11: All Hallows' Eve
“Anyone could see that the wind was a special wind this night, and the darkness took on a special feel because it was All Hallows’ Eve.”
-Ray Bradbury
The celebration of Halloween is marked on the 31st of October in many countries all over the world. Many believe that this event started from an ancient Celtic festival that is highlighted by rituals that ward off spirits during the end of harvest season. This tradition has evolved over time into the Halloween that we celebrate now — one with spooky costumes, delectable treats, and jack o’ lanterns.
This week, the Kindergarteners prepared to celebrate Halloween with the whole school, and experienced its different elements in meaningful and enriching ways together. But first, what exactly is Halloween for each of them?
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Oftentimes, Halloween is associated with the dark as it is at night when the spooky monsters go out to haunt the streets — or perhaps to go trick or treating. 😄 This week, the children had the opportunity to spend some time in the dark while learning about food and how they are gathered.
Our inquiry on the last food group — proteins — for this unit allowed the children to experience what it was like to live in ancient times. We transformed our playhouse in the classroom into a cave and learned about the ways in which our ancestors gathered their food for sustenance. The children discovered stories preserved in the cave through drawings on the walls. When the we looked at them closely, the children saw many animals depicted in the images, which made some of them ask, “Ms. Pam, do the cavemen catch the animals for food?”
The children had a first hand experience of what it was like to gather their own food through a hunting activity. We used our observation and problem solving skills to find animals in the wild. The children followed the animal footprints that they discovered outside the cave, and used their keen sense of sight to see where the animals are hiding. Once we gathered all the animals, we decided as a class whether they can be a source of food or not.
The children deepened their inquiry on animals as a source of food by playing with colorful mystery pills that they placed in water. Each one contained a different animal, and the children watched it unfold before their eyes. As a class, we identified which animals we use as sources of food, and which ones we keep as pets or leave in the wild. Some of them were surprised that people eat kangaroos in Australia, and others claimed that birds are a delicacy here in Japan. It was interesting to note that different cultures have different preferences when it comes to their source of protein!
What Do Black Cats Like to Eat?
They say that black cats are a sign of bad luck, and when one crosses in front of you, you will be met with misfortune. Black cats are one of the most common Halloween representations, but many cultures disagree with the superstitions as they are believed to be symbols of prosperity.
This week, the children learned the type of protein that black cats — or any cat for that matter — like to feed on: fish. The kindergarteners went on an “outdoor fishing trip” to gather treats from our little pond, and connect our inquiry on food with the literacy and the alphabet.
We followed up this activity with a book called “Chicka Chicka ABC” by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, one of my favorite children’s books, as it never fails to engage the children in the story.
(Side note: Ever since I read this book, one of the students in class always asks me to read it everyday. Can you guess who it is? Clue: she celebrated her birthday this week. 😊)
Scary Realizations
When Halloween comes, spooky decorations are in abundance and horror films trend in cinemas. During this season, the scary things become tangible and fun even for young children.
This week, the ghosts and monsters were no competition for the scary realization that the children had after we finally finished reading the book called “How Do Animals Give Us Food?”
“Ms. Paaaaaam, you mean to tell us that we eat cows?”
"Yes," I told them.
“But they’re our friends. Animals are our friends!”
"Of course they are," I said. "Which is why they also help us become healthier and give us a balanced diet."
“I don’t want to eat animals. Starting now, I will only eat vegetables.”
“Okay, that’s your choice,” I said. “But you need to find another source of protein.”
“I will just eat vegetables for lunch today.”
“Sure, let me know how it goes.”
Situation at lunch: vegetables untouched.
“I thought you’re just going to eat your vegetables today,” I said.
“Oh yeah,” after enjoying the beef in the bento. 😆
Eating animals was definitely the scariest thing the children learned this week — until one of them said, “Are people proteins, too?” 😱
Writings on the Walls
Haunted houses are one of the main attractions during the Halloween season. People seem to enjoy the experience of scaring themselves by going through hallways filled with surprises at every corner. One of the common features of haunted houses is the writings on the walls, which they say comes from the ghosts that haunt the place.
