My favorite Halloween quick activity is to have a Monster Dance Party. It's like freeze dance. Put on a spooky Halloween song and tell the kids to dance like a Mummy. Then after a while, pause the music. They will freeze and tell them to dance like a ghost. This goes on and on. Today, we were dancing like blood and pumpkins.
At school, eating in a classroom with 18 noisy kids talking with their mouths full of food, it's hard to enjoy lunch. I try, though. And Angry Chicken's tomato soup really helps. If you haven't tried this recipe and like tomato soup, you should. It's super simple and quite satisfying. Today, I tried really hard to ignore the craziness and just concentrate on the soup.
Monster finger puppet by Ellie, 2nd grade.
Pencil topper by Caroline, 4th grade.
Ghost on a string by Alex, kindergarten.
Pumpkin necklace by Colleen, 2nd grade.
Pumpkin purse by Rachel, kindergarten.
Pumpkin pillow by Eva Claire, 1st grade.
Halloween clutch by Anna Mercedes, 3rd grade.
Ghost stuffie by Emma, 4th grade.
Every Friday we meet with our Third Grade Reading Buddies to share books and activities. This week, we made Boo! Windsocks - they were a spooktacular hit!
We just set out a ton of construction paper, scraps, crape paper, and tools (stapler, scissors, glue sticks, hole punch, string) and let the kids create. 
I made a quick pumpkin and bat for examples and gave minimal directions - this is really one of those crafts that can be easily figured out.
The best part was watching the 3rd graders assist their buddies - they were so patient and helpful. Really, the only teacher job was refilling the staplers and helping to tie the string.
My only tip is to decorate the windsock (a piece of construction paper) before making a cylinder. It's much easier that way.
Fall-themed pictures such as trees, candy corn, turkeys, leaves, and even a cat were created.
This box invited kids to make leaf rubbings and turn them into books. Some did the same leaf several times in different colors, others numbered the pages and wrote words, one kid just filled the page with colorful leaves. 
Everyone was flying away in Sewing Club this week with quick and easy capes. I bought several yards of fun Halloween fabric and cut them into fat quarters. Everyone got a piece to use as they wished. The capes were the most popular.
1. Draw a simple pattern. The top of the cape is 12inches and angles down. I made the pattern slightly smaller than a fat quarter so the kids could use it easier. For 35 kids, I had 5 copies of the pattern on cardboard. The pattern could also be used to make a simple apron.
2. Cut out the cape.
3. Cut a length of ribbon just a little bigger than the top of the cape (about 14 inches). Now, sew each end of the ribbon to a top corner. I showed the kids how to sew an X. (Some decided to cut 2 pieces of ribbon and tie them at the neck.)
4. Put the ribbon over your head and show off your cape! 
There are many versions of the cape to be had. I especially liked this mask/cape combo.
I finally finished making this doll! I am embarrassed to see that I originally posted about it in March. How did that happen? The doll is surprisingly easy to make and fun as well. Perfect for sitting in front of the TV with. I'm not sure why it took me so long to complete...
Appropriately, I found my fabric nirvana in the Pacific Northwest -- in Portland, Oregon, that is, while I was on my summer vacation visiting friends Jay and Chanda. 
So simple yet so satisfying. Everyone should make a fruit and veggie print picture. We are getting ready to visit Whitton Farms next week, hence the rebirth of this activity.
Cut a selection of fruits and vegetables into pieces. We found it easier to have a place to keep them in like this tub.
Paint the veggie lightly. For small pieces, you can just dip and then blot on a paper towel before printing. After several experiments, we discovered that much better prints were achieved by painting the veggies. When the kids just dipped them, the prints got all gloppy.
Press down on paper really hard.
Lift up and marvel at your creation! I also supplied the kids with paper towels to rub off the paint before they put it back in the tub. This way, the colors didn't get too muddled.
At the first of the year, we work on learning phone numbers. This is getting tricky with cell phones. My parents have had the same phone number since I was in 3rd grade. I still always "phone home" when I talk to them. Now, some kids don't even have a home phone. But, it is important for kids to know how to reach at least 1 parent. 
Phone number punch: Write the phone number big on a long piece of paper (we used large construction paper cut in half). Cut out small rectangles of a different color. Punch out the corresponding number of holes in the small rectangle and tape under the number. After this, they read their phone numbers back and practiced dialing them.
Phone Number Puzzle and Dots: This 2 part activity was a crowd pleaser. First, they put together their phone number puzzles that were pre-made. Then, they glued down the puzzle onto a large sheet of white paper. Next, using Bingo dot markers, they made that many dots under the number.
It's official! Sewing School will be published by Storey Publishing next Fall! We've been working non-stop all summer to put together more than 20 projects for kids. Our friend Justin Fox Burks (that's him on the right) did the amazing photography.
Yes, writing a book is very time and energy consuming. While we can't complain, it's nice to have the book in the hands of editors. What will we do now?
