Songs
Finding fun spooky games to play that won’t scare the pants of little guys is not always a simple task . This game is simple, spooky but not at all frightening. As I was making it I wasn’t so sure of how we’d play but the rules evolved and we’ve been playing it all weekend . The giggles were epic and the only screams were when I forgot the spiders are fake and walked into the living room and saw them on the floor. This activity works on balance , problem solving and can be adapted for various levels.
- Gather your materials. You will need some painters tape, plastic spiders, a prize for the end like a glow stick and if the simple version ( explained below) is too easy have some other obstacles like these ghosts ready to make it a challenge.
- Start by making a web with tape on your floor. You can do a full web or if like me space is limited just do a half.
- Make an obvious start and finish. We call our finish home base.
- Add some spiders around the web and the prize ( glowstick) in the center. After the first go I let my son scatter the spiders himself.
- Time to play.
So the object of this web walking game is to stay on the web andpick up all the spiders then the prize ( glowstick) without falling off the web . Now this can be made very difficult by requiring tippy toes or much easier by only counting a fall onto the floor as a true fall. For us he was out and had to start again if he took a step off the tape. 
- It was not a big enough challenge so we added ghosts! He could step over them but if his foot touched one he was out. Another way to make it much more of a challenge for older kids is to turn it into a timed challenge with a stop watch.
- When he did step off I’d make a cackling witchy laugh and proclaim ” You fell into the goo, ew, ew, ew ! ” He’d laugh and start again
Spooky … a little but definately not scary! I think this game will be coming out every October for years to come.
Song
You may know the song ” One Elephant” This is a Halloween version that fits this activity perfectly. In my class I used to sing this with me starting at one side of the circle time rug calling each child over. My assistant teacher would be last. I have had so many requests for songs, I couldn’t ignore this perfect match of song and activity.
One little ghost went out to play upon a spider’s web one day
He had such enormous fun that he called for another little ghost to come.
Two little ghosts went out to play upon a spider’s web one day
They had such enourmous fun that they called for another little ghost to come.
and so on and so on…
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My daughter is 13 months old and loves to listen to me sing. Shocking I know. I am not known for my singing talent, though I do love to see her face light up and how she reacts to the actions and lyrics. This ladybug song is great for summer and we sang it after catching and releasing some ladybugs in our backyard . Your kids don’t care how you sound, so sing . The goofier the better , if I can post it here for all the world to see you can do it in your own home.
Ladybug Song
I’m a little lady bug, see my spots
I crawl around your garden and in your flower pots
I’ve got some wings that help me fly
And catch those aphids buzzing by!
.
We’ve made some fun Ladybug Crafts too.
Rock Ladybugs- A great summer craft!
Paper Plate Ladybug – great for little ones.
Ladybug Math – a counting craft!
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- Gather your materials. You will need 3 pieces of construction paper, glue, scissors and markers or crayons to decorate.
- Draw a low and wide M. Don’t cut it out yet.
- Have your child decorate the M, my son spent 5 minutes playing “match” with the markers and lids before coloring, I was loosing my patience but took my own advice after a few crabby minutes and let him lead. As it turned out he wanted to color the “bala” which is a W, so a little flip is all we had to do!
- While your child is drawing wild flowers, animals or other things like scribbles draw some small clouds . Older children should be able to do this and the next step on their own.
- Draw some snow caps for the tops of the mountain.
Cut them and the clouds out. - Give your child the 3rd piece of construction paper, have them draw birds in the sky, a sun or whatever they want.
- Cut the M out.
- Glue the M on the backing.
- Glue on the snow caps.
- Add the clouds and let dry.
Songs!
She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain!
She’ll be coming round the mountain when she comes
She’ll be coming round the mountain, she’ll be coming round the mountain,
She’ll be coming round the mountain when she comes
She’ll be driving six white horses when she comes
She’ll be driving six white horses when she comes
She’ll be driving six white horses, she’ll be driving six white horses,
She’ll be driving six white horses when she comes
Oh, we’ll all go out to meet her when she comes
Oh, we’ll all go out to meet her when she comes
Oh, we’ll all go out to meet her, we’ll all go out to meet her,
We’ll all go out to meet her when she comes
She’ll be wearing red pajamas when she comes
She’ll be wearing red pajamas when she comes
She’ll be wearing red pajamas, she’ll be wearing red pajamas,
She’ll be wearing red pajamas when she comes
She will have to sleep with Grandma when she comes
She will have to sleep with Grandma when she comes
She will have to sleep with Grandma, she will have to sleep with Grandma,
She will have to sleep with Grandma when she comes
We’ll all eat chicken and dumplings when she comes
We’ll all eat chicken and dumplings when she comes
We’ll all eat chicken and dumplings, we’ll all eat chicken and dumplings
we’ll all eat chicken and dumplings when she comes!
