Halloween and Pumpkins

TISSUE PAPER PUMPKIN
these little pumpkins turn out really cute and all have their own personality. Take a handful of poly-fil fiber and smash around in hands until shaped like a ball. Lay a orange piece of tissue paper on the table, put ball of fiber fill in center and pull edges up around it. tie off with what is handy for you. Trim to a nice stem length, take a green pipe cleaner and twist around and shape like vines. You can also add some curling ribbon for a prettier look. Let the children cut out jack o lanter features from black construction paper, and glue on. It is so cute, and the kids just adore their own jack o lantern.
PUMPKIN PUMPKIN
Pumpkin, Pumpkin sitting on a wall; (have a child sit down)
Pumpkin, Pumpkin tip and fall; (have child tip over)
Pumpkin, Pumpkin rolling down the street; (child rolls on floor)
Pumpkin, Pumpkin trick or treat.
5 PUMPKINS
Five baby pumpkins rockin' in the patch.
One rolled over and hit the thatch.
Mama called the farmer and the farmer said "Do that again and you'll
crack your head"
Four baby pumpkins rockin' in teh patch. (and so on)
Last verse: One little pumpkin rockin' in the patch. It rolled
over and hit the thatch.
Mama called the farmer and the farmer said "It must
be time for you to go to bed"
I'M A LITTLE PUMPKIN
(Sung to the tune of "I'm A Little Teapot")
I'm a little pumpkin short and stout; (Squat down with hands on hips)
Here are my eyes and here is my mouth; (Point to each part as named)
When it's Halloween and you are out (Point to audience)
Just lift my lid and hear me shout. (Pretend to lift lid)
BOO! (Jump up and shout BOO!)

Pumpkin Roll Relay
Ripen gross motor skills with this unusual relay race. In advance, have parents donate two small pumpkins that students can easily
roll. Then on a perfect fall day, head outside with your youngsters. Divide your class into two teams and provide each team with a pumpkin. At the start signal, the first child on each team rolls the pumpkin to a designated spot. Then he/she rolls the pumpkin back to the team and tags the next child in line. The relay continues in this manner until each child has had a chance to roll the pumpkin.
Since preschoolers shoudn't play competitive games, you can make it non-competitive by ...allowing the children to take turns rolling it to a designated spot... not putting them in teams.
The Pumpkins Are Here
{Tune: Farmer in the Dell}
The pumpkins are here, the pumpkins are there.
The pumpkins, the pumpkins are everywhere.
The pumpkins are up, the pumpkins are down.
The pumpkins, the pumpkins are all around.
The pumpkin are in, the pumpkins are out.
The pumpkins, the pumpkins are all about
The pumpkins are low, the pumpkins are high.
The pumpkins, the pumpkins all say good-bye!

CUTE PUMPKIN PIE ARTS CRAFT
Cut a paper plate into fourths. Have the children paint them with brown and
orange paint. Glue a cotton ball on the top, and sprinkle with a little
cinnamon or nutmeg and they have pumpkin pie.
BLACK PLAYDOH
Every year around Halloween I make my regular playdoh and I use Wilton's
Black Cake Paste to color it. You have to use alot of the paste to get
a deep rich black. The kids love it and the adults always "marval" at
the unusual color. I also do spider and bat themes to tie into the
color and extend the use of the playdoh.
PUMPKIN IDEAS
Cut several pumpkins in half (vertically) and place 3 or 4 at a time in the sensory table form the kids to explore. Have enough halves ready so that each child gets a chance to explore a relatively fresh one. Provide spoons, scissors, tweezers, 'dixie' cups for collecting seeds, and plastic or rubber gloves.
Create a "pumpkin patch bulletin board". Make (or have kids make) one construction paper pumpkin for each child, plus a few extras. Instead of drawing or cutting faces for the pumpkins, cut each child's face from a fairly close up, portrait style photograph, and paste on the pumpkins. Glue a little real (or yarn) straw around at the bottom, and a moon and some clouds above. Can use thick rug yarn for vines, and just fan/spread it a little where it attaches to each pumpkin
PUMPKIN SONG
Pumpkin Song:
(have children use hand movements to act out pushing the pumpkin up a steep
hill and then rolling motions as it speeds down faster & faster!!)
PUSH! that pumpkin up th hill
PUSH! that pumpkin up the hill
PUSH! that pumpkin up the hill......
It's time for Halloween!
uh oh!!!!!
ROLL ! that pumpkin down the hill
ROLL! that pumpkin down the hill
ROLL! that pumpkin down the hill........
It's time for Halloween!
Repeat!
SQUISH ART PUMPKIN
Do this activity in small groups as it needs some supervision. For each child, fold an 11"x 18" piece of white construction paper in half widthwise (to create 9" x 11" sheet), then reopen. Guide the children in dropping orange and yellow drops of paint, using eyedroppers in a rough semicircle area near the fold on one half of the paper (if it helps, you could lightly mark the area you want covered). Fold the paper in half and rub (SQUISH IT!!). When opened it should be a rough circle or oval. Now drop one drop of green paint near the middle top, a drop of black for one eye, a small drop for the nose and a few drops on one side for the mouth. Fold and squish again. Reopen and you have made a jack-of-lantern. The kids learn about symmetry (you don't have to use the word 'symmetry' if you don't want to), the 'half' concept, fine motor skills (using an eyedropper) and LOVE to "squish". A class ends up with a whole variety of pumpkins to display which will spur discussion amongst children for weeks.
5 ORANGE PUMPKIN FELT STORY
FIVE ORANGE PUMPKINS
Once there were 5 orange pumpkins growing in a pumpkin patch.There was a GIANT pumpkin, a LARGE pumpkin, a MEDIUM pumpkin, a SMALL pumpkin and a TINY pumpkin. (Put them on the flannelboard one by one.)
A man came by and looked at the five pumpkins. He picked up the giant pumpkin. "This will be a fine pumpkin to put in my store window." he said.
(Remove the GIANT pumpkin.)
Soon a woman came by and looked at the four pumpkins still growing in the pumpkin patch. She picked up the large pumpkin. "This will be a fine
pumpkin to set on my doorstep" she said. (Remove large)
Next a teacher came by and looked at the three pumpkins still growing in the pumpkin patch. She chose the medium pumpkin. "This will be a fine pumpkin
for my classroom!" she said. (Remove medium)
Then a baker came by and looked at the two pumpkins still growing in the pumpkin patch. He found the small pumpkin. "This will be just fine for a
pumpkin pie!" he said. (Remove small).
Finally a little boy dressed in a ghost costume stopped by the pumpkin patch. He saw the tiny pumpkin that was left. "This is just right to take
to my Halloween party!" he said. So he took the pumpkin, painted a face on it and said "This is my best Jack-o-lantern ever!"
DINNER IN PUMPKIN
1 small to medium pumpkin
1 4-oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 onion, chopped
1 10-oz can cream of chicken soup
2 TBS vegetable oil
1 8-oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 1/2 to 2 lbs ground beef
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
2 TBS soy sauce
2 TBS brown sugar
Cut off top of pumpkin; clean out seeds and pulp. Paint on appropriate face on front of pumpkin with pemanent marker or acrylic paint. In a large skillet, saute' onion in oil until tender; add meat and brown. Drain drippings from skillet. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms and soup; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cooked rice and water chestnuts. Spoon mixture into pumpkin shell. Replace pumpkin top and place entire pumpkin, with filling, on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour in 350 degree oven or until inside meat of pumpkin is tender. Put pumpkin on a plate; remove top and serve. For your vegetable, scoop out cooked pumpkin and serve. Serves 6 people
PUMPKIN SEED PAINTING
I cut a piece of manila or finger-paint paper to the height of a Pringles can.
Put a small spoon of paint inside the can, pour in a few seeds, and then slide in the paper.
Put lid on can and shake well.
The seeds make a cool design, similar to splatter painting but less messy!
