Tatty Bumpkin Ideas for a Bendy, Giggly, Clever and Strong Halloween!

By Sue Heron – Training Co-ordinator Tatty Bumpkin and Paediatric Physiotherapist 

Here are a few ideas to keep you all 'bendy, giggly, clever and strong' this Halloween! 

Movement ideas 

Make your very own ‘Ghost-print Walk' and see if you can follow the ghostly steps without falling off the spooky footprints see http://tinyurl.com/od2577x . Great for improving balance and concentration skills.  
Be sure to tape those footprints to the floor to prevent spooky slips! 

Or maybe build a den this Halloween half term inside or outside - see   http://nurturestore.co.uk/building-dens for ideas. 

Or, why not build an elf or fairy den either out in the garden or inside? As Occupational Therapist Angela Hanscom observes “making fairy teepees is meaningful to the child, is a form of play, and inspires their imagination” http://www.balancedandbarefoot.com/blog/fairy-teepees.

Or go for a lovely wood land walk – The Woodland Trust lists it’s best Autumn woods! See https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/news/latest/top-autumn-woods/. As your walk - collect some autumn leaves for…. see next bit!

Tatty Bumpkin out in the woods!

Ideas for Clever Fingers 

These activity ideas are good for a range of ages. We hope you enjoy them but also keep safe i.e. supervise young ones closely. Some of the activities are not suitable for very young children as they involve small craft pieces which might be swallowed. 

The Woodland Trust has some great ideas for autumn leaves along with some handy pdf downloads See http://tinyurl.com/n3g466w 

A leaf circle!

A great ‘spidery’ idea for toddlers and young children promoting their hand skills, eye/hand co-ordination, proprioception and concentration skills not to mention their persistence!  http://tinyurl.com/omdf9at 

or why not 'leaf' (:-)) a kindly note for someone special! 

Tatty Bumpkin loves her friend Spider! 

Ideas for a Healthy Body 

A vegetable skeleton! http://www.brit.co/healthy-halloween-recipes/ 

Or some spooky owls! Idea from quirkymomma.com see http://tinyurl.com/l8jfrww 

Or why not some spooky banana ghosts and pumpkin tangerines -  see http://creativeandhealthyfunfood.com/healthy-halloween-fun-food-ideas/ 

Spooky!

Book Ideas for a Clever Mind 

After all that activity why not settle down with a good book! The ‘Scaredy Squirrel’ books are great fun and all about ‘having a go!’ See http://tinyurl.com/l5taydb

Or for some good suggestions on non-scary Halloween books see the ‘zellasaidpurple’ blog spot http://tinyurl.com/ptd78mz E.g. The Bumpy Little Pumpkin. Margery Cuyler/Will Hillenbrand. Choose the pumpkin YOU like best!

Ideas for a Happy, Giggly Halloween! 

Some great tips to keep everyone settled when things get a bit loud or scratchy - see ideas for a ‘Meltdown free Halloween’  http://tinyurl.com/kssxrro. 
These are ideas for children who find it hard organise and manage their sensations. However, I think some of the ideas are useful for everyone i.e. wearing comfortable clothing under a scratchy Halloween costume. 

And finally 10 Halloween Jokes 

Thanks to 'Mom with a Lesson Plan' http://tinyurl.com/kskr2st 

1. What does a ghost do to stay safe in a car?
He puts on his sheet belt.

2. What is the best way to speak to a monster? 
From a long distance away!

3. Where do baby ghosts go during the day?
Day-scare centres.

4.What do birds say on Halloween?
Twick o Tweet.

5. What is the most important subject a witch learns in school?
Spelling.

6. How do you make a witch itch?
Take away the W

7. Why didn’t the skeleton go to the ball?
Because he had no BODY to go with. (That is so old!)

8. Why do witches wear name tags?
So they will know which witch is which.

9. Why do people like vampires so much?
Because they are FANGtastic.

10.How do you make a skeleton laugh?
Tickle its funny bone.

So Happy Halloween from all at Tatty Bumpkin! 

Remember though, for you and your child to gain the full benefit of all the Tatty Bumpkin Yoga and multi-sensory activities, find out about your local Tatty Bumpkin class at http://www.tattybumpkin.com/classes/find-class.html. 

Or, ask your child’s nursery if they are doing Tatty Bumpkin Yoga activity sessions as part of their day. Our qualified Tatty Bumpkin Teachers are fully trained in aspects of child development and Yoga and are kept fully up-to-date by our professional team of paediatric physiotherapists, Yoga teachers and musicians. 

If you are thinking of a new career, which gives you:

• The opportunity to work with kids
• A great sense of job satisfaction and
• Flexible working to fit around your own family

Find out how you could be trained to deliver Baby and Tatty Bumpkin classes in your area at http://www.tattybumpkin.com/business/index.html.