S2E2: Halloween Spooktacular Part 2

Here are more faBOOlous Halloween storytime ideas from Part 2.

You can listen to this episode on iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud – or listen to it below! This page also has the rhymes, songs, links, and books we discussed. Party!

We started the episode talking about our favorite Halloween movie, Hocus Pocus! We always have to watch it a few times each October – classic!

Storytime Selections:

Boo! It’s Halloween:

This one is so fun to do with a partner. Make the kids laugh by sneaking up on your partner and pretending to scare them with a loud, “Boo!”

The Little Scarecrow:

Here’s a cute rhyme for Baby Storytime!

We Are Pumpkins:

Sing this to the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” while pretending to hold a gigantic pumpkin.

Two Little Owls:

Just like Two Little Blackbirds, but with owls Hoo and Boo!

Witches Zoom, Zoom, Zoom:

If you always include Zoom, Zoom, Zoom in your storytimes like we do, try out this version for Halloween.

Have a Happy Halloween:

We sing this at the very end of our Halloween storytimes. Clap your hands during the “Have a Happy Halloween” lines, and act out the rest. So fun!

Listener Contributions!!!

Karla Kittler, Head of Programming and User Experience at St. Paul’s School’s Ohrstrom Library, sent us her favorite Halloween book and a super cute craft! Here’s what she shared:

In response to your request for Halloween storytime ideas, my all time favorite book to read/sing for Halloween is Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman.  My children received this book, along with the accompanying cassette (yes, I’m that old), many years ago.  It fast became a favorite of ours and I’ve read/sung it so many times, I’ve committed it to memory.  My storytime attendees always look forward to singing along with me.  After we’ve read the book we talk about why the ghost, vampire, mummy and witch weren’t successful in their quest to get the pumpkin.  We talk about why they laughed at the little bat and how the bat’s idea solved the problem.  I vary the craft from year to year.  Last year we made these cute little mummies.

Jane Schmidt sent us an adorable bat-themed song and craft idea that sounds like so much fun! Here’s what she wrote:

We are doing “Bats” during October and like the Sesame St. Song – “Bats Flying” from Kid’s Favorite Songs album.  The tune is The Ants Go Marching but the song is the Bats go Flying.  We thought it would be fun to have “bats” the kids could fly with so here’s what we created.  We cut strips of black plastic from a cheap table cloth and tied them onto clear shower curtain rings.  So easy and so realistic.  We can’t wait to see our little bats flying around the room.

Book Buzz:

Orville lives at the zoo, surrounded by animal pals who go on exciting adventures. A hang gliding rhino! A deep-sea diving giraffe! Orville struggles to keep up, until one day he concocts an adventure all his own: build a spaceship and fly to the moon all by himself. Can one tiny penguin get there alone? Look for Penguinaut! Oct 30, 2018.

Crocodile has a toothache, but he’s afraid of the dentist. The dentist wants to help, but he’s afraid of Crocodile. Never fear! Bestselling author-illustrator Taro Gomi cleverly and humorously presents both sides of the story, as the crocodile and the dentist learn to be brave and face their fears—of what might happen in that dentist’s chair and of each other!

Happy Halloween, Everyone!! We can’t wait to hear about your Halloween storytimes!