For this week’s story workshop, the children used their illustrations to convey their stories. Just like the cave drawings that they discovered, the kindergarteners preserved their favorite animal stories through images that they drew on the walls. You'll never know, thousands of years from now, people in the future might see these cave drawings and see how much we love our animal friends.
Of Pumpkins and Jack o’ Lanterns
Since the celebration of Halloween coincides with the autumn harvest, pumpkins have become one of the most recognized images of this occasion. In other countries, carving pumpkins has become a tradition in many communities. Some even hold contests for the biggest pumpkin harvests or the best carved jack o’ lanterns in their town.
To get the children excited for the school’s festivities, we made jack o’ lanterns to adorn our classroom for the Halloween celebration. All pumpkins are decorated uniquely and reflect the mood that each child chose to create.
Monsters Abound
Monsters are always at the forefront of many Halloween stories. They are depicted in different forms, such as frankensteins, zombies, ghouls, and other interesting creatures that are out of this world.
This week, the children learned what monsters like to eat through a book called, “Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli” It was an interesting read as it focuses on the food that we think we don’t like, but eventually enjoy eating once we try them. A lot of the children said they like eating broccoli, but would never eat the other things that monsters eat — like trains, buildings, and toys!
I introduced another Halloween character to the children — a scarecrow — which is often regarded as a villain in many stories (like Batman!) I shared with the children that our dear school scarecrow, Crowie, has a good heart. She is actually the one who ensures that the crops of farmers, like broccolis, are safe from birds and other animals. We placed Crowie in her element, and created a pumpkin patch with our jack o’ lanterns for her to take care of.
Trick or Treat
For children, the main highlight of Halloween is the experience of trick or treating and gathering as many candies and chocolates as their little buckets could fit. Aside from this, children have colorful imaginations which is why they thrive and develop through pretend play. The idea of a whole celebration centered around dressing up and being someone (or something!) else is thrilling for most children.
To culminate this week, the children came in their thoughtful and wonderfully made costumes. Each dress or accessory is a mirror of each child’s character and interests, and it’s fascinating to see all of them showcase who they are for the day.
The children went trick or treating around school and collected different treats from their parents, friends, teachers, and even from the cleaning staff and school bus driver!
Halloween Festivities
Halloween parties have become an annual event that people look forward to. Some big cities even block off their roads from vehicles to make way for street parties to toast to this event.
We ended the celebration by letting the kindergarteners enjoy a simple Halloween outdoor party with their friends from Kinder 1. They played relay games and had a simple mikan picnic while enjoying the rays of the sun. All of them showed off their skills in jumping and hopping while donned in their Halloween costumes. It showed true camaraderie amongst the children, as they were not focused on who will win the games but rather on cheering for their friends.
Spooky Decorations
Many families all over the world enjoy decorating their homes and gardens with Halloween paraphernalia. Some do it to perhaps scare off their neighbors but its main purpose is to welcome the children with whom they will share some treats.
When the annual DSKI Halloween door decoration contest was announced, the children and I searched for ideas on Pinterest to use as our peg for our door decoration. The children liked the idea of turning our door’s window into a spooky one, and the ideas started flowing afterwards. We all worked hard to make our vision happen using recycled materials — and all the mess was worth it.
We were even able to show off our scary faces, which we included in the design!
Before going home on Friday, the children found out that our classroom door was chosen as the winner in the whole school! Everyone was so excited — with high pitched squeals and jumps for joy — when the announcement took place. I truly wish I caught it on camera! What I explained to the children is that all of us are winners — trophy or not — because we all put in a lot of effort to make our imaginations come to life. At the end of the day, the best prize to receive is the fun that we all had while working together (seeing my face as the witch was the icing on the cake — the children truly had a laugh with that!)
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At the end of the week, the children went home with their costumes and their loots — all with such big smiles on their faces, which were evident even behind their masks. It was the perfect way to say goodbye for now, until we all see each other again in November.
Have a wonderful Autumn break to you all, and Happy Halloween!
This was such a fun read about their week - thank you! Enjoy your holiday.
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