Happy Halloween
From all of us at RedRoko.
Friday, October 31, 2008
1 Hour : Read It : Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic
One of my favorite things to do each fall when the days get shorter and the nights turn cooler and evening seems to stretch on forever is to curl up with a good book in a cozy reading chair. And some of my favorite times doing this occurred in my childhood. As a result, many books from my childhood have a special place in my heart.
One of those special places is reserved for Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and her upside-down house. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle opened the door to a magical place where every childhood misbehavior could be solved in a crazy, zany way that just didn't happen in the real world. And Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle knew how to have fun in the process and send you home with tummy full of cookies.
In Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic you learn all sorts of cures for some very bad habits.
The Bad-Table-Manners cure involves a pig named Lester, and, in no time, a mysterious powder sprinkled in the ears cures a Thought-You-Saiders epidemic. The Waddler-I-Doers find plenty to do when Mrs. Piggle Wiggle turns a rainy day into a unforgettable top-secret indoor treasure hunt!
Just as the title implies, most of the cures in Mrs. Piggle’s Magic involve some sort of magic (whether an unusual pig or a magic powder or something called ignorance tonic). Although somewhat unlike the first book, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, in which children are cured by slightly more believable methods, this book is great fun, wonderfully imaginative, and not to be missed by fans of Mrs. Piggle Wiggle and her unusual childhood cures.So, pull up a chair, sit next to nice, toasty fire and read Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic to your kids. You all will be engulfed in her fun, and who knows, your own kids might even be cured of their misbehavior.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
15 Minutes : Know It : Thank You (ASL)
Teaching your children sign language is a great idea. Not only is it teaching them a new way to communicate but it also helps develop attention skills.
As we are entering November and the Thanksgiving season why not teach your kids a new and fun way to express their gratitude.
Here's how you say "thank you". Try using this more around the house and out and about.
Thank You
**Remember that just because you are using sign language doesn't mean you can't say "thank you" along with it.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
1 Hour : Make It : Glow-in-the-Dark Bags
Safety during the dark night of trick-or-treating is always a concern for any parent. This year, along with basic safety instructions, we're making glow-in-the-dark bags to collect all our goodies and give us just one more advantage of being seen in the dark.
I chose to buy dollar bags at Michaels and we'll paint them with sayings, pumpkins, ghosts and bats. If you're not looking to get new bags you can easily paint over existing fabric bags or plastic tubs. While your at it, talk to your children about how important it is that other people and especially cars see them during this hallowed night.
1 Hour : Play It : Halloween Movie Night
When I was a child every year before Halloween you could find me watching my favorite Halloween cartoons over and over. Seeing those cartoons now brings back childhood memories and feelings. It's a great tradition...something that all ages can enjoy.
If you haven't yet caught one on TV create a family movie night yourself. Halloween night would be great...after you've made the rounds trick-or-treating and your trying to calm everyone of their sugar highs. I think it would be a great way to wind things down without the kiddos feeling that way.
Some of my most favorite cartoons are:
It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
Donald's Scary Tales
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Other great Halloween movies:
Mickey's House of Villians
Bed Knobs and Broomsticks
Casper
Hopus Pocus
Freaky Friday
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
1 Hour : Make It : Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
This recipe is one of my favorites come Fall time. It's also a great one to involve the kids...even the little ones. Everyone can help! There's nothing technical just opening, pouring and stirring. With only three ingredients it's hard to mess this one up.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1-box Spice cake mix
1-15oz canned pumpkin
1/2 bag mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Spoon drop cookies on greased pan. Make 12-15 minutes or until done (depending on how big your cookies are - I like mine big).
Suggestion: Try this same recipe in a bread pan for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip bread...yum yum!
Monday, October 27, 2008
1 Hour : Play It : Leaf Painting
My kids fingerpaint at least once a week; they love it. Today, once toddler is down for a nap, we're going to do this variation that I found at scholastic.com.
