Personal views aside, just what is Halloween, and what does it teach our children? Is it really a harmless custom, allowing the children to dress up and engage in make-believe? Or could it be more sinister? If I were to write a lesson plan for Halloween, what concepts would the children be learning? Perhaps, my list might include…

A Mom Consoles a Child Who Just Learned She's Going to be Burnt at the Stake

• People die and are buried in the ground.
• We put tombstones on the grave to mark the place.
• We write irreverent poems on the tombstones.
• Ghosts and goblins haunt cemeteries.
• Black cats are a sign something bad is going to happen.
• Some people turn into vampires when they die, and drink blood.
• Witches are ugly and cast spells on us.
• Some witches eat children. (Remember Hansel and Gretel?)
• It’s okay to knock on the doors of strangers and beg.
• It’s okay to take candy from a stranger.

Now, is there anything on that list that you actually want your child to learn?

Research Suggests Halloween is Scarier Than You Think

Dr. Cynthia Dell Clark, Associate and Fellow of the Center for Children and Childhood Studies, conducted a three-year study on the effects of Halloween on young children. She writes that parents underestimate the effect of Halloween horror on young children. While we realize that it is all just make-believe, young children have a harder time differentiating between imaginary and real.

And Halloween is definitely getting scarier! When we were children, costumes were usually home-made. We dressed up like characters in books or cartoons. You might have met Superman, Snow White, and Rin Tin Tin knocking on your door. These days, vampires and zombies far outnumber the more benign beings. That young children even know what vampires or zombies are, is something I find unbelievably tragic.

The CDC reports that children are four times more likely to be hit by a car on Halloween than any other time of the year. Children have also been known to suffer eye injuries from their costumes, or burns from flammable costumes. Some face paints have been found to be toxic, yet masks pose a greater threat by obstructing the child’s vision.

Even if Your Child's Costume is More Cute than Creepy, She May Still Be Frightened By the Experience

Then, right away in November, we began the cycle again with Thanksgiving songs and poems, Thanksgiving stories to read or write, and a Thanksgiving party to plan. When December arrived, no one had much enthusiasm or energy left to handle Christmas. Santa Claus got a little attention, Jesus got none, and we all looked forward to January when “life could return to normal”.

So before you do your share to contribute to the shaky economy by purchasing quantities of candy and costumes, just step back and reflect for a few moments. Is this something you really want your child to learn?

Relating Reading Material:

• Who Is Raising Your Child: Battling the Marketeers for Your Child’s Heart and Soul by Laura J. Buddenburg, Kathleen M. McGee
• “Mommy, I’m Scared”: How TV and Movies Frighten Children and What We Can Do to Protect Them by Joanne Cantor PH.D.
  
• Satan, You Can;t Have My Children: The spiritual warfare guide for every parent by Iris Delgado
  
• The Anxiety Cure for Kids: A Guide for Parents by Elizabeth DuPont Spencer, Robert L. Dupon, Caroline M. DuPont

Photo Credits:
Top: photo by Dkprincess6
Middle: photo by Paul Stumper
Bottom: photo by Andre Chinn

Block Play at the Children's Museum

It’s here, the “dog days” of summer – the time in late summer when the weather is hot and sticky and rainfall tends to be at an all-time low. Children may be growing cranky and bored; their parents may be counting down the days until the new school year begins. There is still a lot of fun to be had, before we pack away those summer shorts and swimming suits! Welcome to Beat the Heat - this week’s lesson plans for you and your preschool child.

This week, your child may learn:

• In late summer, some times the weather turns very hot.
• We say the air is humid, when it holds a lot of moisture.
• When it is humid outside, we feel even hotter.
• We need to drink water every day.
• When it is hot, we need to drink even more water.
• If we don’t drink enough water when we get hot, we can get sick.
• To keep cool, we should wear loose-fitting, light clothes.
• It is often cooler in the shade than in the bright sunshine.
• Water can evaporate – it can dry up and go into the air.
• When water evaporates off our skin, we feel cooler.
• The letter W makes the “whu” sound, as in “water”.
• We should always swim with a buddy. Two are safer than One in the pool.
• Your child should recognize the diamond shape.
• Your child should understand the concept of “clear” or translucent – having no color.