Pumpkin Pancakes
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1¾ cups milk
3 tablespoons oil or melted butter
½ cup canned pumpkin
1. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and pumpkin spice in large bowl
2. Whisk the eggs & milk in separate bowl. Whisk in the butter or oil and
the canned pumpkin. Pour over the dry ingredients and stir, but do not beat.
Batter may be lumpy.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in griddle - cook pancakes!
MAKES ABOUT 20 PANCAKES
PUMPKIN ROLLING
We have a pumpkin rolling contest outside on the playground. Each child takes a turn and rolls the pumpkin as hard as they can. We measure the distance and figure out why some pumpkins rolled better/worse than others.
FINE MOTOR SKILL PUMPKIN
I also make a pumpkin shape from felt and then I sewed on 2 buttons for eyes 1 for the nose and 1 for the mouth, I then cut out different shape eyes, nose and mouths for the kids to button on to make a funny face. Good practice for those little finders
PUMPKIN ART
Another cute craft is to paint a pumpkin vine ( or use die cut) then paint the 'fist' of the child orange between the knuckles. Print down on the paper and it looks like a pumpkin. Add leaves.
Little Hoot Owl
(sung to the tune of "Six Little Ducks")
Who flies around in the dark of night?
Who glides on wings o'er silent night?
Who eats his dinner by late moonlight?
It's a little hoot owl with his owl eyesight!

Who-who, who-who, little hoot owl.
Who-who, who-who, little hoot owl.
Who-who, who-who, little hoot owl.
MILK CARTON PUMPKIN
Submitted by Barbara
. Take a milk jug and remove lable.Pour orange paint into jug, put cap on. Have children turn jug upside down and all around. You may need to add more paint. The paint will coat the inside. Remove excess paint. Leave cover off to dry. Glue green cover on. Have black triangles cut out, squares,and circles so children can glue them on. I put out wiggly eyes and string to give the children a choice.
PUMPKIN BOWLING
Submitted by Julie
I did it the other day with the kids and they loved it! I used small pumpkins for the bowling balls and apples with
popsicle sticks stuck in them for the pins
PUMPKIN SEED PRALINE
Submitted by Kathy
Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 hr.
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup hulled (green) pumpkin seeds, toasted
Preheat oven to 250°F. Lightly oil a large sheet of foil on a baking sheet and keep warm in oven.
Cook sugar, water, and a pinch of salt in a deep 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a metal fork, until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden. Immediately stir in pumpkin seeds and quickly pour onto foil, spreading into a thin sheet before it hardens. (If caramel hardens and is difficult to spread, put in a 400°F oven until warm enough to spread, 1 to 2 minutes.)
Cool praline on baking sheet on a rack until completely hardened, then break into large pieces.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
PUMPKIN SUNCATCHERS
Supplies
icecream pail lid
2x2 inch squares of orange tissue
black tissue for a jack-o-lantern face, pre-cut if necessary
diluted glue, 2 parts glue to 1 part water
large paint brush
Have the children paint portions of the lid with the glue mixture and cover them with the orange tissue squares, leaving no spaces. The tissue can be overlapped. Lots of glue should be spread over the lid as well as over the tissue. A face can be added, or a green top. Allow these to dry overnight, the next day carefully peel the tissue circle from the lid. (Usually I trim any jagged edges before displaying.)You will have shiny, transparent pumpkins which look great on a window!
PUMPKIN SONG
Submitted by Debbie
We go on a field trip to a farm and have a pumpkin hunt/hayride each year. This is a favorite pumpkin song the children always seem to enjoy singing.
Way Down Yonder In The Pumpkin Patch
Where oh Where are all the children?
Where oh Where are all the children?
Where oh Where are all the children?
Way down yonder in the pumpkin patch.
Pickin' up pumpkins, put 'em in the wagon.
Pickin' up pumpkins, put 'em in the wagon.
Pickin' up pumpkins, put 'em in the wagon.
Way down yonder in the pumpkin patch.
Take them home and cut them open.
Take them home and cut them open.
Take them home and cut them open.
Way down yonder in the pumpkin patch.
Make a (silly) jack-o-lantern
Make a (silly) jack-o-lantern
Make a (silly) jack-o-lantern
Way down yonder in the pumpkin patch.
Our favorite verse is the last one. We change the kind of
jack-o-lantern we are going to make (happy, sad, spooky, sleepy etc.)
and create dramatic motions to use during the song.
The Haunted House
(Tune of "Wheels on the Bus")
The ghost in the house goes "Boo! Boo! Boo!"
"Boo! Boo! Boo!, Boo! Boo! Boo!"
The ghost in the house goes "Boo! Boo! Boo!"
On Halloween.
The steps in the house goes "Creek, creek, creek..."
The cats in the house go "Meow, meow, meow..."
The mice in the house go "Squeak, squeak, squeak.."
The people in the house go "Eek, eek, eek...".
Where is the Ghostie?
Have the children lay down on the floor putting their noses to the carpet. Cover one of the children with a sheet and ask, "Who is the ghostie?" - the cue that they can sit up. When they sit up, the sheet-covered child will look like a ghost and the other children have to guess who the ghost is.
THREE LITTLE PUMPKINS
Three little pumpkins
Sitting on a fence.
A witch came riding by,
Ha, Ha, Ha!
I'll take you all
And make a pumpkin pie!
WHAT TO DO WITH OLD PUMPKINS?
Submitted by Kathy
This can be done with a fresh pumpkin or a Jack-o-Lantern on November 1st. Cut the pumpkin into several pieces. Put these into Ziploc® bags. The children may decide to add "ingredients" such as salt, water, paint, etc. Label what has been added to the bag and tape these to a window. Each day check these for for various types of mold growth or other changes. Decomposition is quite a lovely process! Also, keep one piece in the fridge and keep comparing.
Use a pumpkin as a flower vase by cutting the top off a small pumpkin. Scoop it out and arrange colorful flowers in it.
PUMPKIN COUNTING BOOK
Make a counting book out of orange paper in the shape of a pumpkin. One = 1 seed, two = 2 seeds and so on. Optional: glue orange yarn around the seeds to represent the pumpkin "guts".
YARN PUMPKINS
Blow up a round balloon. Dip orange yarn into a mixture of one part glue and one part water. wrap yarn around the balloon until completely covered. Let dry, then pop balloon, use black craft foam to make face.
PUMPKIN RECIPES
Pumpkin Pancakes: add pumpkin pie spice (already sweetened and flavored usually Libby's brand) to your regular pancake recipe. Grill and serve, they don't even need syrup!
Pumpkin Milkshakes: Use mix vanilla ice cream, milk an already sweetened and flavored pumpkin pie spice (Libby's ® pie filling is great) blend and serve. Delicious!
PUMPKIN SPIDERS
Paint a small pumpkin completely black. Hot glue eight black chenille stems to the stem. Bend the stems to create joints for the legs. Paint a face or add wiggly eyes.
RECYCLED PUMPKINS
You get (3) pumpkins each a little smaller in size such as a snowman. Paint them with white paint, stack, and decorate for winter.
WITCH'S SPELL:
Have kids form a circle. The Witch (teacher) will stand in the middle of the circle, spin around, then raise her hand and cast a spell on the kids, turning them into a particular animal.
Say: "Hocus, Pocus, Ala Kazam!
Turn into dogs, if you can!"
To change all animals back into kids:
Say: "Hocus Pocus Ala Kazam!
Now turn back into you!"
Dog, cat, bird, cow, rabbit, fish, horse, sheep, ghost, witch, etc.
PRETTY COFFEE FILTER PUMPKINS
Submitted by Brenda
have the kids color on coffee filters with orange and yellow crayons. Then fold into a wedge shape, dip the end in a bowl of water for about 3 seconds, and hold it upside down for a minute or two to let the water soak down through the filter. The colors will bleed together look really cool. Add a stem and leaf to make a pumpkin. For Halloween you can decorate them to make a jack-o-lantern. They look awesome in your windows when the light shines through them.
CONTACT PAPER PUMPKINS
First, tear tissue paper into 1-2 inch pieces, then cut a circular shape from contact paper. I leave the backing on until we are ready to stick the tissue paper on top. Remove the backing, leave the sticky side up, place the tissue paper all over the paper, I use shades of orange and some yellow. Leave a little space uncovered around the edges. Make a top, remove backing and lay over the first circle. I usually have to trim alittle to make the edges even. These are very pretty hanging in the window too!
