Halloween Fun!!

It's Halloween!!  Yay!!  

I'll share some of our Halloween traditions in just a moment.  But first, I have a short Halloween story for you!  It's inspired by Susanna Leonard Hill's Halloweensie Contest.  I'm joining her challenge for bloggers to write a 100-word (or less) Halloween story with the words "witch," "bat," and "trick-or-treat" in it.  I'm calling my story:

Halloween Surprise!!

by Carla Mae Jansen

"Trick-or-treat," they rang the bell,

"Trick-or-treat," they'd nicely yell.

I filled their bags to the top

Until something scary made me stop.

Many things come knocking at my door,

But I'd never, ever, seen this before:

Two big eyes, floating high,

A broom, a cape, and two wings to fly!

When he lifted a candy bag with his broom,

I saw a bat...dressed in a witch costume!!

I filled his bag and laughed inside.

He said, "Thank-you," and smiled real wide.

I waved good-bye to what I'd seen,

And then enjoyed my Halloween!

You're welcome to share Halloween Surprise with your children or class, but if you print it please remember to include a byline.  If you share it online, please include a link back to this post.

Now, a little about our favorite Halloween traditions.  We love to visit pumpkin patches, carve pumpkins, play at festivals, and go trick-or-treating.  We also have a little Halloween party during the day with our friends each year.  This party has evolved as my oldest daughter (aka Party Planner) has grown older, but it must include a few items:

#1--A Pinata!  My daughter explained to me that this is essential to make sure all the kids get a lot of candy on Halloween.  We like to make them ourselves the week before the holiday.  Last year, we had a spider.  Click here for instructions on how to make your own! 

#2--A Witch's Brew!  In the picture below we made homemade root-beer with dry ice.  The science teacher in me loves talking about dry ice (how it is frozen carbon dioxide, sublimation, and doing a few dry ice demos like freezing marshmallows)!  This year, I think we will be trying fizzy orange juice in an attempt to be a little healthier!

#3--A Game!  Pin the Broom on the Witch, Monster Bean Bag Toss, Obstacle Course Games, or any other fun Halloween-themed activity is a great way to energize our little party!

#4--A Craft!  Sometimes, we have more than one craft.  Depending on the age of the children I have, the craft has varied from scratch art to clay activities. 

#5--Treats!  I've done cupcakes, full-sized cakes, and cracker treats (ghost crackers, spider crackers, etc.).  A pumpkin or ghost cookie cutter can make sandwiches or quesadillas into a Halloween shape.  I love these Monster Pitas from Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons!

What about you?  Do you have plans for today?  Any favorite traditions?  I'd love to hear!!




I may share at any of these parties!