Places to Go to Beat the Heat

An Indoor Ice Area is a Perfect Place to Beat the Heat of Summer!

There are even some extra worksheets at the end of the lesson, besides the ones listed at the bottom of this page. If you aren’t yet doing worksheets with your child, just ignore them. The only reason why they are there, is because when the children get cranky, you need to have plenty of “back up plans”. Keep them busy, and they may be too tired to push your buttons.

Drink Water, Don’t Get Dehydrated

Remember to drink plenty of water, and that goes for your children, too. If you feel a little light-headed or dizzy, get some water immediately! Other symptoms of dehydration include headaches, dry mouth, yellow urine, decreased sweat, muscle cramps, dry eyes. If you develop nausea or vomitting along with any of the other signs of dehydration, seek medical help immediately. Heat stroke can kill you.

Five Star Picture Books

The Beach Was Made for Hot Summer Weather

Hot City by Barbara Joosse Teddy Bear’s Picnic by Jimmy Kennedy The Berenstain Bears Go to Camp by Stan Berenstain Mouse’s First Summer by Lauren Thompson Feel the Summer by Sarah L. Thomson F is for Fireflies: God’s Summertime Alphabet by Kathy-Jo Wargin Fireflies (Reading Rainbow) by Julie Brinckloe I Love You as Much by Laura Krauss Melmed Watermelon Day by Kathi Appelt One Hot Summer Day by Nina Crews Beach Day by Karen Roossa On the Way to the Beach by Henry Cole

Creative Toys and Products (Optional)

• Little Tikes Beach Ball Sprinkler
• Funny Castle Inflatable Pool
• Step2 Arctic Splash Water Table
• Penguins and Polar Bears Big Box
• Inflatable Bounce House and Slide
• Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Sprinkler
• Small World Sand & Water Toys
• Beach Toys
• Playmobile Open Air Pool with Slide
• Little Tikes Jump ‘n Slide Dry Bouncer

Optional Worksheets for Preschool

Children Love to Play with Water

1. W Beginning Sounds Coloring Page
2. What Begins with W?
3. More What Begins with W?
4. My Itsy-Bitsy W Book
5. Count and Trace Number 2
6. Learning About the Diamond Shape
   
7. Shapes Flashcards

I’m not a big fan of worksheets, but flashcards are great. For the Shapes flashcards, you can buy sturdier cardstock for your printer. Print them off, cut them apart, laminate them if you wish, and cut them apart again. You can post the picture of the Diamond on the wall in your calendar area this week. Or if your child has a good understanding of the basic shapes, you can use these cards as flashcards. This set includes the three-dimensional shapes like cone, sphere and pyramid. Nice, and brightly colored, by TSLbooks.com.

Beat the Heat – Preschool Lesson Plans for Late Summer

Photo Credits:
Top: photo by Grandmamusher
Middle: photo by Fort Wainwright Public Affairs
Lower Middle: photo by GrandmaMusher
Bottom: photo by LadyDragonflyCC

• The sound of the letter E
• The shape of the letter E
• Words that begin with E
• Elephants are large animals.
• There are two types of elephants – African and Indian.
• African elephants are larger than Indian elephants, they have baggier skin and bigger ears, too.
• Elephants live together in families. Several families living together form a herd.
• The leader of the herd is usually the oldest female, called a matriarch.
• Elephants eat plants. They eat a lot of plants!
• They eat leaves, grass, hay, tree bark, and fruit
• Elephants flap their ears to cool themselves.
• Elephants spray water on their skin.
• The wrinkles hold the water, which helps to cool them.
• Elephants live for eighty years!
• Elephants have four teeth and two tusks.

Children Love Elephants

Children seem fascinated with elephants, perhaps more so than any other Jungle animal. There have long been picture books capitalizing on this phenomenon, from Babar the Elephant, to today’s Elephant and Piggy series. Dumbo the Elephant was once a popular film. There are stuffed elephants, Beanie Baby elephants, plastic toy elephants, Duplo elephants, and even elephant costumes for children of all ages. You can use your child’s interest to help him learn the sound of the letter e. Practice saying “eh – eh – elephant” to help him hear the sound. Vowels are often much harder to learn than consonants. For one, they have multiple sounds, and they can be harder to hear in the word. It is not uncommon for children to assume that the word “elephant” begins with the letter L!

