Tonight is Halloween.... Please Be Mindful

It's Halloween.
Tonight a lot of creatures will visit your door. Be open minded.
The child who is grabbing more than one piece of candy might have poor fine motor skills.
The child who takes forever to pick out one piece of candy might have motor planning issues.
The child who does not say trick or treat or thank you might be shy or non-verbal.
The child who looks disappointed when he sees your bowl might have an allergy.
The child who isn't wearing a costume at all might have SPD or autism.
Be nice. Be patient.
It's everyone's Halloween.
Make a parent feel good by making a big deal of their special child.

Have a Safe Halloween

There are many ways to keep your child safe at Halloween, when they are more prone to accidents and injuries. The excitement of children and adults sometimes makes them forget to be careful. Simple common sense can do a lot to prevent tragedies from happening.

Youngsters will be out and about on Halloween during evening hours and crossing streets in the dark. Motorists frequently use residential side streets as a cut-through during high volume traffic hours.

Here are a few Halloween safety tips to remember:

~Always use crosswalks and sidewalks and walk facing traffic
~Carry a flashlight or glow sticks
~Wear light colored clothing and reflective stickers on costumes
~Use face paint rather than full-face masks that can partially block your vision
~Only trick-or-treat at houses you know and that are well lit
~Travel in groups and children should always be with an adult
~Inspect all candy and treats before children eat them
~Notify police about any suspicious person or activity

HAVE A SAFE AND SPOOKY HALLOWEEN

Dolci Gelati Grand Opening on Halloween

Dolci Gelati, located at 107 N. Fairfax St., will officially open on October 31st.  

The first 31 customers receive a free scoop of gelato and customers who come in wearing a costume will get a free small gelato! 

Dolci Gelati  is the first stop on the Old Town Ghost Tour as the building is supposedly haunted. 
This should make the Halloween opening even more exciting! 

Hours: 8am-10pm Mondays through Saturday and 11am-10pm on Sunday's. 

In addition to gelato the store will also will serve an assortment of pastries, coffee, espressos, hot chocolate, hot cider, and much more.  

How to "Ghost" Your Neighbors

Here is the little poem that goes along with the ghost and treat for "ghosting" your neighbors.

The phantom ghost has come to town. 

to leave you some goodies, I see you've found. 

If you do not wish a curse to fall 

Continue this greeting.... This Phantom call. 

First, post this phantom in a place where it can be seen. 

And leave it there til Halloween. 

This will scare other phantoms that may come. 

Be sure to participate, don't be a bum! 

Second, make two treats, two ghosts and two notes like this 

Deliver them to two neighbors who may have been missed. 

You must be quick, you have only one day.

Go to a house with no ghosts on display. 

Don't let them see you, be sneaky, no doubt.

Deliver at dark, when there's not any light. 

Ring the doorbell, run quickly, stay out of sight. 

Last but no least, come join in the season

Be happy, be silly, you need no good reason

One last thought, remember, don't be seen. 

And share the spirit of a spooky Halloween. 

"Cat" got your tongue or Halloween Fun

Here is some more Halloween fun..... fun with "cat"


Clues                                                                                                

1. underground caverns for burying
2. a large church
3. before he was a butterfly
4. a book you can order things from 
5. a growth in your eye
6. if I throw a baseball you should....
7. cows, bulls, steer
8. a sailboat with two hulls
9. a Christian religion
10. a terrible tragedy
11. it flies but meows like a cat
12. a thief that climbs outside houses
13. a section of things that are alike
14. it swims
15. a red mushy tomato sauce

Answers

1. catacombs
2. cathedral 
3. caterpillar
4. catalog
5. cataract
6. catch
7. cattle
8. catamaran
9. Catholicism
10. catastrophe
11. catbird
12. cat burglar
13. category
14. catfish
15. catsup

Halloween Party Ideas

Looking for something to do with your child's class?  or just want to do play a few games with your kids....here are a few ideas

• play hot pumpkin
• pass the fake/rubber eyeball on the spoon
• touch feel gross things -- 
• carrot = finger
• jello = liver
• cooked pasta = intestines
• peeled grapes =  eye balls
• popcorn kernels = teeth
• apricot = tongue
• soft tomato = heart
• wrap someone in toilet paper to make a mummy
• make a scarecrow (you can use newspaper and fill newspaper bags for ams & legs) 
• guess the # of candy corn in a container
• make popcorn hands 
• use plastic/clear gloves (the kind used in kitchens/bakeries) 
• fill with candy corn for finger nails
• fill with popcorn
• undo a spider web - have each child get an end of yarn and follow it to undo a "web" 

