Thursday 16 October 2008

Halloween fun and a new Autumn game

Although many of the traditions associated with Halloween started back in Ireland and England is just a stones throw away we don't seem to have embraced the whole thing quite like our North American cousins. When I was a kid, this time of year meant harvest festivals both at school and the church and trick and treating on the 31st. Then the 5th November is bonfire night, that's about it then until Christmas. I think at school we concentrated more on harvest time and Nov 5th than Halloween. The Japanese seem to be getting into the whole Halloween thing though, my mom commented on how much Halloween stuff was available in the shops compared to home, there certainly seems to be more and more each year.
Anyway, as much as I love Halloween and all it's spookyness I hadn't planned on doing much other than attending our playgroup party and having a spooky Halloween muffin tin dinner.
Ebi-kun on the other hand had other ideas...so together we made a Halloween 'board' to stick his projects on

I cut, he coloured, I live the pumpkins, the first lot are happy pumpkins and the second lot are the scary ones.

And these ghosties just crack me up
Then I cut out some black bats and he stuck them to the window, at dusk it looks quite scary! I have made a space under the window and put his 'board' up and we will make a spooky display, doing a different craft or something each day.
When we had finished that he got his metal insets out, but tried using the actual inset - the middle bit rather than the pink outer piece, he did really well.
As he worked on the insets, I made a tree and invented a new game for him.
I stuck the tree to the wall and below it put a basket of leaves (fabric) and some blu tak
Then I stick a number next to the tree and he had to stick the correct number of leaves to the tree. We talked about how the leaves are falling from the trees now and I told him that he has to check this tree in case the leaves have fallen off.
Then comes the fun part, when ever I near the tree during the course of the day, I would pull the leaves off and change the number but I don't tell him I have done it. Every now and then I hear him shouting 'Oh no, the leaves have fallen off' and he sticks a new set of leaves on. I'm not sure how long this game will last but he is loving it at the moment.

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5 comments:

  1. Hi, Heather's friend Heather here. ;)

    I just wanted to say I think you're amazing and you really should open a preschool- it's not fair that Ebi-kun be the only kid to benefit from your talents!

    And uhhhh, I wonder how you fel about people using the activities you post in a commercial setting? There are some things here I would LOVE to do with my preschool classes at work and I know you've posted some materials for free but is that just for personal use?

    I made the three part name/ picture/ name and picture activity with my girls and not only did they love it but it got my 4yo noticing the shapes of words for the first time. Thank you!!

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  2. Hi Heather, Can't believe we still haven't met.
    I don't mind people using the materials at school as long as no one sells them on. Of course financial donations are always welcome :o) Or even supporting my Etsy shop helps!

    As for the preschool - I would have loved to get a Montessori school going but lack of ¥¥¥ means it will never happen and I really don't want to go back to the world of teaching English, I had a belly full last time.

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  3. where did you buy the blu tack?i've been searching for god knows how long here in Japan but couldn't find one!
    by the way, if you open a school..even a play school at your house i wouldn't mind going to hasuda to send hafiy :)

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  4. Thank you Nor :o)

    I bought the blu tac from home but I have seen similar stuff- but it's white in Tokyo Hands in Omiya.

    You use English with Hafiy don't you? We are having a halloween party in Omiya on the 29th, 1-5, if you are interested let me know.

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  5. oh..pleaseee count me in!!!Halloween party means you have to go with a costume right?do the mommies have to wear one too?i never been to a Halloween party before...so please guide me :)
    we speak Malay Language most of the time, he speaks Japanese outside the house but i teach him English so maybe he can understand :)

    ReplyDelete

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