Hint: tell the children to just lay the tissue paper on gently so their fingers don't stick. They usually get the idea after their finger sticks the first time!LOL
PUMPKIN IDEAS
Submitted by Kim
We always grow some pumpkins in our garden. In October we take 2 to our sensory table. One is left whole. The other is cut in half. The kids then get to play with the "goop" (seeds and guts!) I just use a big shallow Rubbermaid container on my table.
Pumpkin seed flowers
Use a piece of poster board or heavy construction paper.Glue the seeds in a circle with the pointed edge out. Glue another circle of seeds in between, with the pointed edge in. Put gold glitter in the middle and you can paint the seeds any color you like. Or of course you can leave them plain!
Seed Painting
I cut a piece of manila or finger-paint paper to the height of a Pringles can.
Put a small spoon of paint inside the can, pour in a few seeds, and then slide in the paper. Put lid on can and shake well.
The seeds make a cool design, similar to splatter painting but less messy!
PUMPKIN BELLS
Submitted by Sue
Pumpkin bells, pumpkins bells,
Ringing loud and clear.
Oh what fun we have with them,
When Halloween is near!
PUMPKIN PIES
Submitted by Lisa
I drew a pie shape on construction paper, the children brush on glue and then are allowed to sprinkle on spices like
cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves from a shaker. They then get to glue on whole cloves. The smell when they are
dry is wonderful!
GHOST SONGS
Submitted by Rhonda
This Old Ghost
Tune: This Old Man
This old ghost, he played one,
He played peek-a-boo on the run.
With a boo! boo! Boo! and a clap! clap! snap.
This old ghost is a friendly chap.
This old ghost, he played two.
He played peek-a-boo in a shoe.
With a boo! boo! boo! and a clap! clap! snap.
This old ghost is a friendly chap.
This old ghost, he played three.
He played peek-a-boo behind a tree.
With a boo! boo! boo! and a clap! clap! snap.
This old ghost is a friendly chap.
Six Little Ghosts That I Once Knew
Tune: Six Little Ducks
Six little ghosts that I once knew;,
Spooky ones, kooky ones, shy ones too.
But the one little ghost had a special job to do,
He led the others with a Boo! Boo! Boo!
Boo! Boo! Boo!
Boo! Boo! Boo!
He led the others with a Boo! Boo! Boo!
Down to the haunted house they flew,
In and out, round about, through and through,
But the one little ghost had a special job to do,
He led the others with a Boo! Boo! Boo!
Boo! Boo! Boo!
Boo! Boo! Boo!
He led the others with a Boo! Boo! Boo!
Trick or Treat!
(sung to the tune of “Where Is Thumbkin?”)
Trick-or-treaters!
Point to self.
Trick-or-treaters!
Knock, knock, knock.
Pretend to knock on a door.
Knock, knock, knock.
Happy Halloween!
Pretend to hold out trick-or-treat bag.
Happy Halloween!
Walk, walk, walk.
Walk in place or around a circle.
Walk, walk, walk.
SENSORY HAUNTED HOUSE
Submitted by Rhonda
the night before and set up cardboard boxes to create a maze in the room. Lights were low and there was eerie music playing throughout the room. At every turn, there were sensory activity:
-Feely bags (chicken bones, dried apricots, peeled grapes, etc.)
-Guess the smell. Plastic pumpkins (with cotton balls inside) saturated with
various smell. (vinegar, pine, lemon, peppermint, smoke)
-Optical illusions. Charts with several optical illusions printed on them.
-What's that sound? Cans filled with various objects the kids had to guess.
-Taste. At the end, of the maze, each child was given the opportunity to
taste some "Dirt Dessert" Obviously with worms in it!
-Mini golf. Students golfed using plastic eyeballs and tried to get it into
the cup.
Halloween Goblins
Submitted by Rebecca
1 package 10 refrigerated biscuits (makes 6 goblins)
Maraschino cherries
Raisins
Sliced almonds
small tube of icing, if desired
Butter and/or jam
Heat oven to 450*. Place 6 biscuit on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cut other 4 biscuits into quarters and use them to make ears or hats for the goblins by pressing into the whole biscuits. Slice maraschino cherries into pieces and use them, raisins, and almond slivers to make goblin faces. Bake 8-10 minutes or till golden brown. Remove from oven with potholders. Add designs to the faces with icing, if desired. Eat with butter and/or jam.
MONSTERS THEME
Submitted by Patricia
*Five Little Monsters
Five little monsters by the light of the moon
Stirring pudding with a wooden pudding spoon.
The first one says, "It musn't be runny."
The second one says, "That would make it taste funny."
The third one says, "It musn't be lumpy."
The fourth one says, "That would make me grumpy."
The fifth one smiles, hums a little tune,
And licks all the drippings from the wooden pudding spoon!
by Eve Merriam, from Read Along Rhymes
*Horns and Fangs
(sing to "Head and Shoulders")
Horns and fangs,
knees and claws,
knees and claws.
Horns and fangs,
knees and claws.
Eyes and ears and tail and paws.
* You Are My Monster
(sing to (You Are My Sunshine")
You are my monster,
My only monster.
You make me happy,
When I am sad.
You never know dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take
My monster away!
* What Do Monsters Do?
What do monsters do?
They stretch and touch their toes.
What do monsters do?
They comb their purple hair.
What do monsters do?
They stick out their green tongues.
What do monsters do?
They brush their teeth with a broom.
What do monsters do?
They rub their yellow eyes.
What do monsters do?
They wiggle their orange ears.
Boy, am I glad that I'm not a monster!
Happy and Know It MOnsters Song
Make a several copies of a monster shape. Draw a face on each one to represent an emotion. Sing the following song to the tune of "If You're Happy And You Know It".
Happy monsters like to sing and clap their hands. (Clap hands)
Happy monsters like to sing and clap their hands. (Clap hands)
Happy monsters like to sing.
Happy monsters clap their hands.
Happy monsters like to sing and clap their hands. (Clap hands)
Additional verses:
Sad monsters sometimes frown and start to cry. (Rub eyes)
Mad monsters stop to think, then count to five.(Count to five)
Scared monsters gulp and think of something nice.(Gulp)
Proud monsters stand up tall and say, "Hurray!" ((Say, "Hurray")
If You Are a Monster (tune: If you're happy and you know it)
If you're a monster and you know it wave your arms
If you're a monster and you know it wave your arms.
If you're a monster and you know then your arms will surely show it.
If you're a monster and you know it wave your arms.
Continue with:
...show your claws
...gnash your teeth
...stomp your feet
...growl out loud
Five Little Monsters
This little monster has a big red nose
This little monster has purple toes.
This little monster plays all night.
This little monster is such a fright.
And this little monster goes:
"Tee-hee-hee"
"I'm not scary, I'm just silly me."
(Hold up hand and point to each finger)
Ten Little Monsters (10 little Indians)
One little, two little, three little monsters,
Big wild eyes and skin with fuzzy furs\
Climbing on the stairs
When no one knows they're there,
Heigh, ho monsters are here.
One little, two little, three little trolls
Playing in the woods
where fern and moss grow.
running through the trees and having lots of fun.
Heigh-ho monsters are here.
5 little monsters
5 little monsters sleeping in my bed
1 crawled out from under my spread
I called to Mama and Mama said
"no more monsters sleeping in your bed"
continue until there are no little monsters and say "no little monsters sleeping in my bed none crawling out from under my spread I called to Mama and Mama said "there are no more monsters, go to bed!"
We're going on a Monster Hunt
We're going on a monster hunt.
Were going to find a big one!
We're not scared, but....
What if he's under the bed? Better go over it. Squoosh, squoosh, squoosh.
What if he is in the closet. Better close it. Slam, slam, slam.
What if he is behind the curtains? Better open them. Swish, swish, swish.
What if he's in the hallway? better tiptoe down it. Tiptoe, tiptoe.
