London.'
'All rationality goes out the window, and it's... my emotions completely take over.'
'I just.... I just run.'

Neil
You could understand that if you were living in Australia - where a bite from a spider might kill you. But the little spiders you get here in the UK don't seem threatening at all.

Neil
I expect this awareness is to do with our ancestors. It would've been extremely useful to spot a spider as an early human on the plains of the African Savannah. A bite might kill you - or make you vulnerable to attack from other animals.

Sophie
You're right, Neil! But do you think you were right about today's quiz question? I asked: What's the word that describes an irrational fear of insects? Is it... a) entomophobia, b) thanatophobia or c) pogonophobia?

Neil
I said thanatophobia!

Sophie
That's the wrong answer. It's actually a) entomophobia. Entomophobia (also known as insectophobia) is a specific phobia characterized by an excessive or unrealistic fear of one or more classes of insect. Thanatophobia is the fear of death and pogonophobia is the fear of beards or bearded people.

Well, moths are kind of hairy... Let's remind ourselves of some of the words we heard today:
make your flesh creep
phobia
irrational
fight or flight response
pass out
arachnophobes
reflexive awareness

Sophie
And that's the end of today's 6 Minute English. Don't forget to join us again soon!

Both
Bye!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Animal phobias

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Why do we fear animals that pose no threat to us? Sophie and Neil face their own phobias and discuss the reason why fear of spiders is so common. What's the word that describes an irrational fear of insects? Is it... a) entomophobia? b) thanatophobia? c) pogonophobia?

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A news story from BBC's series 6 Minute English. Listen to the program and see if you can hear the answer to their question.

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In this programme, Catherine and Dan will be discussing whether mermaids are actually real or not, as well as teaching you 6 new items of vocabulary.

This week's question:

When did the most recent alleged mermaid sighting take place? Was it:

a) the 1400s

b) 1800s

or c) 2000s?

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary

alleged
said or believed be true but not proven to be true

stumbled across
encountered or found by accident

a different kettle of fish
a completely different matter or issue

hoax
a deception or lie often done for humour or cruelty

serene
calm and peaceful

a getaway
a place you go in order to escape from normal life

Transcript

Note: This is not a word for word transcript

Dan
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English- the show that brings you an interesting topic, authentic listening practice and vocabulary to help you improve your language skills. I'm Dan...

And I'm Catherine. In this programme we'll be discussing mermaids, as well as teaching you 6 new items of vocabulary, of course ...

Dan
How would you like to be a mermaid?

Catherine
A half-human and half-fish? Well, Dan, I think it's all a myth.

Dan
Well, then you'll find this week's question a bit of a difficult one to answer.

Catherine
I suppose I will. Go on then.

Dan
Well, we'll find out if you're right a bit later on. So, what do you know about mermaids, Catherine?

Catherine
Well, a mermaid is a creature that's similar in appearance to a woman but instead of legs, a mermaid has the tail of a fish. The males are called mermen, and they live in the ocean. I thought they were a myth.

Dan
They certainly appear to be mythical. They feature in legends and stories from all over the world. The earliest known one in a story dates from ancient Assyria, around 1000 BC. Can you think of a more modern example?

Catherine
Many people will be familiar with the Disney story, 'The Little Mermaid'.

Dan
Yes. Before it was an animated movie, it was a renowned fairy-tale written by Hans Christian Andersen, first published in 1837. Interestingly, a small bronze statue of the little mermaid has been sitting in Copenhagen in Denmark since 1913.

Catherine
There you go! There's no real evidence.

Dan
What if I told you that over 200 mermaids have recently gathered in Greensboro, North Carolina in the USA?

Catherine
You're telling me fish tales, Dan

Dan
Ok. I'll confess. They aren't real mermaids. Each person is a normal human wearing a waist-high latex tail. They meet to share an interest in aquatic mythology, take underwater photos, and swim. For many of them, it's a source of income too! Listen to Daniel Craig, five year merman, explain.

Daniel Craig, merman
A lot of the mermaids we have attending here are professional mermaids. They will entertain at birthday parties, social events, company events. I stumbled across the mermaiding community merely by accident.

A real, real mermaid? That's a different kettle of fish, which is an idiomatic phrase that means 'a completely different matter or issue'. Well, while we have no hard evidence, such as a photo of a real mermaid, there have been several sightings. One of the more recent ones was in 2009 in Haifa Bay.

Dan
There you go then!

Dan
Well, that I can help with. Let Daniel Craig explain why he likes it so much.

Daniel Craig, merman
It's just serene. It's the perfect place for a temporary getaway.

Catherine
Well, I still don't believe in mermaids, but I do believe, Dan, that you asked me a question.

