October is one of my favorite months to teach writing. Between the excitement of Halloween and all things spooky, it’s the perfect time to tap into students’ creativity. That’s why I love doing a Monster Writing Unit—it’s hands-on, imaginative, and hits every major writing standard!
Step 1: Create Your Monster
Start by letting students design their own monsters.
- They can draw their monster,
- Build one with craft materials, or
- Use store-bought kits (like magnetic monster makers or sticker sets).
Each student ends up with a completely unique creature that becomes the “star” of their writing pieces all month long.
💡 Tip: Encourage creativity! Monsters don’t have to be scary—some can be friendly, silly, or even shy.
Step 2: Bring the Monsters to Life Through Writing
Once the monsters are made, it’s time to write! These prompts can easily fill your October writing block and cover multiple genres:
How-To Writing: How to Build a Monster, How to Catch a Monster, How to Take Care of a Monster
Opinion Writing: Would You Want This Monster as a Pet? Why or Why Not?
Narrative Writing: Write a story where your monster is the main character!
Informational Writing: Write a biography about your monster!
Descriptive Writing: Create a Wanted Poster to describe your monster and offer a silly reward!
Each activity gives students a chance to explore different types of writing while staying connected to one creative theme.
Step 3: Plan, Write, and Publish
Before students jump right into writing, have them plan their ideas using graphic organizers or sequencing charts. Depending on your students’ needs, they can:
- Use First, Next, Then, Last pages,
- Organize thoughts with character/setting/problem/solution charts, or
- Go straight to a final draft page.
The variety of pages makes it easy to differentiate for kindergarten through second grade.
Step 4: Display Their Work
Once students finish, turn their writing into something special!
- Create a bulletin board titled “Monstrous Writing” or “Have You Seen This Monster?”
- Or bind pages into a class book so everyone can flip through each other’s stories.
- The included bulletin board letters and class book covers make it quick and easy to display.
Your classroom will instantly look festive for October—and your students will be so proud to see their monsters “published”!
Why Teachers Love This Unit
✔️ Covers multiple writing standards
✔️ Differentiated for K–2
✔️ Hands-on and engaging
✔️ Perfect for centers, early finishers, or whole-group lessons
✔️ Makes adorable bulletin boards or class books
Ready to Get Started?
You can grab my complete Monster Writing Pack on Teachers Pay Teachers — it includes everything you need to make your classroom’s October writing block a monstrously good time!
Looking For More Halloween Fun?
Find more Halloween fun in my TPT shop, including creating a suncatcher, a fun activity for staff, and more!