What if he's in the garage? Better stomp through it. Stomp. stomp, stomp.
Aahh! It's a monster!
What's that you say?
You're big, but you're friendly, and you want to go to bed?
Now we're not afraid of monsters, so...
Stomp through the garage,
Walk through the hallway,
Close the curtains,
Open the closet,
Jump into bed,
And turn out the lights! Click!
If I were a Monster
If I were a happy monster, I'd go ha, ha, ha!
If I were a sad monster, I'd go boo, hoo, hoo.
If I were a mad monster, I'd go stomp, stomp, stomp!
If I were a scared monster, I'd go AAHH! AAHH! AAHH!
But I'm just me, you see, so I'll go (sound or action child's choice)
Tune: "Did You Ever See A Lassie"
If you ever see a monster,
A big ugly monster.
If you ever see a monster,
Here's what you do!
Make this face......
And this face.....
And this face.....
And this face.....
If you ever see a monster...
Be sure to shout...BOOOOO!!!!
The Monsters Are So Loud
(tune:"When Johnny Comes Marching Home")
The monsters stomp around the house,
Boom boom ,boom boom
The monsters stomp around the house,
Boom boom, boom boom
The monsters stomp around the house,
Their brothers and sisters send them out
And they stomp some more outside the house.
The monsters yell around the house,
Eeeeh! Eeeh!
The monsters yell around the house,
Eeeeh! EeeeH!
The monsters yell around the house,
Their brothers and sisters send them out
And they yell some more outside around the house. (author unknown)
Arts & Crafts:
After reading The Monster At The End Of This Book by Jon Stone (which is great if any child has a fear of monsters) you can reinforce the circle shape by making a Grover. Use a large blue circle for his face, two white circles for his eyes and a pink circle for his nose.
THE BLOB (Paint a picture with a sponge)
Draw a shape on a piece of paper. Cut out the shape. Place the Blob.
Patter on top of another piece of paper (can tape down). Use a sponge to dab paint along the edges where the pattern and piece of paper meet. Remove the pattern. Use crayons to draw a face on your Blob any way you like it.
We take paper plates and let the child decorate their own monster face. They cut out eyes, nose and mouth. They use yarn, glitter, sequins, colored pasta, markers, crayons, tissue paper...anything we have in the art center. Then we paper hole punch a hole on each side, and add yarn to tie the mask on. The children all name the type of monster they are and we all parade around the room to the tune of the " Monster Mash".
Let Children make a monster headband, Cut a monster shape, and add to a band for around head. Let them decorate with different collage items, buttons, wiggly eyes, crayons, feathers, felt, tissue paper, etc... let them decorate to be a unique monster. staple around the head and do a Monster stomp!
Group activity
Tape a large sheet of bulletin board paper on the tabletop. Draw an outline of a monster and provide the children with various collage materials and art equipment. Let them create their own friendly monster. Cut out and display!
Literature
Read the book Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.
Children may make their own "wild things" using paper bags, buttons, yarn, etc... They may be used as puppets and the children can retell the story.
Make juice can puppet monsters: One clean frozen juice can per puppet
Construction paper or fabric for body Glue Felt or paper strips for arms and legs Buttons, feathers, fabric, glitter, paper, and other assorted decorations. Cover the juice can by gluing on construction paper or fabric, then place the can upright on a table (with the opening at the bottom). Glue felt "arm" strips midway down both sides of the can and "leg" strips to the front of the lower edge. Set out the rest of your decorations and watch as your children create some interesting characters.
Monster Madness
A great idea for monster madness is to get a paper bag (large enough to fit over a child's head) Cut an oval shape around where their eyes are (this shape makes it easier for them to see) Collect recycled material and let the children create their own monsters.
Beautiful Beasts
You will need: tissue paper, glue, jumbo rickrack, Styrofoam balls and luncheon size paper plates.
Scrunch up and glue tissue paper squares to the back of a paper plate.Cover the whole plate. Allow for drying time. Cut a Styrofoam ball in half. Using black permanent marker, color a pupil on each ball half. Then glue the halves to the tissue paper for eyes. Also glue rickrack to the tissue paper for a mouth. You can also add a tissue paper mane or beard, ears, or accessories. Display on a black bulletin board background.
SNACK
Pudding Monsters
Fill small bowls with prepared instant pudding Use foods such as orange slices, bananas, grape halves, candy sprinkles, marshmallows, etc, to create monstrous facial features.
Monster Munch
You will need:
Sunflower Seeds (Rat Toes)
Raisins (Bug Eyes)
Chocolate Puff Cereal (Ant Eggs)
Chow-Mein Noodles (Dried Worms)
Spoon
Paper Cup
Mix one spoon of ant eggs and rat toes.
Add one spoon of bug eyes.
Add one spoon of dried worms.
Mix together and eat!
Title: WITCH HUNT
Submitted by Jan
Similar to Going on a Bear Hunt
I'm going on a witch hunt.
Do you want to go?
All right let's go!! (slap things as in a tramping motion.)
Oh look! There's a brook.
Can't go around it.
Can't go over it.
Gotta go through it.
All right.
Let's go. (swimming motion)
Oh look! There's a bridge.
Can't go around it...
.Let's go. (pound chest)
Oh look! There's a tree.
Can't go around it…
Let's go. (climbing motion)
Oh look! There's a swamp.
Can't go around it…
Let's go.(inflate cheeks, punch in with index fingers)
Title:Halloween Patterning
Submitted by Kim
Materials:
sentence strip (one per student); die-cut or pictures of a - (you'll need a couple of each); ghost, black cat, pumpkin, jack-o-lantern, bat; glue sticks
Idea:
- Let students pick two different objects to pattern. (ie- pumpkin and bat)
- Allow the students time pattern on their own
- After a pattern has been determined, the students can glue pattern on to the sentence strip.
- The last object in the pattern will be hidden by folding the sentence strip in about 3inches at the end to hide the last object.
- The sentence strips can be binded with a ring and made into a class book. The students read the pattern and try to figure out "What comes next..." as they turn each strip to a new pattern.
My kindergarteners loved this project last year. Please adapt to your class.
Following cross curricular activities submitted by Betty
Title: This Old Ghost
( to the tune of "This Old Man")
This old ghost, he played one,
He played peek-a-boo , what fun!
With a boo, boo, boo, and a clap, clap, snap,
This Old Ghost is a fine ol chap!
two - "with you"
three - "with me" or "in a tree"
four - "at the door"
five - " in a hive" ( we always add buzzing sounds to this one)
six - "with sticks"
seven - "in heaven"
eight - "on a gate"
nine - "in line"
ten - "with a hen" or "once again"
GHOST FEET- Art project
Try painting the children's feet with white paint and have them step on black paper! Turn them upside down and put 2 sets of wiggly eyes on them. Then write a group story ... "One scarey Halloween night, two ghosts went walking and.............."
Title: There was an Old Witch
Submitted by Allison
Here's acute song that my preschoolers love to act out:
There was an old witch, believe it if you can,
she ran through the windows and she ran, ran, ran,
she ran helter skelter with her toes in the air,
and cob webs flying from the old witches hair.
Shoosh, went the wind, Meow, went the cat,
Plop went the hot toads sitting on her hat,
We chuckled out "what fun, what fun'"
on Halloween night when the witches run!!!!!!!
Title: Pumpkin centerpiece- Art
Submitted by Marilyn
This is a cute center piece for a halloween party.
Purchase a large round pumpkin and make it into a jack-o-lantern. Then stick lollipops all around the top of the pumpkin. It really is attractive and the children know that they will each be getting an extra treat when then go home.