Musical Help

Elephants Continue to Fascinate Us

Elephant Activities for Preschool

Your child will make some elephant crafts. He will string “emerald” elbow macaroni to make a necklace. You will color the pasta the same way you would color rice. You will play some counting games, and practice large muscle skills by tossing peanuts into a cardboard “elephant”. If your child or children may have an allergy to peanuts, substitute Styrofoam packing peanuts instead.

If possible, try to plan a trip to the zoo on Friday or Saturday. Make sure you visit the elephants! But also find out if there are elk, or eels, or eagles at your zoo.

If you can afford only one book this week, I’d strongly suggest the Tarra and Bella story, although Twenty-One Elephants and Still Holding is also excellent. Hopefully, you can find them all in your library, if your budget doesn’t cover new books this week.

Five Star Picture books for Your Preschooler

Kruger National Park, South Africa

• “Stand Back,” said The Elephant, “I’m Going to Sneeze!” by Patricia Thomas
• The Elephant’s Child by Rudyard Kipling
• Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing by April Jones Prince
• I am a Little Elephant by Francois Crozat
• Pennies for Elephants by Lita Judge
• Elephants: A Book for Children by David Henry Wilson
• But No Elephants by Jerry Smath
• My First Jumbo Book of Shapes by James Diaz
• Richard Scarry’s Best Counting Book Ever
• Elephants Can Paint Too! by Katya Arnold
• No Matter What (Templar Books) by Emma Dodd
• Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends by Carol Buckley
• Ella the Baby Elephant by Kathleen Duey

Quality Toys and Products(Optional)

• A+ Educational Tray Puzzle ~ Elephants
• Calico Critters Ellwoods Elephant Family
• Webkinz Velvety Elephant
• 10 piece Soft Plush Finger Puppets
• Schleich African Elephant male, female, and calf
• Schleich Indian Elephant male, female, and calf
• Melissa & Doug Deluxe Zoo in a Box puzzles

Preschool Worksheets (Optional)

1. Letter E Beginning Sounds
2. E is for Elephant
3. Drawing Ovals
4. Nine Seahorses number worksheet
   
5. Counting worksheet
6. Number 9 Coloring Page
7. Elephant Coloring Page
8. Cutting Practice Worksheet Level 1

E is for Elephant – Preschool Lesson Plans

Photo Credits:
Top:photo by Brett Holt
Middle: photo by Ryan McFarland
Bottom: photo by Stuart Bassil

Five Steps until Bedtime

A good number of steps for any preschool activity is five, because the child has five fingers. You can teach your child the steps, and have him count down on his hand. When he gets to zero, it’s time to climb beneath the covers. This simple activity can help the child understand the one-to-one correspondence necessary before simple addition and subtraction can be learned. It also helps prepare him for the impending deadline.

Step One: Pick up Toys

Young Children Can Help Pick Up their Toys with Help and Guidance

If you scold your child repeatedly to hurry up and finish cleaning, what kind of dreams do you think he will have? Do you imagine that he will slip sweetly into sleep as soon as you kiss him good-night? This is not the time for impatience. The words you give your child now will stay with him all night long. You want the last thoughts on his conscious mind to be of love and acceptance. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Roll the tension from your shoulders. Just think – in thirty minutes, your child will be asleep, and you will be free to do the things you want to do. So, get down on the floor and help your child pick up his toys!

You can make it a game. “I’ll pick up the red toys and you can pick up the blue ones. Who will get done first?” If picking up takes too long, start earlier tomorrow night, or have several pick-up times throughout the day. Put some of your child’s toys away in a closet out of reach and rotate them. He doesn’t have to have every toy he owns at his disposal. Most children own too many toys anyway. Help him manage his mess by limiting the things he can get into.

