On Monday we made creepy pizzas. Using English muffins as a base, children added pizza sauce, olives, cheese and pepperoni. They were welcome to create a spooky face on their pizza, or just pile on the ingredients. Their doughy creations went into the toaster oven and then were gobbled up.
Our other parent activity was making a nighttime scene with googly eyes peeking out of the darkness. Children used torn brown paper to make the "ground". Then they added sticks for tree trunks, a yellow moon in the sky and pairs of eyes. These are up in our classroom and will be added to the children's portfolios.
Wednesday was a day of fun and games. There was Pumpkin Bowling and Corn Hole...
We played Halloween Bingo and "What's Missing?" In the latter, children tried to guess the item that had been removed from a tray full of Halloween toys. Their favorite part of this game is to be the one who gets to take something away!
They could make their own "Cut and Tell" story (like the one they heard Monday during our story time) about a little mouse and a witch inside their cozy Jack-O'lantern cave.
At the light table, glow-in-the-dark spooks floated in and out of black frames.
There were a few other Halloween puzzles and activities that the children could play with independently or with a friend.
Of course, Halloween celebrations wouldn't be complete without one of our favorite traditions: the making of our magic brew. During our carpet time on Wednesday, everyone had a turn adding their juice to the cauldron and chanting some magic words. During our final chant, ("Stirring and stirring and stirring our brew....oooooOO! oooooooOO!") our brew began to bubble and boil, sending tendrils of smoke over the edge of the cauldron. So fun (and tasty, too!)
Our parent helpers made our snack extra special! Boo!
It wasn't Halloween everywhere in our classroom this week. In a few spots, new signs of fall can be found. Little squirrels scurried around in the texture table, burying nuts.
There was kinetic sand in the tub, along with leaf-shaped bowls, pieces of wood and grey squirrels.
During our time together at the carpet, we did our Halloween Yoga series a few more times. We are really proud of the way the children are flowing through each pose. Here is a video of their practice on Monday:
Our goal is to do a new series every month, collecting the illustrations for them in the children's portfolios so that they will have them to take home at the end of the year.
Some of the stories and finger plays we enjoyed this week were Maggie and the Monster, "Five Little Monsters," Halloween Play and the cut-and-tell Jack-O'Lantern story. We also had fun dancing like ghosts!
Rain or shine, we always have fun playing outside!
And now it's on to fall, y'all!
Lisa and Sheri