Title: PUMPKIN LESSON PLAN
Following cross-curricular ideas submitted by Peg
Sequencing Pumpkin Song
tune: Picked a Peanut
Pick a pumpkin, pick a pumpkin,
Pick a pumpkin just now
I just now picked a pumpkin
Picked a pumpkin just now
Cut the top off, cut the top off
Cut the top off just now
I just now cut the top off,
Cut the top off just now
Scooooop the seeds, out, scoooop the seeds out,
Scoooop the seeds out just now
I just now scoooped the seeds out
Scooooped the seeds out just now
Carved a face in it, carved a face in it
Carved a face in it just now
I just now carved a face in it
Carved a faci in it just now
Stick a candle in it, stick a candle in it
Stick a candle in it now
I just now stuck a candle in it
Stuck a candle in it just now
I made a jack-o-latern, I made a jack-o-latern
Made a jck-o-latern just now
I just now made a jack-ol-lantern
Made a jack-o-latern just now!
(Use appropriate hand motions or use as flannel board)
Math:
Sort different shaped pumpkins.
Pattern pumpkinseeds right side up, right side down, right side up, right side down, etc.
Science and Fine Motor:
Get real pumpkin and cut open while singing above song
Smell inside pumpkin.
Reach in and 'scoop' the seeds out.
Taste raw pumpkin. Talk about the way it feels, smells and tastes.
Fine Motor:Use real pumpkin and hammer golf tees into it.
Art: Blend with fingers colors yellow and red to make orange.
Art:
Get small fresh pumpkins and cut in half. Let the children dip the pumpkin halves in paint to make prints.
Snack:
Roast pumpkinseeds.
Pumpkin Faces
English muffins (can be toasted)
Orange spreadable cheese
Raisins
Let the children spread the cheese on their English muffin. Then decorate using the raisins for eyes, nose, and mouth.
Finally, eat and enjoy!
Title: HALLOWEEN FLANNEL BOARD STORIES
Following submitted by Jan
Title: THREE LITTLE PUMPKINS
Materials: three pumpkins, and witch
Three little pumpkins,
Sitting on a fence.
A witch came riding by,
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, she said.
I'll take you all aand make a pumpkin pie.

Title: LITTLE GHOSTS
Materials: Five ghosts
The first little ghost floated by the store.
The second little ghost stood outside the door.
The third little ghost tried her best to hide.
The fourth little ghost stood by my side.
The fifth little ghost near the window sill,
Gave everybody a great big thrill.
The five little ghosts were all my friends,
And that is the way that this story ends.
Title: HALLOWEEN NIGHT
Materials:
moon, broom, witch, cat, owl, and ghost
This is the moon that shone in the sky on Halloween night.
This is the broom that sailed across the moon,
that shone in the sky on Halloween night.
This is the witch who rode the broom,
that sailed across the moon,that shone in the sky on Halloween night.
This is the cat that belonged to the witch,
who rode the broom,that sailed across the moon,that shone in the sky on Halloween night.
This is the owl who woke the cat,
that belonged to the witch,who rode the broom, that sailed across the moon,that shone in the sky on Halloween night.
This is the jack-o-lantern that startled the owl,
who woke the cat,that belonged to the witch,who rode the broom, that sailed across the moon,that shone in the sky on
Halloween night.
This is the ghost that carved the jack-o-lantern,
that startled the owl,who woke the cat,that belonged to the witch,who rode the broom,that sailed across the moon,that shone in the sky on Halloween night.
Title: DID YOU EVER SEE A PUMPKIN?
Tune: Did You Ever See a Lassie?
Materials: large orange pumpkin, black eyes, nose, mouth, teeth
Did you ever see a pumpkin, a pumpkin, a pumpkin
Did you ever seen a pumpkin with no face at all?
With no eyes(point) and no nose (point) and no mouth
(point) and no teeth (point)
Did you ever see a pumpkin with no face at all?
So I made a Jack-o-lantern, a Jack-o-lantern, a Jack-o-lantern.
So I made a Jack-o-lantern with a big, funny face.
With big eyes and big nose and big mouth and big teeth.
So I made a Jack-o-lanern with a big funny face.
Title: PUMPKIN UNIT
The following cross-curriculum ideas submitted by Jan
Title: FIVE ORANGE PUMPKINS
Five orange pumpkins rolling down a hill,
Once they started rolling, they couldn't keep still.
One hit a rock and couldn't roll any more,
How many pumpkins left? Now there are four.
Four orange pumpkins a-rolling and a-bumping,
I hear them clumping, I hear them thumping.
One fell into a hole next to a tree,
How many pumpkins left? Now there are three.
Three orange pumpkins rolling on the grass,
Watch them tumble and roll so fast.
One rolled until it bumped right against my shoe,
How many pumpkins left? Now there are two.
Two orange pumpkins still rolling very fast,
Will they ever slow down and stop at last?
One pumpkin hit a tree, its rolling now is done,
How many pumpkins left? Now there is one.
One last orange pumpkin rolling toward me,
Now it's stopped rolling, look and see.
Now how many pumpkins are rolling in the sun?
Did you guess zero? You're right, there are none.
Title: THERE WAS A PUMPKIN
There once was a pumpkin short and fat,
Alone in the garden, there it sat.
A little girl picked it from the vine,
Took it home and said, "It's mine!"
She carved a face with a great big smile,
Put in a candle, and after a while,
It wasn't a pumpkin short and fat.
It was a jack-o-lantern-just like that!

Title: THREE LITTLE PUMPKINS
Three little pumpkins sitting very still
In a pumpkin patch high up on a hill.
The first one said, "I'm very green,
But I'll be orange by Halloween."
The second one said, "I'm on my way
To becoming a jack-o-lantern someday."
The third one said, "Oh, me, oh my,
Tomorrow I'll be a pumpkin pie!"
Title: THE HALLOWEEN SURPRISE
Dad and I shopped for a pumpkin
To carve for Halloween.
The one we bought was round and fat,
The best we'd ever seen.
We took it home, and carefully
My dad cut off the top.
We scooped the gloppy seeds all out
Onto paper--plop, plop, plop!
Next, Dad cut out the eyes and mouth,
Then he cut out the nose.
He winked at me and then he said,
"He'll be bald, I suppose."
I laughed and said, "Oh, Daddy,
Jack-o-lanterns' heads are bare.
I've never seen a single one
That had a head of hair!"
Then we took our pumpkin outside
With a candle for its light.
Our jolly jack-o-lantern glowed
So brightly in the night.
Long after I had gone to bed,
Snowflakes began to fall.
They covered up the bushes
And the garden and the wall.
In the morning I ran out to see
If my pumpkin was still there.
I found him sitting on the porch -
But now he had white hair!
Title: Individual Pumpkin Pies - Cooking Activity
We make individual pumpkin pies. Use the prepared tart shells and pumpkin from the can or use a real pumpkin. The children can mix, pour, and fill the tart shells.
Title: Banana-Pumpkin Foamy
Blend l cup milk, l sliced banana, 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin and a dash of cinnamon together for a foamy pumpkin drink. Makes 2 servings.
Title: LITTLE PUMPKIN
Following submitted by Jan
I'm a little pumpkin orange and round,(form circle with arms)
When I'm sad, my face wears a frown.(frown)
But when I am happy and all aglow,(smile)
Watch my smile just grow and grow!(smile even wider)
>From l00l Rhymes & Fingerplays
Title: Pumpkin, Pumpkin - A Flannel Activity:
Cut different colored pumpkins and matching sterms out of felt.
Put the pumpkins on the felt board. Pass out the stems to the children. Point to one child holding a stem. He should walk up the felt board as the children say the following rhyme using the child's name and the color of the stem he will put on the pumpkin.
Pumpkin, pumpkin, without a stem,
Laying in the pumpkin patch,
Here comes (child's name) to look for you
With a stem of (color) to match.
Title: Pumpkin Collage - ART
Cut out an orange pumpkin shapes and lots of black triangles. Let the children glue on the black triangles. This is an open ended activity as young 3's to 5's can do this activty and every one is different.
Title: Squeeze Bottle Painting on Paper Plates
Use orange paint made of equal parts of flour and salt. Mix till it will squirt out of the bottle. Let sit for a few days and then let the children add eyes and stem.
