WNY Family Magazine October 2018 | Page 10

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— by Pam Molnar

Halloween Classroom Party Plan GAME 1 : Trick or Treat

Halloween classroom parties have always been a special time for preschool and elementary students . My children especially enjoyed wearing their Halloween costumes and participating in an all-school parade . As the years passed , however , my kids started to complain when a craft or game was repeated from a previous year .

As a former Room Mom , I know it ’ s not always easy to come up with different ideas once you find something that was well received . If you are looking to bring some new life into your child ’ s classroom party , check out these fresh ideas for crafts , games , and activities .

CRAFT 1 :

String Pumpkin Door Hanger
Purchase a 6 ” wooden embroidery hoop for each student along with a skein of orange yarn . Cut 10 foot pieces for each child . Secure the end of the yarn at the top of the hoop and randomly wrap the yarn across and around the hoop to create a unique pattern of orange . Tie off to secure . Cut out a foam stem and hot glue it to the top of the embroidery hoop along with foam leaves . Provide a foam sign and self-adhesive letters for the kids to spell out “ Happy Fall ” and glue it to the bottom of the hoop . Make a hanger out of ribbon or leftover orange yarn .

CRAFT 2 :

Halloween Luminaries
Gather empty glass jars ( for an upcycling project ) or a mason jar for each child . Cut fall colored tissue paper into 1 ” x 1 ” squares . Have the kids brush on a layer of white glue mixed with water and place tissue pieces on top . You can also add stickers or other Halloween printables on top of the tissue papers . When everything is in place , go over it with another layer of glue and let dry overnight . The next day , add a battery-operated candle inside to complete the project .
10 WNY Family October 2018

Write the word “ treat ” on 10 pieces of paper and fold into quarters . Place the papers inside a plastic trick or treat pumpkin or bag . Use 10 additional pieces of paper to write a trick that the kids can perform like , “ Count backwards from 10 ,” “ Recite every other letter of the alphabet ,” or “ Pat your head and rub your belly at the same time .” Fold and add those to the plastic pumpkin , too . Let the kids take turns pulling out a trick ( that they have to perform ) or receive a small prize for each treat . GAME 2 :

What ’ s in The Box ?
Decorate 6 empty tissue boxes with orange and black paper . Fill each box with different item that the kids have to identify by feeling without peeking . Some ideas may include : popcorn kernels , candy corn , dried pumpkin seeds , spider rings , googley eyes , teeth fangs , acorns , or pine cones . Ask the kids to record their answers on a sheet of paper and give a prize to each kid who correctly identifies the contents .

GAME 3 :

Skeleton Relay
Purchase 2 jointed skeleton wall hangings , the kind where you can move the parts . Take each apart so you have separate bones , head , hips and ribs . Place all the parts in a large pile , mixing up the two skeletons for a greater challenge . Break the kids up into two teams . On “ Go ,” each team needs to put the skeleton back together . The first team that completes their skeleton is the winner .