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My son is obviously too young to go to school but he was ecstatic that the school year started because that meant that he got to see the “cool bus” today! We have a stop right infront of our house so all day today his mind was on the “cool bus” !
- Gather your materials. You will need 1 yellow, 1 black and a 3rd piece of construction paper, glue, scissors and some crayons.
- Have your child draw the bus stop. My son insisted I draw a sun as well.
- While they are coloring cut out an outline of a bus with the yellow paper.
- Cut out small squares for windows, a long thin rectangle for the stripe along the bus, and some circles for the wheels. I did small yellow circles for hubcaps too.
- Glue on the yellow bus.
- Add the windows.
I placed the glue to help guide my toddler but preschoolers can do this step unassisted.
- Add the wheels.
I didn’t have to help with this one!
- Add the hubcaps.
- Let dry!
The Wheels on the Bus
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
round and round,
round and round,
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
all through the town!
The driver on the bus goes move on back,
move on back,
move on back,
The driver on the bus goes move on back,
all through the town!
The money on the bus goes clink clink clink,
clink clink clink,
clink clink clink,
The money on the bus goes clink clink clink,
all through the town!
The people on the bus go up and down,
up and down,
up and down,
The people on the bus go up and down,
all through the town!
Book!
- Gather your materials. You will need 4 sections of egg carton, 2 pipe cleaners,scissors, some paint, paintbrush, glue and googley eyes.
- Cut out three sections of egg carton.
- Cut out a fourth by itself.
- Have your child paint the larger piece of egg carton.
- While your child is painting cut two holes in the top of the single egg carton piece and thread half of one pipe cleaner ( snip them all in two) to make antennae.
- Have your child paint the single carton with the antennae . Let dry.
- Glue some googly eyes on,
I was rather impressed that my son did this step with no help, one eyes was glued on upside down but allowing children to do it themselves is more important than it being “right”. It’s hard as a parent to do this, but so important. - Cut small holes in the ant and thread the other three half pipe cleaners through.
- Glue the head right on top of the first section .
- Don’t forget to share your cookies with your ant!
Song!
The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching one by one,
The little one stops to suck his thumb
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching two by two,
The little one stops to tie his shoe
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching three by three,
The little one stops to climb a tree
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ants go marching four by four, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching four by four, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching four by four,
The little one stops to shut the door
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ants go marching five by five, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching five by five, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching five by five,
The little one stops to take a dive
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ants go marching six by six, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching six by six, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching six by six,
The little one stops to pick up sticks
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ants go marching seven by seven, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching seven by seven, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching seven by seven,
The little one stops to pray to heaven
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ants go marching eight by eight, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching eight by eight, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching eight by eight,
The little one stops to shut the gate
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ants go marching nine by nine, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching nine by nine, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching nine by nine,
The little one stops to check the time
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ants go marching ten by ten, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching ten by ten, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching ten by ten,
The little one stops to say “THE END”
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Books!
” beetle bop” by Denise Fleming is a beautifully illustrated book with a melodic rhyming text and fantastic descriptive words. The pages are saturated with color and the pictures are all done from a bugs perspective so feet, birds and lizards all seem huge to the reader and you start to see what it might be like to be so small! My son loved this book and so did I !
” Two Bad Ants” by Chris Van Allsburg is a very interesting story of two ants who decide not to return to the colony and hang out in a sugar bowl eating instead. Of course nothing is as it seems and they have quite an adventure trying to avoid all the dangers of a kitchen, realizing in the end that being a part of a colony isn’t so bad! This is a cute book for older preschoolers who will love trying to guess what each new adventure the ants face really are- they include a toaster, hot coffee and an electrical outlet.
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