Title: Pumpkin Unit
Submitted by Carol
I send out a pumpkin pict. with each child and as a family project it has to be decorated. Any materials at all can be used. As the children return them, they are put up on the wall for all to admire. The children love seeing their "family project" on the wall. I also make felt pumpkins in different sizes and the children put them in size order. We also play tape the nose on the jack-o-lantern. The children love this. I love listening to them laugh as they put the nose in the wrong place. They are just so darn cute. As we finish the unit on pumpkins we go to the pumpkin patch. Each child is allowed to pick a small pumpkin. (We go on a hayride to the patch.) When we get back to school each child is allowed to cut (with help of course) their own pumpkin and clean it out. We save the seeds and cook them. After the pumpkin is cleaned the children then give it a face. (They have help for this too) Everyone loves the pumpkin theme. (We have many parents that go with us to the pumpkin patch. They are the ones to help the children carve the pumpkins. It is not only a class field day but many make it a family day as well.)
Title: PUMPKIN EXPERIENCE
The following cross curriculum ideas were submitted by Anita
Pumpkin Seed Collage
Wash and dry pumpkin seeds and place them in the art area with glue and paper. The children cam make pumpkin seed collages.
Paper bag pumpkin:
Stuff small lunch bag with paper (good for fine motor),twist top & paint top green, bottom orange.
Title: CIRCLE TIME GAME
Mr. Pumpkin's Nose
Cut a large pumpkin shape out of orange bulletin board paper. Draw only the eyes and mouth on the pumpkin, you can add a stem and lines if needed.Laminate the piece. Attach it to the wall at the child's level. Give each child a triangle cut out of black construction paper, and label with the child's name. Attach a piece of rolled up tape to the back. Have each child close his/her eyes and place the nose on the pumpkin. You can give awards such as stickers for the one who was the closest, making sure each child gets a sticker. Optional: You can also make a body and laminate and attach it to the head, making sure that it can be at the child's level.
Title: SCIENCE
What's Inside A Pumpkin?
Materials you will need-Pumpkin, large carving knife, smaller paring knives, large mixing bowl, smaller mixing bowls
Place the pumpkin on the display table. Encourage the children to try to lift it to see how heavy it is, but keep it over the table. Touch it & feel how cool it is, how smooth the skin is & how bumpy it is in places. Cut a large circle around the stem and remove the stem. Let the children examine the cap closely, touching the rough end of the stem, the sticky side of the inside of the pumpkin.
Lift the seeds and membranes out of the center of the pumpkin and place in the large mixing bowl. Let the children touch the seeds and separate them from the membranes, placing the seeds in smaller mixing bowls. Either carve the pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern or cut large wedges from the pumpkin for the children to look at more closely.
Let the children cut off small slivers of pumpkin with the paring knife & taste the raw pumpkin. This experience is planned as a science activity forthe children to learn about pumpkins, but you can also use the pumpkin meat & seeds for cooking as well. Take the meat from the center of the pumpkin and boil it until it is soft, add pumpkin pie seasonings & use for the fillings in the pumpkin pies served for snack. You can also toast the pumpkin seeds. Wash them, then place on a cookie sheet in a hot oven to toast.
Title: GROSS MOTOR SKILLS
Pumpkin Hopscotch
Make an indoor game for a rainy day. Allow children to use their gross motor skills and number recognition by playing Pumpkin Hopscotch. Use 10 pieces of heavy cardboard, or posterboard. Number the cards 1-10, drawing the corresponding number of pumpkins. Arrange on the floor in the traditional hopscotch pattern. Tape the cards to the floor. Allow the child two or three turns.
The Little Orange House
Submitted by Tammy
This is one of my favorite stories during Halloween. To do this you will need the story, a pair of scissors, and a sheet of orange construction paper.
Once upon a time a very small witch was walking in the woods. The cold wind was blowing the dry leaves all around her. The little witch was frantically searching for a house for the winter. She could not find one. Suddently a piece of Orange paper, blowne by the wind landed at her feet. She picked it up.
The little witch looked closely at the paper and then she said, "I shall make myself a little house from this piece of orange paper."
She folded the paper in half. Then she took her scissors (she always carried a pair in her pocket) and cut off the two corners to make a roof. (Cut the construction paper as the story indicates).
"This will do just fine," she said as she looked at her new house. "But I will need a door." With her scissors she cut a door. Since witches always wear pointed hats, she cut a special door. (Cut a rectangle shape with one end pointed up more towards the bottom of the folded edge.)
The little witch walked through the door into the little orangs house. It was very dark inside. She quickly hurried back out. "I will need to make windows to let in the light," said the little witch. She cut a front and back window. (Cut a square shape in the top middle of the paper opposite end of the paper than the door. Cut through both sides of the paper.)
Oh, it was a very fine looking house. Her very own little house with a roof, a door, and windows was all finished. But just as the little witch started to go inside for the winter, she saw a tiny ghost floating down the windswept path. As the tiny ghost came to a stop near the little house, the little witch saw that she was crying.
"Why are you crying?"acked the little witch.
The tiny ghost stopped crying and answered, "It is cold and windy. It is getting dark. And I have no Place to spend the winter."
"You may spend the winter with me in my new house," said the kind little witch.
"Oh, thank you, " the happy tiny ghost said as she peeked in through the window. "This is a very nice house."
"First," said the witch, "I will need to make you a little door of your very own." She took her scissors again and began to cut. She cut a very tiny door. (Cut a triangle on the folded edge of the paper between the big door and the window. Make the longer part of the triangle point up)
The two happy new friends went inside. The tiny ghost went in the very litttle door, and the little witch went through her own special door. All winter long they lived happily together inside the little orange house.
If you want to see inside their little orange house, just open your piece of paper and Surprise!
The orange paper is cut into a jack o lantern. The big door is the mouth, the tiny door is the nose, and the windows are the eyes. The cut roof gives the paper an octagon shape, making it more like a pumpkin. I know it may be hard visualizing the directions of where you need to cut each piece while you read the story but hopefully you will understand once you know what the finished project is supposed to look like. The kids really love to see that the house is really a jack o lantern. Good luck
Title:SONGS
Pumpkin Man (tune: The Muffin Man)
Have you seen the pumpkin man,
The pumpkin man, the pumpkin man,
Have you seen the pumpkin man,
Who lives in pumpkin patch?
Three Little Pumpkins (tune: Ten Little Indians)
One little, 2 little, 3 little pumpkins
Rolled down the lane like funny bumpkins
Had their faces carved & thought they were somethin's
Funny Halloween jack-o-lanterns!
The Great Pumpkin (tune: Did You Ever See a Lassie?)
I am the great pumpkin, great pumpkin, great pumpkin.
I am the great pumpkin. Come dance with me.
For you friends are my friends & my friends are your friends.
I am the great pumpkin. Come dance with me.
Thanks Anita for all those great ideas!
Title: Five Little Pumpkins Chant
Submitted by Elise
There are five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, "Oh my, it's getting late."
The second one said, "There are witches in the air."
The third one said, "But we don't care."
The fourth one said, "Let's run and run and run."
The fifth one said, "I'm ready for some fun."
Oooooooh went the wind and out (clap hands on "out") went the light,
And the 5 little pumpkins rolled out of sight.
Then we finger paint with orange paint. I let them squish in it for awhile - they LOVE this part! Then they are instructed to draw five pumpkins in the paint with the tips of their fingers. We let the pictures dry overnight, then we fill it in with decorations. They are given construction paper, scissors and spangles or glitter. They have to put gates under the pumpkins - this is the only direction I give. Then they can add what they like. Some add black cats, the sun, a witch - anything Halloween-ish. The are really cute when they are done and they are all different because they all embellish it differ
Halloween Math Activities
Submitted by Stella
Materials:
giant lima beans (spray one side orange and the other side white - I purchased the spray paint for $.98 at Wal-Mart)
black permanent marker ( decorate the orange side (pumpkin) with jack-o-lantern faces and decorate the white side with ghost faces) dice
Activities:
Patterning
1. Prepare a work mat with a black fence running along the length of it.
2. The children make patterns with the beans on the fence. ex. pumpkin, pumpkin, ghost, pumpkin, pumpkin, ghost.....
1:1 Correspondence
1. On a file folder, glue either cut outs or pictures of children, haunted houses, black cats, or even ghosts.
2. Have children put one pumpkin beside each haunted house or have the children put one ghost on each house...
3. You can have several file folders with different numbers of things for the children to match
Counting
1. Prepare either a haunted house for the ghosts or a pumpkin patch for the pumpkins or a fence for the jack-o-lanterns
2. To reinforce counting a specific number, make several copies of a haunted house and mount it on a piece of tag board.
3. Have your student count a specific number of ghosts on each haunted house.
Addition
1. Use the same haunted house mat from above.
2. Roll dice. Put that many jack-o-lanterns on the haunted house.
3. Roll dice again. Put that many ghosts on the haunted house.
4. Then they count how many things there are in the haunted house.
Probability
1. Put, for example, 5 jack-o-lantern beans in a sack or bag and put just two ghost beans. Have the children count with you as you put the seeds in the bag
2. You wonder aloud to the children and ask, " If I pick 3 beans from this bag, I wonder how many of them would be jack-o-lanterns or ghosts....
