St. Matthew’s Students Build Interactive Haunted House

This fall, 4th graders in Lower School and 5th graders in Middle School at St. Matthews Parish School transformed creativity into code, collaborating on an innovative haunted house that brought together art, engineering, and technology. The project began with a simple idea: repurpose the cardboard boxes that arrive each year at the start of school. Students constructed an interactive haunted attraction where technology meets Halloween magic.

Using Micro:bits and block coding, they created motion-sensing decorations that respond with flashing lights, haunting melodies, and surprising movements. After cutting their designs on the ChompSaw, students integrated sensors and programmed microcontrollers to bring each spooky scene to life. The hands-on project combined multiple disciplines: engineering moving displays, coding interactive features, designing visual effects, and problem-solving as a team. Students worked with cardboard, recycled materials, sensors, and LEDs to transform their imaginative ideas into functioning Halloween displays.

“Students are discovering how creativity and technology can work hand in hand,” said Mrs. Cardenas, Lower School Innovation teacher and Mr. Capone, Middle School Maker and Innovation Specialist. “They’ve turned the house into a laboratory of imagination—where coding, sound, and creation meet Halloween fun.” The Haunted House opened to students and staff just in time for Halloween, featuring responsive animatronics, musical pumpkins, and creepy surprises—all designed, built, and programmed by students who proved that innovation and imagination make the perfect team.

Through the design process, students developed skills in STEAM while also practicing teamwork, communication, and creative problem-solving. The project demonstrated how creative coding and collaboration can transform simple materials into something extraordinary.