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Halloween Songs for Kids

10/26/2020

Halloween Trick-or-Treating will likely be cancelled in neighborhoods around the country this year. I am positive that many people are just fine with that. I have heard that in my neighborhood, people are just planning to set out a bowl of candy so that no one has to interface with the kids and possibly infect them or vice versa. Where is the fun in that?

There have been other years when people were also afraid to hand out candy at their homes or let their kids approach random houses in the neighborhood. People came up with many inventive solutions. For example, one neighborhood had a signal for "safe" homes. Or they created a list of addresses where homeowners welcomed the kids. I think I actually witnessed the birth of the Trunk-or-Treat. Many Church groups are still planning their annual Trunk-or-Treat in the parking lots of their buildings. I suppose that not only the people will social distance, but probably the cars will, too.

I remember many fun school, church and community events where we held Fall Carnivals with all sorts of entertainment booths, a Chili Cook-Off, dancing, pumpkin carving contests, bake sales, and Halloween Sing-Alongs. I loved doing the Music Booth where I taught the kids fun tunes including these:
We Are Out to Scare You - Halloween vocal warm-up
For This Is Halloween - finger play with fun musical additions

Years ago, in the olden days, when I was just beginning to go out Trick-or-Treating, I actually thought that everybody had to show their best trick before they got their candy treat. So, figuring that singing was my best trick, I always sang a song. Whenever possible, my mother would even slide onto piano bench in the people's house to accompany me.

When my kids were getting to the age of being able to go out Trick-or-Treating, I was amazed at our neighbors who enjoyed making special treat bags labeled just for them. How sweet!

I am missing the fun of Halloween already!

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Spooky Houses

10/14/2020

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When we made a quick trip to visit our old hometown, my son and I got to take a Ghost Tour of Uptown Whittier. We met an old friend who had only decided to start giving these tours a couple of months ago. He started with just one spooky story, but now has quite a repertoire of stories to tell. He explained that every time he takes a group out for the tour, someone shares another story with him.

Whittier, California has been inhabited by indigenous tribes, then Mexicans, then Quakers, then the rest of us. In the late 1800's, when the Quakers bought the land, they wanted to name it after the famous poet John Greenleaf Whittier in hopes that would entice more Quakers to move from the east coast, and perhaps Mr. Whittier himself, to the settlement. He never came, but the Quakers did set up a beautiful little community. One way the settlers chose to build their houses was with the help of the Sears Roebuck catalog. In those days, the family would order a "Kit House" from the catalog, have it shipped by train to California, then they would convince their neighbors to bring their wagons and horses, and their tools and skills to help them put it together.

More houses featured in "Hocus Pocus."

Most of the houses are situated around a central park and built in the late Victorian style or early Craftsman period style. Many are well loved and kept up, but some of them have interesting stories to tell about spirits that may or may not want to leave the premises. And some of the houses and streets were featured in the Disney movie "Hocus Pocus." (Our tour guide had actually happened by during the filming of the movie and told us how so much of the area was completely covered up with black drapes during the shoot.)

As we walked around and heard the stories, I was just amazed at how charming the houses were. (I love the craftsman style especially. My husband built our house in that style.) I was surprised by how well we could appreciate the different houses even at night.

It reminded me of how Color and Contrast really make a difference for Curb Appeal. Many of the homes had been decorated for Halloween with orange lights and spooky ghouls, pumpkins and skeletons. It really added to the spooky ambience of the Ghost Tour.

Example of French Country architecture

We have a newly built house in our neighborhood that is guaranteed to be spooky year-round. Most of the houses on the street are little brick ranchers from the 1950's. This house was interesting to watch during construction because we all got excited that a beautiful French Country mansion was being built. There were some beautiful features we had great expectations for.

We expected light colored stucco or siding with contrasting trim. We hoped for romantic rock facing and charming details around the windows and doors.

The Spooky House

That's not what appeared a few weeks later. The owners painted the entire house -- brick, rock, siding and all --- BLACK to match the roof. No Color or Contrast and absolutely no Curb Appeal. It is truly a Spooky House. Maybe it will be featured in a Halloween movie someday!

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More Opening Lines

10/6/2020

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Well... I can't say that I have enjoyed self isolation and quarantine very much over the last eight months. I have definitely felt cut off from family and friends and activities that I have always enjoyed most. But I can say that I have kept myself occupied doing a few productive creative projects.

I have recently completed a Picture Book to finish my set of stories about my children. I kind of fudged a bit. Instead of writing seven Picture Books, one for each child, I only wrote five. The last two books double up by telling combined stories about Cami and Mitchell, and then this newest one about Kathryn and Carolyn in Spin Around Dresses and Click Shoes.

As I was struggling to hone the ideas for the Picture Books about my children, it occurred to me, that stories from my childhood might be of interest to the family, especially my grandchildren. So, I got started writing the Betsy Books about my early life. I have to admit that I had a pretty great childhood. Okay, my daughters think that I was a feral child who ran wild. I prefer to think that I was allowed a lot of freedom to CREATE!

So, I am testing out the opening lines of these stories. Remember the criteria:
The Opening lines of a PICTURE BOOK story should:
1. Introduce the main character and establish the VOICE.
2. Suggest the THEME of the story.
3. Establish the TONE of the book.
4. Reveal the CONFLICT.
5. Set up the STRUCTURE of the book.

Some of these stories are written in rhyme, some in prose. How did I do?

1. "Kathryn came in saying, 'I know, let's play dollies!'
'No!' said Carolyn looking up, 'Let's play little ponies.'" --- from Spin Around Dresses and Click Shoes

2. "'Cathy, do you like to draw?' asked Betsy.
Cathy thought for a minute. 'Well, maybe, if we draw the things I like.' --- from The Drawing Contest

3. "Two year-old Betsy stood on the low table in the living room wearing just her 'ruffly, fluffly' white petticoat." --- from Betsy Takes a Bow

4. “Just watch this little finger. You sing the notes it plays.” --- from Betsy Loves to Sing

5. "But Mom!" complained Betsy, "I don't need to play the piano, I just want to sing!" --- from Betsy Takes Piano Lessons

6. "Mrs. Richardson was Betsy's favorite teacher." --- from Betsy Directs a Musical

7. 'Beside my house there ran a stream,
A little canal where the waters gleamed,
A place where the neighborhood kids would play.
Sometimes we’d stay and play all day.' --- from Fun Along the Canal Bank

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Halloween Songs for Kids

Spooky Houses

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