There’s a sense of joy in making a Halloween costume for your child… not to mention the pride you feel when you see them wear it. The site No Twiddle Twaddle has links to 50+ easy to make Halloween costumes for kids that you don’t have to sew! Enjoy!  Mama Lisa

Barmbrack is an Irish fruit bread that’s served for Halloween and for Samhain, a similar holiday celebrated on November 1st. Barmbrack has traditionally been cooked with objects inside that are used for “fortune-telling”.  Below are some objects used.  Whoever receives the slice with that object is supposed to have the corresponding fortune in the upcoming...

In the past we’ve posted many versions of The Hearse Song that our readers have sent in.  Recently we received two versions that somewhat differ from the others.  They were sent by Richard Smith.  Here they are: My mother taught me this approximately 1954…   Did you ever think when a hearse went by That someday it may be...

One of the Moms in my daughter’s class made this hand out of ice to put in the Halloween punch.  It’s simple! All you do is put water in a clean disposable glove and seal it with a rubber band.  Then let it freeze.  When it’s done you can put it in water to make it...

My daughter made this cool finger pen in school today for Halloween.  It’s easy to make!  Here’s what you need: A Pen White Model Magic Glue A Fake Fingernail Nail Polish (Green or Orange) Directions: 1. Take a little ball of model magic.  Flatten it and then...

Here’s a song written and sung by by The Three Friends (aka Marisa, Lila and Melisa) for Halloween. MP3 of Walking in the Dark Walking in the Dark By The Three Friends The house seems so empty ...

Here’s a song Melisa, who’s in grade school, taught me called Halloween is Coming Soon.  You can hear her chanting it eerily below… MP3 of Halloween is Coming Soon Halloween is Coming Soon Halloween is Coming Soon one, two, three, If you want a spooky song call on me. Many thanks...

Looking good at 3 1/2 million years old… "Maybe a face lift would help?" –Ray Lee Check out a bunch of poems, songs and rhymes about Halloween. Mama Lisa

The chant "Double, double toil and trouble" from Shakespeare’s "MacBeth" echoes in my mind every year at Halloween-time.  Here you can listen to it and read along… MP3 of Double, double toil and trouble Round about the cauldron go; In the poison’d entrails throw. Toad, that under cold stone ...

Halloween and the Day of the Dead are coming up soon.  Today I came across a link to a template to make the paper skull above. Enjoy! Mama Lisa

"Try to read the poem so well that you can make ‘creeps’ run down the backs of all who hear you." To-night the witches will ride, will ride, Each on her broomstick astride, astride, Silent and swift in their mystic flight Upward they’ll go...

Here’s a nice spider rhyme to do with young kids… just in time for Halloween! The words are as follows: Spider Crawling Up Your Arm Spider crawling up your arm, Ooh ah, ooh ah! Action: "Crawl" fingers up kid’s arm. Spider crawling down your neck, ...

We’ve had many, many comments on our post about the song The Worms Crawl In, The Worms Crawl Out.  Here’s a new one by Kai Patsches (U.S.), that I found particularly fun and interesting… When I was younger, every time we would pass a graveyard in the car we had to put one foot in the...

My daughter made these thumbprint guys in art class today. They’re made with paint and Sharpie permanent markers. All you do is dip your thumb in paint and make thumbprints in different places on thick paper.  Let the thumbprints dry.  Then add details with a black Sharpie marker.  At top you can see a guy skating...

I normally make Jack-o’-Lantern’s out of pumpkins using a normal knife.  This year I bought a cheap kit for carving pumpkins.  I found that it made a huge difference using the carver I got (pictured at the bottom in the photo above).  The top tool is for scraping out the inside of the pumpkin. ...

My neighbor Jennifer makes intricate Jack-o’-Lanterns for her four kids each year.  She lets them each choose a design and then she carves them out.    Of course, not everyone has the time or the skill to create jack-o-lanterns like this.  So, I particularly wanted to point out Jenn’s youngest child’s design pick.  He’s...

The original meaning of Jack-o’-Lantern was night watchman.  "Jack" was a term for any guy or fellow.  A night watchman was a guy who would walk around carrying a lantern making sure all was safe.  He was a Jack with a lantern.  They were also called "Jack-a-lantern" and "Jack-with-the-Lantern". The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has the...

The Ghosts’ High Noon is a ballad written by W.S. Gilbert, with the tune created by Arthur Sullivan. It’s from Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera called Ruddigore or The Witch’s Curse. Below you’ll find different renditions of the song. Sometimes it’s sung as a ballad, other times it’s read as a poem. Listen...