Halloween Books for Children

Scary, Scary Halloween 

In the Haunted House

The 13 Nights of Halloween

BIG Pumpkin

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything

Rattlebone Rock

The Halo-Weiner

On Halloween Night

The Perfectly Horrible Halloween

The Teeny Tiny Ghost

There was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat

I'm Not Afraid of This Haunted House

The Pumpkin Fair

Two Little Witches

Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet

One Witch

Miss Fiona's Stupendous Pumpkin Pie

for beginner or early readers --- 

The Ghoul Brothers

Ready Freddy

Horrible Harry

Nate The Great

The Best/Worst Halloween Ever

The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches

Creepy Crawly Critters

Fluffy 

CAT Got Your Tongue ?

CAT got your tongue

Here is some more Halloween fun..... fun with "cat"


Clues                                                                                                

1. underground caverns for burying
2. a large church
3. before he was a butterfly
4. a book you can order things from 
5. a growth in your eye
6. if I throw a baseball you should....
7. cows, bulls, steer
8. a sailboat with two hulls
9. a Christian religion
10. a terrible tragedy
11. it flies but meows like a cat
12. a thief that climbs outside houses
13. a section of things that are alike
14. it swims
15. a red mushy tomato sauce

Answers

1. catacombs
2. cathedral 
3. caterpillar
4. catalog
5. cataract
6. catch
7. cattle
8. catamaran
9. Catholicism
10. catastrophe
11. catbird
12. cat burglar
13. category
14. catfish
15. catsup

Ghosting in Your Neighborhood

FROM THE ARCHIVES:

Ghosting your neighbors

Here is the little poem that goes along with the ghost and treat for "ghosting" your neighbors. 

The phantom ghost has come to town. 

to leave you some goodies, I see you've found. 

If you do not wish a curse to fall 

Continue this greeting.... This Phantom call. 

First, post this phantom in a place where it can be seen. 

And leave it there til Halloween. 

This will scare other phantoms that may come. 

Be sure to participate, don't be a bum! 

Second, make two treats, two ghosts and two notes like this 

Deliver them to two neighbors who may have been missed. 

You must be quick, you have only one day.

Go to a house with no ghosts on display. 

Don't let them see you, be sneaky, no doubt.

Deliver at dark, when there's not any light. 

Ring the doorbell, run quickly, stay out of sight. 

Last but no least, come join in the season

Be happy, be silly, you need no good reason

One last thought, remember, don't be seen. 

And share the spirit of a spooky Halloween. 

5 Little Pumpkins

5 Little Pumpkins

Here are the words to the favorite Halloween book.

5 Little Pumpkins

5 little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The 1st one says, "Oh my it's getting late."
The 2nd one says "The witch is in the air"
The 3rd one says, "I don't care"
The 4th one says, "I'm ready for some fun"
The 5th one says, "Let's run, run, run"

Then came the wind
and
blew out the lights.
And five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

Seeking Halloween Costume Donations

FROM THE DEL RAY LISTSERVE --

*For the 9th year, we will collect and distribute Halloween costumes for
children who would otherwise go without. *

*We will be collecting Halloween costumes in the bright orange donation
bins at local businesses in Del Ray beginning October 1st. All children's
sizes are needed but we are especially in need of larger size costumes. *

We will be distributing the costumes on Saturday, October 25th, from 2-4
p.m. at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center, 2701 Commonwealth Avenue. If
you'd like to volunteer please email ellen@homesofalexandria.com

*Drop Off Locations Include:*

*Caboose Café*, 2419 Mount Vernon Ave

*Rock of Ages Music*, 114 E Del Ray Ave

*BB&T*, 1901 Mount Vernon Ave

*Your Dogs Best Friend "The Store", *2301 Mount Vernon Ave

Halloween Reading

FROM THE ARCHIVES:

