Not-So-Scary Halloween Evening Program

Our family evening program for October was a Halloween party for the younger set. I hosted two storytimes (with the same content) during the evening and in between there were games, crafts, and a StoryWalk* in the gym. It was our best-attended program yet with about 65 people over two hours. Unfortunately, I was so busy getting things set up that I forgot to take pictures. Thankfully, my husband snapped a few.  

The Storytimes

A few years ago, I discovered a resource that I rely on heavily for my fall and Halloween programs - an album of stories and songs by Marcia Louis called Dancin' with Mr. Bones. Some I retell and for some I play the audio track. Please go take a listen. You'll love it. 


Song/Storytelling: "Pumpkin Vine" (retold from Dancing' with Mr. Bones by Marcia Louis)
This is so much fun! It has singing, motions for the kids, and a basic lesson on the life cycle of pumpkins. 

 First we plant our pumpkin seeds. After rain and sun, a vine grows and green leaves appear.

 A yellow flower will eventually turn into a pumpkin.

 Oh no! A red bug is hopping on our pumpkin vine! We have to get rid of that bug.

Finally, a big orange pumpkin appears.









Action Rhyme: "Five Little Pumpkins"

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate
The first one said, “Oh my, it’s getting late!”
The second one said, “There’s a chill 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, “Get ready for some fun.”
Then ooooh went the wind and out went the lights
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

(My version of this rhyme is slightly different from the most popular one featuring witches in the air.)


Book: Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman 

I really like this Halloween version of the folktale The Enormous Turnip. It gives me a chance to use my (admittedly not great) Count Dracula voice.













Flannelboard Rhyme: "Brown Bat, Brown Bat, What Do You See?"
A Halloween version of the classic "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" by Bill Martin.

Rhyme: "Five Little Bats" (retold from Dancin’ with Mr. Bones)

Five little bats hanging upside down                      (hang fingers over the opposite arm)                
The first one says, "I’m going to town
To see the little children going up and down the street          (point back and forth)
Knocking on the doors and saying ‘Trick or Treat'"              (knock on table)
And away he flew….squeaky, squeaky, squeak                     (hook thumbs and flap hands)

Repeat, counting down.

Flip Book: "In a Dark, Dark Wood" (thanks to librarian Karen Bowling for the share!)

I'm not showing every page here, but check out Karen's video for the details...

In a dark, dark wood there is a dark, dark house...

In the dark, dark house there is a dark, dark room...

In the dark, dark room there is a dark, dark cupboard...

 In the dark, dark cupboard there is a dark, dark box...

And in the dark, dark box there is a....

Spider!!!!

Now repeat the story, uncovering a different object in the box such as...

An elephant...

A ghost...

A cupcake...

Or nothing at all...





Flannelboard story: Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley

We build the monster one feature at a time...

Then, because we aren't afraid of the big green monster, we shout "go away" to each feature...

At the end, we tell the monster "And don't come back until I say so!"


Action song: "If You’re a Monster and You Know It" 
(to the tune of "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

Repeat with:
...show your claws
...gnash your teeth
...stomp your feet
...growl out loud

Book: Monster Needs a Costume by Paul Czajak

Circle Game: "Pass the Witch's Broomstick" (recorded music from Dancin' with Mr. Bones)
This is a version of Hot Potato that includes a silly dance for those who get caught and are put in the middle of the circle.


Action/Movement Song: "Tippy Toes" (recorded music from Dancin' with Mr. Bones)
This is similar to "Walking, Walking." We practiced all the different kinds of steps first, as well as saying "Boo!"

Here we go on tippy toes, tippy toes, tippy toes
Here we go on tippy toes
Happy Halloween
Boo!

Repeat with: walking feet, marching feet, sneaking feet, skipping feet, hopping feet, jumping feet, running feet, and back to tippy toes.

Games and Crafts in the Gym

Witch's Hat Ring Toss

Cauldron Toss (sometimes called the Witch Pitch, with ping pong balls)

Pin the Spider on the Web

Punch the Cup (poke through tissue paper to get a prize inside the cup)

Magic Watercolor Painting 

Roll-a-Frankenstein craft

Popsicle Stick Monsters craft


Pass the Pumpkin (hot potato-style)






















Spooky Statues (similar to the Freeze Dance, when the music stops you freeze into a spooky statue)























StoryWalk: The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams












StoryWalks* are often semi-permanent outdoor installations sponsored by a library or parks department where the pages of a picture book are laminated and mounted on posts to be read by people walking past. This was my first attempt at a StoryWalk and it seemed to work well along one wall of the gymnasium. I included some "cue cards" that invited readers to act out portions of the story. I also placed a flannelboard at the end with pieces for retelling the story.

*Credit: “The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration the Kellogg Hubbard Library. Storywalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.”