Sunday Singalong: Halloween Stew
I know October has only just begun, but I’m making a concerted effort to get into the Halloween spirit this year. Those of you that have read this blog for awhile or who know me in real life are aware that I am not a fan of this particular “holiday”. But almost every child is, including my own students, so my efforts are for their sake :) We’ll see how this goes…
“Halloween Stew” is a good way to ease into the Halloween season, because it brings back so many great memories of music class with Mrs. Goodhart in the basement of Butler Elementary. Every October, we’d look forward to listening to the recording of “Witches’ Brew” by Hap Palmer; I’d sing it so frequently at home that even my little brother knew all the words!
One way to make this an interactive activity with my students is to have them help me write new verses to the song. What kinds of things would they put in their own Halloween Stew? I might even have them draw their own pictures, and add them to the “pot” as they are mentioned in the song. The greatest part is that there is no wrong answer (unless they suggest inappropriate items, which, if you work with older children especially, you know that happens from time to time).
There are probably about a hundred other ways to incorporate this song into a lesson, music therapy session, or just for fun. Got any others? Let’s hear them!
