Pumpkin Feelings Faces...

The kids have been back to school for awhile and the October chill is in the air. (In these parts, we have already had our first snowfall, but that's another story!) A child's whimsy now turns towards dreaming up the best Halloween costume ever. Before the big day escapes us though, why not capitalize on the social-emotional teaching value of this great time of year.

Halloween is a fantastic time for teaching social-emotional skills development. With all of the pumpkins around, you are bound to find carved faces on them. And with the carved pumpkin faces comes a slew of different feelings.

As you are driving around your neighborhood, see how many feelings your kids can identify, based on the pumpkins' faces: happy, sad, silly, scary, funny, goofy, mad, surprised, fearful, etc. You can make a bingo game of it, or a scratch off sheet, if you are feeling really adventurous!

To extend the idea, why not create "Pumpkin Feelings Faces" at home that never spoil?

You'll need:

Paper lunch sacks (as many as you care for)
Crayons or Paint (Orange, Black, Green...or let your imagination run wild)
Twine or Yarn

Have your child color three quarters of the bag orange (or whatever color they desire). Color the top quarter green (for the stem). Next, have your child draw a face on the pumpkins, making sure to show a variety of feelings...sad, mad, glad/happy at the very least. You may have to help a younger child. To link this to literacy efforts, have your child tell you what feeling his pumpkin displays, and ask your child's permission to write the feeling on the bottom or the back of the bag!

Stuff the bags with old newspaper and tie of the "stem" section. Viola! Instant pumpkin feelings faces!

MORE TO COME: In our next couple of posts, we'll give you some great ways to use these pumpkins in different games to help your child learn to understand and deal with different feelings!

Remember, when the learning is fun...the information sticks MUCH better!

Happy Halloween!

More Resources for Fall

that Teach Social Skills: