Halloween was here, and children already had their own plans. Some were busy deciding what costume to wear, others were looking forward to collecting candies, and there were plenty of pumpkin decorating and spooky stories too.
We had a great little idea this time. Why not bring some French into Halloween this year? We didn’t plan anything big. Even a few words picked up while decorating the house or playing a game could make things interesting.
And Halloween has quite a few words that children might enjoy learning.
Some Halloween words in French
Let’s see how many of these words our students picked up during their Halloween lesson. You might recognize a few yourself!
- Une citrouille – A pumpkin
- Un fantôme – A ghost
- Une sorcière – A witch
- Un vampire – A vampire
- Un bonbon – A candy
- Un monstre – A monster
- Une araignée – A spider
- Un chat noir – A black cat
We had a start with the pumpkin, ghost, and witch. Children see these things quite often around Halloween. Say the words together. We asked kids to repeat them, then checked whether they could remember them a little later.
We also put the French names on small slips of paper and stuck them next to the Halloween decorations. If there are younger children, pictures can help too. And it wasn’t a test! Just a little practice with the words now and then.
When they were doing Halloween crafts?
A pumpkin? A ghost? Maybe a rather scary-looking monster?
During the Halloween craft activity, we brought in a few French words. Students talked about the colors and practiced words they may already know, such as orange, noir (black), blanc (white), and rouge (red).
We also tried asking Quelle couleur? (What color?) or Qu’est-ce que c’est? (What is it?)
It turned into a little conversation, with some students giving one-word answers and others saying a little more. That’s fine too!
A little guessing game
Here’s another thing we tried during the Halloween lesson. Think of a Halloween character or animal and give clues. Let the others guess.
For example: Il est noir. Il a quatre pattes. Il miaule.
A black cat!
Students took turns with this. Older children could try describing a witch, a monster, or a ghost in French. Younger ones could guess from pictures. A little help with some of the words was needed, but that’s part of the fun!
And how do you say Trick or Treat?
They probably already knew the English expression. But had they heard Des bonbons ou un sort!? That’s the French version of “Trick or treat!”
Another useful expression they learned was Joyeux Halloween! (Happy Halloween!)
They also got to practice saying these expressions during the Halloween activity.
A little French beyond the usual lessons
There are plenty of ways to bring a language into everyday life. It doesn’t always have to involve a workbook or a grammar exercise. Sometimes children remember a word because they heard it while doing something fun.
Halloween is just one opportunity. Birthdays, Christmas, family outings, and so many other occasions can bring new words and expressions to life.
At VFI, we want children to enjoy learning French and gradually become more comfortable using it. Activities like these can be a nice addition to their regular lessons.
And who knows? Next time your child sees a pumpkin, they might call it une citrouille without even thinking about it!