It's officially spooky season, but that doesn't mean it's all goblins, ghouls, and gummy bears. Just like a mom who sneaks broccoli into macaroni and cheese, here at PDE we like to sneak a little education into our entertainment!
Did you know that Halloween was originally the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain? During the event, people would wear costumes around bonfires in the hope of scaring off ghosts. Later, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as All Saints Day—a time to honor all the saints. The evening before, now what we call Halloween, became known as All Hallows Eve, with festivities like trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, eating candy, and wearing costumes.
Just like our ancestors tried to ward off ghouls, over the next few weeks, teachers can use a few strategies to ward off bad habits and holiday distraction.
- Create lesson plans that teach the history of our holidays
- Boost physical activity through fall fun runs and broom races
- Build a toothpick "haunted house"
- Read seasonal books
- Sing some spooky songs as a class
- Provide opportunities for fall and Halloween-themed arts and crafts
We have created a few fun fall coloring sheets for classrooms—and households!—to use over the next few weeks. You can find them on our website. We'd love to see your creations, so share them on social media and tag us!
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Happy Halloween!