Halloween Activity Ideas

      Witches Brew
      This activity works well in the month of October.  On the first of the month, bring in a large, black pot that resembles a witches' pot.  Inside the pot there is a slip of paper that reads: "I am the Witch of the West and I am out gathering ingredients for our halloween brew."  On designated days, place the bags containing ingredients in the pot.  The ingredients should be placed in a pot, inside a plastic bag so that no smell escaped.  Place plastic bags within brown paper lunch bags and have appropriate names printed on the outside of the bag.  On Halloween, empty all the bags and stir the brew.  This recipe is a guarantee for perfect attendance.
       
        1 C. Blood Drops - Red Hots
        1 C. Owl Eyes - Peanuts
        1 C. Cats Eyes - Peanut M&Ms
        1 C. Chicken Toenails - Corn Candy
        1 C. Colored Flies - M&Ms
        1 C. Butterfly Wings - Fritos
        1 C. Earthworms - Corn Curls
        1 C. Cat Claws - Sunflower Seeds
        1 C. Ants - Raisins
        1 C. Snake Eyes - Chocolate Chips
        1 C. Cobwebs - Triscuits
        1 C. Lizard Gizzards - Shoestring Potatoes
        1 C. Bat Bones - Pretzels
      Taken from Open the Door for Reading

      Paper Napkin Ghosts
      Have children make paper ghosts from unfolded white paper napkins.  Help them place cotton balls in the center of the napkin.  Show them how pull down the corners of the napkin over the cotton ball.  Tie a piece of white yarn around the "neck".  Use markers to draw a face.  Tape a thin piece of string from the top of the head and hang from the ceiling.

      Paper Plate Bat
      Using a small paper plate, paint black with black finger paint, let dry.  Cut triangle shapes from black construction paper, 3 for each wing and lay them out so you can glue the two top corners to another triangle.  Fasten the wings to the back of the paper plate and draw a face with white correction fluid or chalk.  Punch a hole in the top to hang.

      Five Little Pumpkins finger play
      Five little pumpkins were sitting on a gate.
      The first one said, "It's getting mighty late."
      The second one said, "There are witches in the air."
      The third one said, "I really don't care."
      The fourth one said, "Let's run, run, run."
      The fifth one said, "It's Halloween fun."
      "Whooo" went the wind, and out went the light,
      And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

      Five Little Jack O'Lanterns
      Let children draw and cut out their Jack O'Lanterns from orange construction paper.  Using a black color or pencil, help them draw on faces.  Using wooden dowels, tape the dowels to the backs of the pumpkins and recite the above poem.

      Phantom Punch
      1 Qt. Orange Juice
      1 Qt. Seltzer Water or Club Soda
      1/2 Gallon Sherbert
      Apple Pieces
      Raisins
      Tangerine Slices
      Grape Juice

      Combine the liquid ingredients in a large bowl.  Using a muffin tin, make 6 phantom faces by freezing apple pieces, raisins, and tangerine slices in grape juice.  Float these on the mixture.  Complete by slicing sherbert into small squares and float on top.  Serves 8-10 thirsty ghosts!

      Paper Plate Masks
      Make a silly, scary mask using paper plates and cardboard egg cartons.  Cut eye holes in a large paper plate.  Cut apart the cups of an egg carton and arrange them on the plate to make a nose, beard, bumps.  When you have an arrangement you like, use glue or masking tape to attach the cups in place.  Paint the mask with finger paints and add facial features.  Let the paint dry.  Punch a hole in each side of the paper plate and string a piece of elastic or string through each hole to go around the head.

      Paper Plate Pumpkins
      Paint paper plates orange using finger paints.  Let the paint dry and using yellow paint, add eyes, nose and a mouth.  Cut a stem from orange construction paper and fasten to the top of the pumpkin.

      Paper Plate Spiders
      Paint paper plates black using finger paints.  Let the paint dry.  Using white paint, add eyes.  You can also use the round paper reinforces used to reinforce the holes on 3 ring binder paper.  Using black pipe cleaners, have the children bend legs and glue to the bottom of the plate.

      Gumdrop Spiders
      Cut two black pipe cleaners into eight pieces.  Buy black licorice gumdrops.  Insert four pipe cleaner spider legs on each side of a gumdrop.

      Halloween Books
      Everyone Goes as a Pumpkin by Judith Vigna
      Halloween Party by Lonzo Anderson
      It's Halloween by Jack Prelutsky
      Space Witch by Don Freeman
      A Woggle of Witches by Adrienne Adams

      Ghostly Snack
      Using a tube of refrigerator biscuits, let the children separate biscuits and shape each like a ghost.  They can roll the biscuits in butter and then in cinnamon and sugar mixture.  Bake biscuits as directed and watch the goblins gobble them down.