The past couple of days I've been painting the children's letters. It wouldn't take so long, but these kids expect me to feed them and teach them and wash them (and everything they've come across) and brush their teeth and read to them and take them to the Primary activity and to the Fall Festival to make a scarecrow with them. . .Where was I? Oh yes the letters. I painted them black, orange, white with googly eyes (ghosts), and candy corn- yellow on the bottom, orange in the middle, and white on the tip. The candy corn looks especially good on the letter A. You'll have to picture them in your mind since I don't know how to download pictures to the laptop. (My computer is still on the fritz-- so much that Danny dare thinketh of getting or making a new computer. Please do not encourage him. This behavior must be nipped in the bud.) The letters are all uppercase wood or wood-like letters from JoAnn's and Wal-Mart. The kids enjoy having the letters on their walls. It teaches them the spelling of their names and gives them an ownership of their rooms. And we paint them different colors with the changes of the holidays. Right now, they are the Halloween colors/designs I previously described. In the middle of November I'll paint them red, green, and white with the white ones looking like snowmen in anticipation of Christmas. After New Year's I paint them for Valentine's Day in pink, red, and white. They usually stay those colors until Easter. I may paint them shades of green for St. Patrick's Day next year though. Easter colors are pastels of yellow, purple, blue, pink, green and white ones with googly eyes, pink pom-pom noses and bunny ears. And then from Memorial Day through Labor Day they are red, white, and blue.
I love to celebrate the different holidays. This helps look festive without too much hassle. There's no having to store them when it's not the right time of year. We also like to hang things (like snowflakes for winter and hearts for Valentine's Day) from the entryway ceiling and sometimes the bedroom ceilings.
The kids are so excited for Halloween. What do you do in your family to celebrate? I'd love more ideas. Are there any special traditions you do for Halloween?
7 comments:
you might think this is weird but we don't celebrate Halloween. We have started a tradition of staying at a hotel that night and playing games and having treats. My kids love doing this! My son said that Halloween was his favorite holiday and when I asked him why he said because we get to go to the hotel.
What a cute idea Nikki...and to make them fresh eash season so you don't have to store them--now that's a novel idea.
Halloween is not one of my favorite holidays. But, we do like to make a batch of Halloween shaped sugar cookies, dress up or just wear funny hats, and take some cookies to neighbors/elderly and sing Pumpkin Carols to them...give THEM a treat for Halloween. The elderly especially appreciate the fun visit. Pumpkin Carols are Halloween words put to Christmas carol music - like "I'm Dreaming of the Great Pumpkin", "Shivery Yells", and "The Twelve Days of Halloween".
WHat a fun idea! I love the idea of repainting the letters! Do you sand them each time, or just paint over?
hotmama-
No, I don't sand-- just paint over. And I don't put the finishing clear coat on them anymore. I figure up on the wall they're not being touched or bumped and they're going to get painted again in a fairly short time, so they don't need the extra protection. I am thinking though that I may have to eventually sand them. Maybe.
Tell them the story of the little witch and her house. I loved it when Mom would tell me that story ... Danny probably remembers it.
At our house Halloween is a big deal. Well, for me. It is my favorite. We do a family costume. Last year we moved in October so with selling the house and all it was the first year we didn't do a family one. The kids did the Avatar. We have done Lord of the Rings, A Midsummer Night's Dream, 20's Gangsters, and when I was pregnant the Scarlet Letter. There are a lot more. Its getting much harder with the kids getting older they want more say but I think we still have a few more years and I always make our costumes.
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