Getting Ready for Halloween

Some books for you and your child --

picture books

The Littlest Pumpkin

Wee Witches Halloween

Ten Timid Ghosts

Scary, Scary Halloween 

In the Haunted House

The 13 Nights of Halloween

BIG Pumpkin

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything

Rattlebone Rock

The Halo-Weiner

On Halloween Night

The Perfectly Horrible Halloween

The Teeny Tiny Ghost

There was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat

I'm Not Afraid of This Haunted House

The Pumpkin Fair

Two Little Witches

Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet

One Witch

Miss Fiona's Stupendous Pumpkin Pie

for beginner or early readers --- 

The Ghoul Brothers

Ready Freddy

Horrible Harry

Nate The Great

The Best/Worst Halloween Ever

The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches

Creepy Crawly Critters

Fluffy 

Safe Halloween

Have a Safe Halloween

There are many ways to keep your child safe at Halloween, when they are more prone to accidents and injuries. The excitement of children and adults sometimes makes them forget to be careful. Simple common sense can do a lot to prevent tragedies from happening.

Youngsters will be out and about on Halloween during evening hours and crossing streets in the dark. Motorists frequently use residential side streets as a cut-through during high volume traffic hours.

Here are a few Halloween safety tips to remember:

~Always use crosswalks and sidewalks and walk facing traffic
~Carry a flashlight or glow sticks
~Wear light colored clothing and reflective stickers on costumes
~Use face paint rather than full-face masks that can partially block your vision
~Only trick-or-treat at houses you know and that are well lit
~Travel in groups and children should always be with an adult
~Inspect all candy and treats before children eat them
~Notify police about any suspicious person or activity

HAVE A SAFE AND SPOOKY HALLOWEEN

I got a rock!

I love this!

Cat for Halloween

Here is some more Halloween fun..... fun with "cat"


Clues                                                                                                

1. underground caverns for burying
2. a large church
3. before he was a butterfly
4. a book you can order things from 
5. a growth in your eye
6. if I throw a baseball you should....
7. cows, bulls, steer
8. a sailboat with two hulls
9. a Christian religion
10. a terrible tragedy
11. it flies but meows like a cat
12. a thief that climbs outside houses
13. a section of things that are alike
14. it swims
15. a red mushy tomato sauce

Answers

1. catacombs
2. cathedral 
3. caterpillar
4. catalog
5. cataract
6. catch
7. cattle
8. catamaran
9. Catholicism
10. catastrophe
11. catbird
12. cat burglar
13. category
14. catfish
15. catsup

5 Little Pumpkins

Here are the words to the favorite Halloween book.

5 Little Pumpkins

5 little pumpkins sitting on a gate.

The 1st one says, "Oh my it's getting late."

The 2nd one says "The witch is in the air"

The 3rd one says, "I don't care"

The 4th one says, "I'm ready for some fun"

The 5th one says, "Let's run, run, run"

Then came the wind

and

blew out the lights.

And five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

Scary, Scary Halloween

Our all time favorite Halloween book!

with this one as a close 2nd

Here Comes Halloween

Halloween Party

FROM THE ARCHIVES:

Looking for something to do with your child's class?  or just want to do play a few games with your kids....here are a few ideas

• play hot pumpkin
• pass the fake/rubber eyeball on the spoon
• touch feel gross things -- 
• carrot = finger
• jello = liver
• cooked pasta = intestines
• peeled grapes =  eye balls
• popcorn kernels = teeth
• apricot = tongue
• soft tomato = heart
• wrap someone in toilet paper to make a mummy
• make a scarecrow (you can use newspaper and fill newspaper bags for ams & legs) 
• guess the # of candy corn in a container
• make popcorn hands 
• use plastic/clear gloves (the kind used in kitchens/bakeries) 
• fill with candy corn for finger nails
• fill with popcorn
• undo a spider web - have each child get an end of yarn and follow it to undo a "web" 

Ghosting

Here is the little poem that goes along with the ghost and treat for "ghosting" your neighbors.

The phantom ghost has come to town. 

to leave you some goodies, I see you've found. 

If you do not wish a curse to fall 

Continue this greeting.... This Phantom call. 

First, post this phantom in a place where it can be seen. 

And leave it there til Halloween. 

This will scare other phantoms that may come. 

Be sure to participate, don't be a bum! 

Second, make two treats, two ghosts and two notes like this 

Deliver them to two neighbors who may have been missed. 

You must be quick, you have only one day.

Go to a house with no ghosts on display. 

Don't let them see you, be sneaky, no doubt.

Deliver at dark, when there's not any light. 

Ring the doorbell, run quickly, stay out of sight. 

Last but no least, come join in the season

Be happy, be silly, you need no good reason

One last thought, remember, don't be seen. 

And share the spirit of a spooky Halloween.