Step Two: Bath Time

Many families like to have a bath before bedtime as part of their routine. This is especially important in the summer time when children play outside more, with more skin exposed. They just don’t get quite as dirty when they are bundled in snowsuits and the ground is frozen. But the bath is more than just an opportunity to get clean. Water play is educational, as well.

Filling containers with water helps the child develop eye-hand coordination. He learns basic mathematical concepts, like “empty, full, light, heavy,” and “how many”. How many cups will it take to fill the larger container? How many capsful will it take to fill the empty shampoo bottle?

Playing in water can also be very soothing. It’s a great way to begin unwinding after a busy day. Set a timer, though. Otherwise, your child will quickly learn that the longer he can draw out bathtime, the longer he can postpone the inevitable. Fifteen minutes is generally long enough to eliminate the dirt and a few extra wiggles. If possible, put Daddy in charge of bathtime, and it will be extra fun. Daddy and child can share this calm, bonding experience, while you have fifteen minutes to yourself.

Step Three: Pajamas

The water has drained out of the tub, and the tub toys have been stacked into a special bin or net where the water can drain (so they don’t grow moldy). Your child is wrapped in a big, fluffy bathsheet, and the last drops of water have been kissed away. Now it’s time to help him put on his pajamas. Even if he can dress himself, you can help him with this step. Supervise, at least, so he doesn’t create the exciting new game of streaking through the house stark naked. Then, it’s time to brush teeth. This activity should be supervised, as well. Preschoolers are too young to do a thorough job. You can set a timer yet again for three minutes, and encourage your child to brush until the timer dings.

Step Four: Story Time

Children are Never Too Old for Story Time

Step Five: Hugs and Kisses

The last thing you say to your child will stick with him all through the night. It is imperative that you make these moments count. Even if he’s been pushing your buttons all day long, make the effort to be patient and loving. He will fall asleep faster, and perhaps have happier dreams. Tuck him in bed. Give him butterfly kisses (batting your eyelashes against his face) or “Eskimo” kisses (rubbing noses together). Some families use the last moments before sleep to teach their child to pray. Even in non-religious families, you can develop a bedtime habit of recounting the day’s adventures and thinking about friends and loved ones.

Some children require more effort to unwind. If your’s is a highly active child, or has had an exceptionally busy day, you may want to rub his back for five minutes. This soothing touch has helped day care providers get thousands of wiggly little bodies to fall asleep swiftly at day care centers around the world. It takes only a few minutes, and is far more effective than scolding the child for an hour to settle down and go to sleep.

That’s it. At each step, have your child say the step, do the step, and count down on his fingers. After the fifth step is completed, leave the room. You might turn on a nightlight, or leave the door open an inch or two. Do not get in the habit of turning on a television. Studies have shown that people who sleep with a tv on do not get sound sleep, and take longer to fall asleep than those who sleep without it. The same can be said for music. You could put on a music CD of lullabies or classical music, but do not put it on replay. Just play it once through, then allow silence to fill the room. The exception could be if you live in an area with a lot of noise, like a big apartment complex with narrow walls, or next to a train station, then you might resort to a white noise machine that helps to block the noise.

Eliminate Interruptions

Make it a rule that there will be no more sips of water, no more stories, no more talking, no more anything after the five bedtime steps have been completed. His last chance for water was when he brushed his teeth. He has no more need for water. The body does not need water through the night. On the contrary, it needs to fast. The digestive system needs to finish working on digestion, and then it goes into repair mode. People who eat late night snacks prevent their own bodies from repairing damaged cells, and can create poor health.

Twenty-One Days to a New You

Studies have shown that it takes twenty-one days to make a new routine a habit. Try it yourself! You know you should floss every night, but few people do. Make it a requirement for twenty-one days. If you remember after you went to bed, get up and do it anyway. After three weeks, it will become habit, and you won’t even have to think about it. So, create your own five-step bedtime routine, or use the one mentioned here. Commit yourself to following it for twenty-one days, and you may be pleasantly surprised at how much easier bedtime becomes for you and your preschool child.

Related Articles:
What NOT to Do at Bedtime
Training Your Child to Sleep through the Night
Great Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Photo Credits:
Top: photo by Lexie49
Middle: photo by Sally McCabe
Bottom: photo by Sean Dreilinger