It’s October and the kids are focused on fall, Halloween, and dressing up for trick or treat, so they can get lots of free candy. Wouldn’t it be neat if this year they learned how Halloween got started? Wouldn’t it also be neat if your kids participated in the giving of candy (instead of just getting and eating it)? What if you could address both these issues at the same time and start a family or classroom tradition of your own. Here are some suggestions which will engage your kids in some fun learning, help them experience the joy of giving, and at the same time create some traditions your kids will remember for the rest of their lives.
Before you get started, you will need to do a little planning. Pick a day about a week or two before Halloween when you want to have your fun day. Next, you will need to do a little research on the history of Halloween and Halloween snacks. Make sure you get input from your kids. Start by asking them what treats should be made that day and what activities they want to participate in. Give them a list to choose from. For example, hang decorations, carve a pumpkin, play a Halloween game, or watch a fun Halloween video. The point here is to get them engaged in the event.
To help teach your kids about the history of Halloween, search the internet or go to the library and check out a book on how Halloween got started. A Google search on the phrase “The history of Halloween for kids” brought up 92 million hits. This is more than enough information to provide a brief history of Halloween. If you are a teacher, you will even find lesson plans already created for you.
You can also use the internet to look up healthy Halloween snack ideas. A Google search on the phrase, “healthy Halloween snacks for kids" returned over 2 million results - more than enough healthy snack ideas for even the most ambitious parent or teacher.
Once your fun day is scheduled, make sure everyone is ready to make it an enjoyable family/class event. On the day of the event, start by baking or creating your fun snack. At my house, we carve a pumpkin and roast the seeds for a tasty snack. In your home or classroom, you may choose to bake some Halloween cookies, cup cakes, create a spooky fruit display, or make some other snack. This is also an excellent time to decorate your home or classroom with some personalized or creative Halloween decorations.
As part of your history lesson, I would discuss how and why candy is given out to kids during today’s Halloween celebration. Ask your kids this question: Do they think it would be fun to hand out candy to people visiting their family?
Coupling a brief history lesson with your Halloween snack or pumpkin carving project will make for a memorable tradition. It will probably be remembered for years to come and be passed on to your children’s children.
When Halloween night comes, get the older kids to participate in giving out candy to the younger kids who come for trick or treat. In some instances, younger siblings will want to join in too (because big brother/sister is doing it). This is an excellent way to help them learn and appreciate the joy of giving instead of just getting as much candy as they can.
By planning a fun pre-Halloween event with your family or classroom and coupling that event with a brief history lesson of how and why Halloween exists, you will start a new tradition that will be remembered by your kids for years to come.
If you have some exciting ideas for coupling fun events and learning, we would like to hear from you. Your ideas could help create new traditions for families around the world. Please share your comments with us and our readers. We look forward to reading your ideas.
Until next time, this is Hector Cisneros for A Quantum Leap signing off.
