Pumpkin Painting

This year instead of carving pumpkins we painted them.  J bugged us all week to paint his.  We only had green, purple, and blue paint but this didn't stop his fun.

When the time finally came, he appeared less than enthused.

  

 Little J quickly perked up and began his masterpiece.

Looks pretty good, huh!

This little beauty as well as 3 others still adoren our table.  We have had them since the 2nd week of October.  There are no outward signs of decay, so I think they will last til the end of November.  Yippee!!

Pumpkin Pie Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, pie spice and salt.

 

2. In a large bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin puree, egg and vanilla and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls.

3. Bake for 12-15 minutes in the preheated oven. Let cool.

Frosting:

Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add sugar or milk as needed to achieve desired consistency.

 

Some like to drizzle the cookies, I prefer a frosting consistency.

The Lantern

There was once a boy called George who had been outside in the garden all through the Summer running after the butterflies, jumping like a grasshopper, singing like a bird, and trying to catch the sunlight. One day when he was lying on his back in the meadow gazing up into the sun-filled sky, he said, “Dear Brother Sun, soon the Autumn winds will blow and wail, and Jack Frost will come and make us all freeze, and the nights will be long and cold.”

Brother Sun pushed the clouds aside and said, “Yes, it will be dark and cold. In the deep midwinter, warmth and light live deep within, hidden from sight. In the time of dark and cold, you will tend the Light Within.”

“But,” said George, “How will I tend this Light when it’s dark everywhere around me?”

“I will give you a spark of my last Autumn rays once you have made a little house for it, for this spark must be guarded well. It will light the way for you to tend the Light Within throughout the time of dark and cold.”

And then Brother Sun once hid again behind a cloud.

George went home and wondered how best he could make a little house for the spark of the sun. He took a thick piece of paper and painted a beautiful blue and yellow watercolor upon it. When it was dry, he cut windows into his painting. Then he placed colored tissue paper on the back of his watercolor - and - he formed it into a lantern. He took a candle and put it into the middle of his lantern. And, as it was growing dark, he went outside with it.

George held the lantern up above him and said, “Brother Sun, I have made a little home for one of your golden sparks. Please may I have one? I will guard it well.”

Then Brother Sun looked out from behind a cloud and said, “You have made a beautiful home. I shall give you one of my golden sparks.”

And suddenly, George saw how the windows of his lantern were lit up, and as he looked into the lantern, he saw a spark happily dancing on top of the candle. Oh, how happy the light was in his lovely lantern! It shone and shone so brightly.

“Thank you, Brother Sun,” George called out, “Thank you.” And he took his lantern and carried it carefully home singing:

The sunlight fast is dwindling,
My little lamp needs kindling.
Its beam shines far in darkest night,
Dear Lantern, guard me with your light.

~ from Autumn, Wynstones Press, originally by M Meyerkort and revised by L Sutter.

Pumpkin Fairy

I was reading over at Magic Onion about a new tradition they started last year in their family.  After all the trick-or-treating fun, each family member chooses 10 pieces of candy to keep.  All other candy is placed into each child's individual Halloween bucket and left at the end of his/her bed. 

That night the Pumpkin Fairy sneaks into the children's rooms and replaces the candy with a special treat.  The treat could be anything from a homemade toy to a book to a new pair of pajamas.  The choice is entirely up to you.

Fairy dust is left sprinkled on the end of the bed and sporadically around the room.

I can't imagine the fun this would have been as a child.

I hope the Pumpkin Fairy can visit as many homes as possible this year and become an enchanting reminder of childhood in the years to come.

Mouse House or Little Orange House

I always share a version of this cute little story with my kinder kiddos.  You will need a couple of sheets of orange construction paper, scissors, and a copy of the story.


Mouse House/Pumpkin Story

He spotted a pumpkin laying on its side in the field and thought that it would make a good, warm place to live.

(Cut out a half a pumpkin shape so what when you open the paper up it will look like a whole pumpkin. Don’t forget the stem!)

The little mouse nibbled a hole in the pumpkin to get inside where it was warm.

(Tear a small hole out of the paper right in the middle of the fold – this is the nose.)

Once he got inside the little mouse saw that the door he use to get in would be too small for some of his friends to visit, so he nibbled a larger door for them.

(Tear another hole out on the side of the 1st hole that is away from the stem. Make it about halfway between the first hole and what will be the bottom of the pumpkin. Tear this hole taller to make it look like a bigger door. This is the mouth. Remember you are making holes in the fold of the paper.)

Then, the little mouse noticed that it was very dark in his new house so he decided to make a window. He nibbled and nibbled and soon he had a nice window to let in light.

