Halloween is a holiday celebrated every year on October 31. Although ancient Celts celebrated a fall festival on the same day, Irish immigrants brought the modern version of Halloween to American in nineteenth century. Activities associated with this secular holiday include dressing in costumes, trick or treating, carving pumpkins, visiting haunted houses, telling scary stories, watching horror movies, sitting around bonfires, and throwing Halloween parties. This lesson plan outlines books and activities to introduce preschoolers to the history and traditions of the contemporary Halloween holiday in the United States of America.
The preschool teacher can introduce the theme of Halloween to the students by asking the following questions:
- What is a holiday?
- What is Halloween?
- How might one celebrate Halloween?
All of the preschool aged students should be able to answer the first question by saying that a holiday is a time of celebration. The students, however, may or may not be familiar with the specific holiday of Halloween. If the preschoolers cannot answer the first question, then the teacher should review the concept of holiday. The students will learn the answers to the second and third questions during this lesson.
After the introduction to Halloween, the teacher can read one or more of the following holiday books aloud to the preschool class:
Aunt Possum and the Pumpkin Man by Bruce Degen is a picture book without words that is recommended for readers in preschooler through first grade. The story follows Aunt Possum and her encounter with a strange visitor at her front door on Halloween.
My First Halloween by Tomie de Paola is a sweet board book for preschoolers that shows young children the fun side of Halloween rather than the scary or frightening.
The Hallo-wiener by Dav Pilkey is recommended for children in preschool through second grade. This illustrated story chronicles the Halloween adventure of a dachshund named Oscar who is teased by the other dogs because of his unusual shapes but ends up saving the day.
Halloween by Gail Gibbons is a fun illustrated book suggested for readers in preschool through third grade. This text teaches young children about the history of and traditions surrounding Halloween as well as contemporary celebrations of the holiday.
Halloween: Is It for Real? by Harold Myra is a Christian book recommended for preschoolers through third graders. Teachers can use this illustrated book to explain to young children why some people object to celebrating Halloween, a holiday with Pagan roots, for religious reasons. (Always check the school policy and with parents before introducing religion into classroom instruction.)
Hey-How for Halloween! edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins is a collection of Halloween themed poems that is recommended for first through fifth graders. Preschool teachers, however, can read selected poems to younger children.