The Pagan and Wiccan
Parenting Page
Samhain
October 31
| pumpkin maple sugar pie | applesauce |
| toasted pumpkin seeds | hot mulled cider |
| black bat fingerplay | five little jack 'o lanterns fingerplay |
Make a Jack-O-Lantern pinata. Cover a balloon with newspaper strips dipped in a mixture of water and white school glue. Cover in a layer of orange crepe paper. Let dry thoroughly. Glue on eyes, nose and mouth made of construction paper. Cut a hole and fill with candy. Tape shut. Hang the pinata by a rope from a tree and have children break open pinata while blindfolded with a bat. Be very careful that everyone stands far enough back so they don't get hit.
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Have the children set an extra place at dinner for their favorite deceased relative. Serve some of the favorite foods of realtives who have passed away.
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Make ghosts out of tissues. Have the children ball one up,then wrap another tissue over top the balled-up one. To form the head and the ghost body, either tie a string at the "neck" or put clear tape around it. Have the children use markers to make a face.
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Have the children draw a Jack-O-Lantern on orange construction paper. Cut out eyes, nose, and mouth. Tape yellow plastic wrap to the back of the Jack-O-Lantern.
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Take clear plastic gloves (in the beauty section) and put a candy corn in each finger. Then fill the glove with popcorn.
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Play "Mummy." Have the children each get a partner. One will be the Mummy, the other will wrap them. Give each "wrapper" a roll of cheap toilet paper. Then have a contest to see who can wrap their partner with all the toilet paper on the roll first. Also give a prize for the best looking Mummy.
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Play Pin the nose on the Jack-O-Lantern (Just like pin the tail on the donkey)
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Make a brown paper bag Jack-O-Lantern. Fill a brown paper lunch bag with newspaper. Twist shut, and tape to form the stem. Paint orange. Glue on construction paper or paint on facial features.
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Bob for apples.
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For a really cute book, read "Big Pumpkin" by Erica Silverman.
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Cut out a paper pumpkin shape. Have children tear pieces of orange construction paper and glue all over the pumpkin. Then have them tear black construction paper and glue on to make the features.
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Cut out many small paper pumpkins. Hide them all over the room. Let the children try to find them all. (Be sure to count how many you hid, otherwise you'll be finding them at Yule time.)
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Play pass the pumpkin. You play it just like "Hot Potato," but with a small pumpkin instead. The children sit in a circle. The grown up plays the music. The children pass the pumpkin as quickly as they can. When the music stops, who ever has the pumpkin goes to the middle of the circle. or out of the circle. Then this continues, until all the children are in the middle or out.
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Go on a trip to the pumpkin patch.
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Play the "Pumpkin Stew" game. Everyone pretends they have a cauldron and a spoon with their arms. Then they chant, Pumpkin stew, pumpkin stew, what shall we put in our pumpkin stew." Each child takes a turn saying what they want to put in. It can be as silly a thing as they want it to be.
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Make jack-o-lanterns out of oranges. Have the child put whole cloves into an orange in the shape of the features they want.
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Make thumbprint spiders. Have the children stick their fingers on an black ink pad and print their fingers on paper. Have them use a black felt marker to make the legs.
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Sponge print jack-o-lanterns, cats, cauldrons, bats...or any other Samhain shape by cutting a cheap sponge in that shape and having the children dip them in the paint and print them on paper.
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Make toilet paper roll bats. Paint a toilet paper roll black, or cover with black construction paper. Staple one end shut. Glue on bat wings. Glue on two googly eyes.
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Cut out a Pumpkin shape out of a large sheet of paper. Let the children paint it orange. Let it dry. Then either have the children paint on the features, or cut out and glue on construction paper features.
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Make paper pumpkin pies. Cut out a pie shape. Color it with crayons or markers to look like a pumpkin pie. Water glue a little bit and paint onto the "pie" with a paint brush. Sprinkle pumpkin pie spice onto the "pie."
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Five Little Jack-O-Lanterns Five little Jack-O-Lanterns sitting on a gate. (Put up one hand) The first one said, "Oh my, it's getting late." (Put up one finger.) The second one said, "There are witches everywhere." (Put up 2 fingers) The third one said, "But I'm not scared" (Put up 3 fingers) The fourth one said, "Let's run, and run, and run." (Put up 4 fingers) The fifth one said, "Isn't Halloween fun? (Put up 5 fingers) Then "ooooooo" went the wind, And OUT went the lights, (Clap when you say "OUT.") And five little Jack-O-Lanterns rolled out of sight. (Roll your hands in front of you.) |
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Black Bat, Black Bat (Have the children pretend to be bats and do what the chant says.) Black bat, black bat fly around. Black bat, black bat fly to the ground. Black bat, black bat, fly up high. Black bat, black bat, fly in the sky. Black bat, black bat, fly down low. Black bat, black bat fly just so. |
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Hot Mulled Apple Cider 1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 quarts cider 2 sticks cinnamon orange slices 1 teaspoon allspice Put all the spices into cheesecloth and tie with string. Put all the ingredients into a large crock pot. Cover and cook on low for atleast 2 hours. Check temp. before serving to children. |
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Toasted Pumpkin Seeds 2 cups pumpkin seeds 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter 1 teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Wash pumpkin seeds in a colander under running water. Wipe off excess fibers. On a cookie sheet, combine pumpkin seeds with remaining ingredients. Bake approximately 2 hours, stirring occassionally, until seeds are dry and golden. |
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Applesauce 2 apples for each person a little water ( about 1/2 cup for every 8 apples) a little cinnamon ( about 1 teaspoon for every 8 apples) sugar (1/2 to 1 cup for every 8 apples) Wash, peel, core, and cut up apples. Boil until soft. Let cool for 10 minutes. Blend into sauce. |
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Pumpkin and Maple Sugar Pie 1 cup sugar 16 oz. pumpkin, canned 1 cup milk 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons real maple syrup 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg one 9 inch pie crust, unbaked 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger whipped cream (optional) 1 Tablespoon butter In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except the last two. Pour into the pie shell. Bake in preheated 450 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, and continue baking for about 45 minutes more, or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature, refrigerate. Garnish with whipped cream if desired. |
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Click here for a Jack-o-lantern coloring page.
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