This would be an introduction to probability....by the end of the year, after many experiences with probability games, the children will understand the concept
Comparison - More or less
1. Have child roll the dice.
2. Have them put that many ghosts on one haunted house.
3. Roll again and do the same on another house.
4. Ask: "Which house has more ghosts?" or "Which house has fewer or less ghosts?"
Do same with pumpkins or jack-o-lanterns....
Orange brew for Halloween
Submitted by Marilyn
Although we do not celebrate any holidays in my program, we do use the colors of the season. When it gets closer to Halloween we make an Orange Brew
2 6oz. cans of frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup water
2 cups whole milk
6 teaspoons of vanilla extract
20 ice cubes
orange food coloring
Mix this all together in the blender. It tastes like a creamcicle. You can make it even better if you use vanilla ice cream and whole milk.
Halloween Bulletin Boards
Submitted by Joyce
Two cute ideas I've seen for bulletin boards:
1. Ghosts = White tempera paint footprints on black paper. Cut out, leaving a bit of black to make an outline. Use the circle shaped notebook paper reinforcements for eyes.
2. Jack-o'-lanterns = Cut bookmark size strips of orange construction paper, squares (3 inch) of green construction paper, black triangles (about 2 inches tall), small circles of black, halved. Arrange the orange strips into a teepee shape and top with the green square for a stem. Make the face older 4's.
Take a block of styrofoam (about 6 x 4 inches) and have the child paint it green. This will be your base. Then have them paint walnuts orange (this will be the pumpkins) have them paint popsicle sticks white (this will be the pickets in a fence). Also, take a tootsie roll pop and cover it with a white tissue. Tie around the base of the ball of the lollipop to make it look like a ghost figure. Draw a face on the rounded end of the lollipop. Now assemble the parts. Stick the popsicle sticks into the block of green styrofoam in a row. Place the tootsie roll pop ghost into the styrofoam and then glue on the orange walnuts. Purchase small, plastic black cats to stick into the styrofoam. You now have a little, holiday centerpiece for each child.
The older the child, the more involved you can make it. I also did this with 6 and 7 year old brownie troop and they LOVED it!
Halloween Snack
Submitted by Shelley
We always have the children make snack themselves once a month. For October we are going to try witches hats. You take a cookie and use it for the base, then take a sugar cone and fell it up with candy inside. You put the cone on top of the cookie and cover with melted chocolate. I t should turn out to look like a black witch's hat.
FLANNEL BOARD STORIES
Submitted by Shelley
Three Naughty Ghosts
You will need a mother ghost and three white ghosts,a red, green and yellow ghost
Three naughty ghosts were home all alone. Their mama told them, "You leave the food alone!" (moma ghost flies away)
"My tummy is hungry," the first ghost said. He ate a juicy apple and turned bright red. (add red ghost)
The second ghost said, "I want a banana. He slurped down the banana and turned yellow (add yellow ghost)
The third ghost whined "I'm running out of steam. He ate some peas and turned bright green. (add green ghost)
In through the window, mama flew home. "I thought I told you to leave the food alone!"
She sent them to their bedrooms for the rest of the night. They each drank a glass of milk and turned creamy white (bring back white ghosts)
Halloween Night
You will need a moon, broom, witch, cat,owl, jack-o-lantern,ghost
This is the moon that shone in the sky on Halloween night
This is the broom that sailed across the moon, that shone in the sky on Halloween night.
This is the witch who rode the broom, that sailed across the moon, that shone in the sky on Halloween night.
This is the cat that belonged to the witch who rode the broom, that sailed across the moon that shone in the sky on Halloween night
This is the owl who woke the cat, that belonged to the witch, who rode the broom, that sailed across the moon, that shone in the sky on Halloween night
This is the jack-o-lantern that startled the owl, who woke the cat that belonged to the witch, who rode the broom, that sailed across the moon, that shone in the sky on Halloween night.
This is the ghost that carved the jack-o-lantern that startled the owl, who woke the cat, that belonged to the witch, who rode the broom, that sailed across the moon, that shone in the sky on Halloween night.
PUMPKIN ACTIVITIES
Submitted by Teri
This is one of my favorite stories during Halloween. To do this you will need the story, a pair of scissors, and a sheet of orange construction paper.
The Little Orange House
Once upon a time a very small witch was walking in the woods. The cold wind was blowing the dry leaves all around her. The little witch was frantically searching for a house for the winter. She could not find one. Suddenly a piece of Orange paper, blown by the wind landed at her feet. She picked it up. The little witch looked closely at the paper and then she said, "I shall make myself a little house from this piece of orange paper." She folded the paper in half. Then she took her scissors (she always carried a pair in her pocket) and cut off the two corners to make a roof. (Cut the construction paper as the story indicates). "This will do just fine," she said as she looked at her new house. "But I will need a door." With her scissors she cut a door. Since witches always wear pointed hats, she cut a special door. (Cut a rectangle shape with one end pointed up more towards the bottom of the folded edge.) The little witch walked through the door into the little orange house. It was very dark inside. She quickly hurried back out. "I will need to make windows to let in the light," said the little witch. She cut a front and back window. (Cut a square shape in the top middle of the paper opposite end of the paper than the door. Cut through both sides of the paper.) Oh, it was a very fine looking house. Her very own little house with a roof, a door, and windows was all finished. But just as the little witch started to go inside for the winter, she saw a tiny ghost floating down the wind swept path. As the tiny ghost came to a stop near the little house, the little witch saw that she was crying. "Why are you crying?" asked the little witch. The tiny ghost stopped crying and answered, "It is cold and windy. It is getting dark. And I have no place to spend the winter." "You may spend the winter with me in my new house," said the kind little witch. "Oh, thank you, " the happy tiny ghost said as she peeked in through the window. "This is a very nice house." "First," said the witch, "I will need to make you a little door of your very own." She took her scissors again and began to cut. She cut a very tiny door. (Cut a triangle on the folded edge of the paper between the big door and the window. Make the longer part of the triangle point up) The two happy new friends went inside. The tiny ghost went in the very little door, and the little witch went through her own special door. All winter long they lived happily together inside the little orange house. If you want to see inside their little orange house, just open your piece o paper and Surprise! The orange paper is cut into a jack o lantern. The big door is the mouth, the tiny door is the nose, and the windows are the eyes. The cut roof gives the paper an octagon shape, making it more like a pumpkin. I know it may be hard visualizing the directions of where you need to cut each piece while you read the story but hopefully you will understand once you know what the finished project is supposed to look like. The kids really love to see that the house is really a jack o lantern. Good luck
Shaving Fun
Spray shaving cream on your carved pumpkin. Take turns shaving the pumpkin with safety razors that have the blades removed.
Pumpkin Bread
THIS IS DELICIOUS AND VERY SIMPLE
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp ground cloves
1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 cup flour
2 tsps ground cinnamon
cup raisins
2 1/3 cups bisquick
pinch of ground nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x5-inch loaf pan. Mix all ingredients together with wooden spoon. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes. Test with knife, if the knife comes out clean the bread is done. If it is not done put back in oven for 10 minutes. Cool before removing from pan.Store in plastic bag.