Collect different fallen leaves. Turn them over to examine the bumpier, veined side. Coat the back of the leaf with fingerpaint, and make patterns on paper. See how the "leaf stamps" make different pictures.
(General tip for fingerpainting: We sometimes paint on the back of old wrapping paper--it's slick and shiny. If I have enough, I actually tape it to the table and they paint all over it.)
Collect different fallen leaves. Turn them over to examine the bumpier, veined side. Coat the back of the leaf with fingerpaint, and make patterns on paper. See how the "leaf stamps" make different pictures.
(General tip for fingerpainting: We sometimes paint on the back of old wrapping paper--it's slick and shiny. If I have enough, I actually tape it to the table and they paint all over it.)
1 Hour : Play It : Family "Spooky Stories" Night
Kids of all ages would LOVE to do this.
activity via Nestle
WHAT YOU NEED
- "Spooky" movies (available at movie rental stores)
- Scary Halloween music (available on CD at music stores)
- Flashlight
- Decorated candy basket filled with 1 or more bags of The NESTLÉ Ultimate Scream Collection candy
- NESTLÉ Hot Cocoa Mix
HOW TO DO IT
- Pick an evening close to Halloween for your "Spooky Stories" Night.
- Tell everyone to get into the mood for the evening by getting in costume.
- Simply dressing in black is very effective!
- Dim the lights, have the scary music playing softly in the background and invite everyone to sit in a circle.
- Pick an older child or adult to be the Spooky Story leader.
- They will have a filled candy basket and a flashlight in front of them.
- It is their job to welcome the circle to... SPOOKY STORIES NIGHT! (you can turn the music up, for effect)
- They will begin a Spooky Story Chain.
HOW TO TELL IT
- The first person in the story chain has the filled candy basket and places a lit flashlight und his or her chin.
- He or she begins the Spooky Story. For example: It was a dark, stormy Halloween night. The old house on the hill had been empty for years…
- They take a candy treat from the basket and pass it and the flashlight to the person next to them who must continue the story. The next person might continue the story by saying…Even though the house was empty, many people swore that they heard strange noises…
- This person takes a candy treat and passes the basket and flashlight on to the next person until everyone in the circle has added to the story.
- Remember, the last person in the circle must end the story!
- After the last story is told, settle everyone in front of the TV with a warm mug of NESTLÉ Hot Cocoa for one of the "classics", like Frankenstein or The Mummy.
TIPS
- If you have a little one that is too young to participate in the story chain, have them sit on an older child's or adult's lap so that they can try the flashlight and have a turn dipping into the candy basket.
FOLLOW UP FUN
- Give everyone paper and pencil and have them write down a small part of a spooky story.
- Fold the papers up and place in a basket.
- Begin the story chain as above, but each person thereafter will draw one of the pieces of paper out of the basket and read it.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
15 Minutes : Make It : Ghost Lollipops
This was one of my favorite Halloween activities when I was a little girl.
Supplies:
- Lollipops (I always used Tootsie Rolls)
- White Tissue or Napkins
- String
- Black Marker
How To:
Place the white tissue over the top of the lollipop. Gather around the base of the sucker and tie with string. Draw scary eyes and mouths with the black marker.
Friday, October 24, 2008
1 Hour : Make It : Sugar Cookies
Fall marks the beginning of sugar cookie season for me. Yup, that's right! I can not experience the month of October (Nov, Dec, or Feb) without a home made sugar cookie...preferably with sprinkles on top please. This "season" starts in October and ends with the holiday, Valentines Day! What can I say, I love sugar cookies and I love decorating them during the given holiday. I'm always looking for ideas. I find a lot of ideas from cooking ads in magazines and when I see them, I rip them out and stick them in my personal recipe binder so I will always have them. I personally am not that picky with my sugar cookies other than they have to be soft and I prefer home made frosting (ok so maybe I am picky). But when it comes to decorating I really am not picky or real fancy either. I usually make the frosting a fun color and use my creativity with different kinds of sprinkles/candies...that's it. I see lots of fancy decorated cookies around but lets be honest they may look good but the frosting rarely ever is. I would show you a picture of my Halloween sugar cookies this year but...I already ate them....oops.