(This hole is not made on the fold. It should be on the side that is closest to the stem and a few inches up from the fold. These are the eyes. Make it about equal distance from the first small whole and the stem.)

He was very proud of his house when it was done and invited all of his friends over to wish them a Happy Halloween.

(Open your pumpkin and the children will see that you have made a jack-o-lantern.)
SECOND VERSION...

Little Witch

Once upon a Halloween, a very tiny little witch was walking through the forest.  The weather was turning colder and the tiny little witch was searching for a home to stay warm in while the icy winds blew.
She came across a piece of orange paper blowing in the wind. 

“Perfect!” said the tiny little witch, “This will make a wonderful home for me!”

And she pulled a tiny little pair of scissors out of her tiny little pockets (for she was a very prudent  little witch and always had her tiny little scissors with her) and she folded the orange paper in half and then cut out a tiny little roof.

The tiny little witch walked in the door of her tiny little house.  It was very dark inside.  “I need to make some tiny little windows” she said.  So, the tiny little witch took her tiny little scissors and cut some tiny little windows in the orange paper house. [cutting through all the layers of the folded paper, make square or circle shaped windows]

Just then, the tiny little witch heard a voice in the wind howling “Booooo! Boooooo! Boooo hoooooo!” It was a tiny little ghost and he was very sad.

“Tiny little ghost, why are you so sad?” asked the tiny little witch.

“Because winter is coming and I have no hooooooome.   Boooo!   Boooo Hoooo!” sobbed the ghost.

“Don’t worry, friend,” said the tiny little witch.  “I will make room for you in my lovely orange paper house.  I will give you your very own ghost-shaped door so that you feel right at home.” And, with that, the tiny little witch cut a small ghost shaped door in the orange paper house. [cut a small triangle in between the door and the windows, on the fold of the paper]

The tiny little ghost went inside his tiny ghost shaped door and the tiny witch went inside her tiny witch shaped door.  The two friends were safe and warm inside the orange paper house.  And they lived happily ever after!  [open up your folded paper and reveal the surprise]

Once there was a little mouse who lived in a field on a pumpkin farm. It was beginning to get colder out as autumn was coming, so he decided to start looking for a home. [fold paper and cut the roof]

“Lovely!” said the tiny little witch, admiring her new home.  “But, I shall need a tiny little door.” And so she took her tiny little scissors and cut a specially shaped tiny little door, just right for a tiny little witch wearing a tiny little witch’s hat. [make a door shaped like a rectangle with a slanting triangle on the top][Fold the paper in half the short way.]

It's Halloween by Jack Prelutsky

It's Halloween! It's Halloween!

The moon is full and bright

And we shall see what can't be seen

On any other night.



Skeletons and ghosts and ghouls,

Grinning goblins fighting duels,

Werewolves rising from their tombs,

Witches on their magic brooms.



In masks and gowns

We haunt the street

And knock on doors

For trick or treat.



Tonight we are

The king and queen,

For oh tonight

It's Halloween!
 
 
Thanks to the Pagan Soccer Mom for posting such a perfect Halloween poem.  What a way to begin this month!

Eco Friendly Halloween Crafts

Aren't these crafts just fun?  To view directions, click the following link.

Kiwi Magazine's Halloween Crafts

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater
Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater
Had a wife and couldn't keep her.
He put her in a pumpkin shell
And there he kept her very well.

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Five Little Pumpkins

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate,
The first one said, Oh, my it’s getting late!
The second one said, There are owls in the air!
The third one said, But we don’t care!
The fourth one said, Let’s run and run and run!
The fifth one said, I’m ready for some fun!
Then Whoooo went the wind
And out (clap) went the lights
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight!

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Pumpkins

When you see me in the fields,
My orange glowing in the sun,
It's time to say goodbye to summer
and hello to autumn fun!!
 
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I’m a Little Pumpkin
(Tune: I’m a Little Tea Pot)

I’m a little pumpkin short and stout.
Here are my eyes and here is my mouth.
When its Halloween and you are out,
Just lift my lid and hear me shout.
Boo!

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Mr. Pumpkin
(tune: Where is Thumbkin)

Mr. Pumpkin,
Mr. Pumpkin,
Round and fat.
Round and fat.

Harvest time is coming.
Harvest time is coming.
Yum, yum, yum.
That is that!

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Pumpkin Song
(tune: I'm a Little Teapot)


I'm a little pumpkin
Orange and round.

Here is my stem,
There is the ground.

When I get all cut up,
Don't you shout!

Just open me up
And scoop me out!

Pumpkin Activities