FOR MORE HALLOWEEN AND PUMPKIN IDEAS GO TO HALLOWEEN ARCHIVES

Category: SPIDERS
RECYCLING FILM CANASTERS INTO NECKLACES
Submitted by Lisa
You can make the cutest necklaces that can even hold things. We used old black film canisters with the lid to make spider necklaces.
You need
1 film canister per student w/ the lid
a string for the necklace
4 pipe cleaners / per necklace
2 sticker wiggle eyes / necklace
fabric paint
black duct tape
Each student starts by painting on the film canister a face w/ fabric paint (mouth and nose) and sticking on the wiggle eyes. Let this dry. Later they bend their pipe cleaner legs and use the black duct tape to tape on the opposite side of the face. The teacher need to use a knife to poke a hole in the lid of the film canister and put the string through. Put the lid on and you have the cutest spider necklaces.
Instead of using fabric paint you could try paint pen markers and instead of using wiggle sticker eyes you could use white out and a marker.
SPIDER COUNTING BOOK
Submitted by Donna
Prior to the activity the teachers make 4 spider webs on heavy paper using black fabric paint(the kind in the tube). The children use these to make rubbings - lay a piece of white paper on top of the web, children use a black crayon to rub over the paper and the impression shows through. Children can use glitter to decorate their web and then we add "spiders". You can get these tiny spiders from any craft store in pkgs. of about 300! We put all these papers together to make a class counting book. I add words to the top of each page using a software program called "Writing with Symbols". The words can read " (child's name)'s web has ____ spiders. Can you count them?" We always include a family comment page in the back of each book. The children love making class books and this one is especially easy.
PUFFY PAINT COBWEBS
Submitted by Sue
Mix equal parts of flour, salt, and water in a large bowl. Pour the mixture into squeeze bottles. Give each child a black paper plate or a piece of black construction paper. Let the children squeeze the white puffy paint onto the black paper. When the puffy paint dries, it will look like glittery cobwebs.
Spiders
Submitted by Teri
1. Using a paper plate, I either punch holes around the plate or make slits around the plate- slits are easier for younger children. Then I give them some yarn and they weave back and forth and make a spider web. If you punched holes, it's helpful to put some scotch tape and one end- making it easier for them to put the yarn thru the holes. Afterwards, I give them each a spider ring to put in their web and I read them the following:
2. DO SPIDERS STICK TO THEIR OWN WEBS?
The spider weaves a sticky web
To capture bugs to eat.
What keeps the spider's sticky web
From sticking to her feet?
Spider webs are very tricky
Because not all the strands are sticky.
Unlike the passing hapless fly,
The spider knows which strands are dry.
But if she accidentally stands
Upon one of the sticky strands
She still will not get stuck, you see-
Her oily body slides off free.
3. LITTLE SPIDER
See the little spider
Climbing up the wall,
See the little spider
Stumble and fall.
See the little spider
Tumble down the street,
See the little Spider
Stop down at my feet.
4. Speedy Spider Song (tune- Oh, Susanna)
I was sitting in my room one day
When it came right through the door.
A big spider sped right by me-
Went racing 'cross the floor.
(Chorus)
Oh, that spider! Oh how it scared me so.
But spiders can be good friends. And so I let it go.
I watched it crawl up the wall,
To find a spot just right.
It spun a web so beautiful.
And then went out of sight.
(Repeat chorus)
Now bugs and flies do not scare me,
For I know that it's true-
That a spiderweb is good to have,
Bugs stick to it like glue.
(Repeat chorus)
5. "A New Itsy-Bitsy Spider"
The itsty-bitsy spider
Crawled up on (Name)'s head.
He crawled all around, then used it for a bed.
He crawled down (his/her) back
and jumped down to the floor.
Then the itsy-bitsy spider
Crawled underneath the door.
6. Activity: Yummy Spiders
Materials: 1 box of doughnut holes, 12 shoelace string licorice, 1 bag of mini m&ms, small paper plates
Preparation: I drew spider webs on the paper plates with a black magic marker the night before we made these yummy snacks.
Directions: Have the kids place a doughnut hole on their web plate. Cut each shoe lace string into 6 pieces. Attach the legs to the spider by
gently pushing in to the side center of the doughnut hole. Press mini m&ms into the front portion of the doughnut hole. Now you have a fun, yummy
snack! Enjoy!
7. We read spider books. One cute project was with the Itsy Bitsy Spider. We sing and act it out. Then, we individually make a large house on
paper. We tape a bendy straw on the side of the house to make a water spout. Then, you put a spider ring on the straw and slide the spider up and
down the straw while singing the song.
SPIDER WEB:
Submitted by Gerri
Take a top of an old shirt box and place a piece of black construction paper in it. Add a glob of white tempra paint to the middle of the construction paper. Place a marble in the glob of paint and have the student move the marble back and forth making lines aross the paper to form the shape of a spider web. Hang to dry. Once the web is dry it can be cut into a circle to be more realistic. I then add the following craft spider with hot glue.
SPIDER:
Needed: Large 4 hole buttons
Pipe cleaners
Small wiggly eyes
Elmers glue
In each hole of the button push a pipe cleaner folded in half through so that the open ends are on the bottom of the button, fold a small amount of each pipe cleaner to form "feet". Do this with all 4 holes (4 holes thus producing 8 legs.) Add wiggly eyes to top of button (2-8) depending on how realistic you want it to look.
Spiders
Submitted by Karen
Here's a cute idea for spiders that my daughter did in preschool--I've also done this with my own class of four-year-olds.
You will need 4" styrofoam balls, cut in half. (One half per child)
Allow the kids to paint these black. (Thick paint works best)
Add wiggly eyes, and pipe cleaner legs. (use black pipe cleaners cut in half , and then bent in the middle for that "jointed leg" effect)
Attach a piece of elastic string (about 24") to a brad paper fastener, and insert the brad all the way into the styrofoam.
Attach the other end of the string to a wooden dowel (a shiskabob stick or chopstick will work fine).
You now have a "spider puppet"!
The kids love to see the spiders "jump" up and down! Use this with your "Little Miss Muffet" rhyme, or any other Halloween spider fingerplays!
Title: SPIDER ACTIVITIES
The following cross curriculum spider ideas were submitted by Anita
Title: Spider Webs - ART
Materials:
Cardboard
Black Yarn
Tape
Preparation:
Cut an 8 inch square piece of cardboard for each child. Cut slits ½ inch deep around the sides, about 1-½ inches to 2 inches apart. Cut yarn into 6-foot lengths. Tape the end of a piece of yarn on the back of each card and pull it through one of the slits.
Let the children cross the yarn back and forth over the fronts of their cardboard squares, attaching it through the slits. Slits can be used more than once. Have them continue until the yarn resembles a spider web.
Title: Spider Hats - ART
Use dark tagboard strips to form a crown like hat. Kids attach 8 wiggle folded paper strips for legs, and wiggle eyes.
Title: Spider Web Game - Gross motor Skills
Using a ball of yarn or string, weave your own room size or play yard size spider web. Let them hang colorful scarves on their spider webs to be caught and crawl around in the web.
CIRCLE TIME
Sing The Itsy Bitsy Spider and add other verses tha tstrees 'opposite'. Such as "Big Fat Spider" (say with loud low voice and instead of fingers crawling use hands) or Medium Size Spider, or Very Quiet Spider…………
Title: Edible spiders
Use a pear half for the body, licorice string for the legs, raisins or other small food for the eyes.
Title: Spiders
Submitted by Marilyn Cabana [e-mail]
Take pieces of white construction paper and cut them to fit into a large, aluminum pie plate, or into a shirt box. Dip marble into black paint and then place them onto the white construction paper. Roll them back and forth (marble printing) They now look like a spiders web. Hang them to dry. When dry have the child place his thumb on an inkpad and make thumbprints on the spider's web. Add eight tiny black legs (four on each side of the thumbprint) to look like the spiders on their web. This looks great on a bulletin board.

 

---