Here are some great Halloween/Fall ideas I've come across that are kid involvement friendly.
Children love sprinkling on the sprinkles or sticking on a candy corn or two.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
15 Minutes : Know It : Bowling
Did you know bowling dates clear back to the Egyptians in 5200 BC? It's true, although some argue that it really originated in Germany in 300 AD. Either way, that was a really long time ago. Back then they rolled cannon balls to knock down objects called pins, and it was called "Kegelspiel". Now that's funny! It wasn't until the 1800s that it made its way to America. Now it is known as a competitive sport. And who would've thought it takes 135 muscles to play.
The sport of ten-pin bowling is performed on a straight, narrow surface known as a lane. This bowling lane is 60 feet from the foul line to the head pin (1-pin). About 15 feet from the foul line are a set of guide arrows. The lane is 41.5 inches wide and normally consists of 39 wooden boards or a synthetic material.
information via wikipedia.com
As technology has improved, the game has only grown bigger and better throughout the years.
Without those nifty screens and computes scoring can be quite complicated.
Wikipedia has done a great job at explaining it.
And for more fun facts visit this site.
15 Minutes : Play It : Ghost Bowling
If it's starting to get chilly outside this may be a great idea to change things up a bit while in doors.
Option 1: if you already have a set of plastic bowling pins (or some other type of bowling set), take some napkins (or white scrap material), unfold it and stick it on top of each pin. The drape effect will leave it looking like a ghost. Add eyes with a black marker (or googley eyes) and if you want to get fancy tie a black ribbon around the neck.
Option 2: if you don't have any type of bowling set...don't fret, make you're own using disposable cups. Place a ball of modeling clay (or something to help weigh it down) in a cup. Invert a second cup and place it on top of the first. Then tape the rims together. Place pins in triangular formation (4>3>2>1). Any type of ball can be used for bowling ball (how about a tennis ball).
Obviously any type of cup can work (plasic or paper). If you are wanting to create the ghost effect try using transparent or clear plastic cups adding eyes with a marker or just apply Option 1 to what you have.
Perfect!!! Now you can go bowling without spending a dime or at least saving a dime or two.
Monday, October 20, 2008
15 Minutes : Know It : Tricky Treats
You just know your kid and every other kid in your neighorhood is going to get plenty of candy. If you're like me, you like to throw in the healthy treats as often as possible. Call me a Halloween humbug, but I still think kids like snack foods or other prizes as much as the candy bars. So, here is a list of non-candy items that either I have given to trick-or-treaters, or I have appreciated seeing in my kids' bags:
Fruit leather
Bagged chips (hey, Fritos are sort of healthy!)
Mini bags of microwaveble popcorn
Glow-in-the-dark bracelets
Bagged nuts or trail mix
Nickels or dimes
Small sheet of stickers
Plastic spider rings
Halloween pencils
1 Hour : Make It : Leaf Luminarias
Really not looking forward to carving pumpkins again this year but would love to have the welcoming candle light outside? Give these leaf luminarias a try....your kids will love the misting paint.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
15 Minute : Play It : Halloween Dance Moves
photo via Julie Walton Shaver
Do you have a favorite Halloween song? If not, local radio stations will be playing all kinds of spooky music (like Monster Mash) this season to get up and dance to. Kids love to dance and having a parent involved makes it even better. This year turn up the tunes and inspire your kids to do their spookiest moves...I'm sure everyone will get a good giggle.
Some ideas to inspire creative movement could be:
- floating like a ghost
- flying like a bat
- walking like Frankenstein
- squatting like a pumpkin
- moving like a scarecrow
walking like a black cat
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