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Who Stole the Pumpkin?: A Halloween mystery speaking game for teens

Every student gets one secret clue. They can say it, never show it. Together the group works out who stole the pumpkin, where and when.

Free, no sign-in. A4 and US Letter. Answer keys included.

The how-to-teach video comes out on Mon 26 Oct.

• Ages 11 to 17: Teens
• Pre-intermediate +: About A2 to B1
• 15 minutes: One case
• Groups of 4: One clue each
• Past continuous: and must have been

Free printables

Everything you need for the game, ready to print in black and white.

• Clue cards and teacher page (3 pages, PDF): Three ready cases (four clues each), blank cards for students' own case, and the answers on a teacher page. A4 · US Letter
• Case board and detective notes (2 pages, PDF): The suspect line-up to project or copy, and half-page notes to cross off suspects, places and times. A4 · US Letter
• Worksheet: Support, Core, Challenge (4 pages, PDF): After-the-game practice at three levels, with a QR code for home practice and an answer key. A4 · US Letter

Who Stole the Pumpkin? in four steps

1. Set the case. Write on the board: "Someone stole the pumpkin last night!" Then WHO? (vampire, witch, zombie, ghost), WHERE? (kitchen, library, garden) and WHEN? (8, 9, 10 PM).
2. Deal the clues. Groups of four. Each student gets one secret clue card. They read it and say it, but never show it.
3. Share and cross off. Students share their clues and cross off suspects, places and times on their detective notes.
4. Solve it. The first team to say who, where and when ("It must have been the …, in the …, at …!") wins a point.

Tip: Watch for the student who holds up the card. Read it, hide it, say it out loud.

Easier: Groups of two, two clues each. Put the case board on the board for everyone. Harder: Case 3 hides one lie in the clues. Then groups write a case for another group on the blank cards.

A case you can run right now

The video case, ready to copy

Write this on the board: "Someone stole the pumpkin last night!" WHO? vampire, witch, zombie, ghost. WHERE? kitchen, library, garden. WHEN? 8, 9, 10 PM. Then give each student one clue:

1. The thief was wearing a long black cape.
2. The pumpkin was sitting in the kitchen until ten.
3. At ten, the witch was flying over the town.
4. The zombie was sleeping in the garden all night.

The answer and two more cases (one with a lie) are on the teacher page of the clue card file.

Language

Past continuous (The thief was wearing…, The witch was flying…) and guessing about the past (It must have been… / It can't have been… because…).

It must have been…, It can't have been… because…, was wearing, was flying, was sleeping

Why it works

Students use the past continuous because they need it: their clue is the only way the group finds out what each suspect was doing, and "It can't have been the witch because she was flying over the town" is how they argue their way to an answer.

What you need

Groups of four, one clue each. About 15 minutes for one case. The free printables above cover everything else.

Practise at home

The worksheet QR code opens the Halloween crossword, free, no sign-in.

Make a Halloween mystery Escape Room

Students solve clues on the board to escape. Type a topic, it's ready in about a minute. Make it free

More Halloween classroom games

• Ghost Story Chain: A Halloween speaking game for teens
• Draw My Monster: A Halloween listening game for kids and teens

Who Stole the Pumpkin? FAQ

What level is Who Stole the Pumpkin?

Pre-intermediate and up (about A2 to B1), ages 11 to 17. Case 1 works with strong A2 groups; Case 3, with a lie, suits B1.

How many clue cards do I need?

One set of four clues per group of four. Print one page of cards for every two groups, or give each pair two clues.

What grammar does it practise?

The past continuous (was wearing, was flying, was sitting) and modals of deduction for the past (must have been, can't have been).

Can students make their own case?

Yes. The clue card file has blank cards, and the Challenge worksheet walks students through writing a case for a partner.

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