Catherine
And I said I think it was the 2000s

Dan
And you have hit the nail on the head. Well done.

Catherine
Thank you

You're right. It was the 2000s. It was in 2012 in Zimbabwe and it was reported by the water resource minister. Let's take a look at the vocabulary from this programme. Our first word was alleged. If something is alleged it is 'said or believed be true but not proven to be true'. Can you think of a recent example, Catherine?

US President Donald Trump has alleged that newspapers have been printing fake news, but apparently there's no proof. And our next one was stumbled across. So, if you stumble across something you 'encounter or find it by accident'. It's a phrasal verb and you could also say come across. So, Dan, have you ever stumbled across anything unusual?

Catherine
Spooky.

Next up, we had hoax. And a hoax is 'a deception or lie - which is often done for humour or cruelty'. What was the last hoax you did, Dan?

One Christmas I wrapped a broken lightbulb in a box and gave it to mother as a present. I pretended to drop it and the broken lightbulb made a glass shattering noise and she thought that I had broken her present. After that we heard serene. Serene means 'calm and peaceful'. The noun is serenity. What's your idea of serene, Catherine?

Two weeks, lying on the beach, drinking lemonade, listening to the sound of the sea. Fabulous. And finally we had a getaway. A getaway is an informal word meaning 'a place you go in order to escape from normal life', such as a holiday. So, where's your favourite getaway, Dan?

Catherine
And we are on social media too, so make sure to visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Both
Bye!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Mermaids â Fact or fiction?

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In this programme, Catherine and Dan will be discussing whether mermaids are actually real or not, as well as teaching you 6 new items of vocabulary. When did the most recent alleged mermaid sighting take place? Was it: a) the 1400s b) 1800s or c) 2000s?

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A news story from BBC's series 6 Minute English. Listen to the program and see if you can hear the answer to their question.

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Funerals are sad occasions but some people decide to turn them into joyful celebrations of the dead person's life. Rob and Neil talk about fancy dress funerals and teach you six items of useful vocabulary in this episode of 6 Minute English.

This week's question:

According to a UK survey, how many of us would like our funerals to be more of a party or celebration? Is it...

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary

funeral
a ceremony we hold for a dead person

ceremony
a formal event performed on special occasions - like a wedding, a graduation or a funeral

fancy dress
special clothes you wear to an event to look like a famous person or character from a movie, for example

costume
a set of clothes you wear to look like somebody else

to go all out
to make a big effort

to get carried away
(phrasal verb) to get very excited and lose control of your feelings

Transcript
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript
Rob
Well, nobody really likes to talk about death, do they?

OK. Well, let's start with a quiz question. According to a UK survey, how many of us would like our funerals to be more of a party or celebration? Is it...
a) 5%,
b) 25% or
c) 50%?

Shonnie: It was quite unusual as we turned up in fancy dress.
Interviewer: Had your mum left instructions about how she wanted her funeral to be?
Shonnie:Only that we don't cry, and we... to have a party to celebrate her life. Be happy, don't be sad... I was a witch.
Interviewer: How did you look?
Shonnie: Oh, it was just a little black dress and I just had, like, a little fancy witch hat on - the same as my sister. And we had a very close friend of the family come as Beetlejuice - which was absolutely amazing. He really did go all out for that.

So fancy dress - special clothes you wear to an event - to look like a famous person or character from a movie. Another word we use is costume - which is a set of clothes you wear to look like somebody else.

So have you had any thoughts about the sort of funeral you would like to have?

Neil
Goodbye!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Fancy dress funerals

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Funerals are sad occasions but some people decide to turn them into joyful celebrations of the dead person's life. Rob and Neil talk about fancy dress funerals and teach you six items of useful vocabulary in this episode of 6 Minute English.

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This is a story about two criminals, a bet, and a very, very tall building. Also there are pigeons. It's in two parts and each part is ca 24 minutes.

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Skip's ESL BITS - ESL English Listening Advanced - ESL English Listening Intermediate - ESL English Listening Songs - ESL Listening Audiobooks

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This is a classic ghost story from 1887 written by Oscar Wilde, about an American family moving into an old English castle and the ghost who tries to scare them away. You can read or listen. It is in three parts, each part is ca 30 minutes.

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Skip's ESL BITS - ESL English Listening Advanced - ESL English Listening Intermediate - ESL English Listening Songs - ESL Listeninmg Audiobooks

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This is a story by Stephen King about a man who gets given a mysterious home built word processor (computer) by his nephew. You can read or listen, it takes ca 50 minutes.

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Skip’s ESL BITS - English Language Learning - ESL Listening Stories, Songs, Audiobooks