Friday Fave: Halloween!

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Halloween Songs for Children | Listen & Learn Music

Coming down with the flu can really set a girl back, you know? I’ve spent the last two days catching up on the work I should have been doing on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, when instead, I was laying in bed with a fever, cough, and headache. But thankfully, I am all better now and ready to take on this busy weekend!

And that includes, of course, HALLOWEEN. So in celebration of the spookiest day of the year, today’s Friday Fave is dedicated to dressing up, trick-or-treating, and scarfing down candy. I will be doing all of the above tomorrow at a friend’s costume party…what about you? Do you have any big Halloween day plans?

Oh, I also have to tell you that two of my students won our paper’s local costume contest and were featured on the front page of the State Journal-Register today! Take a look at these cute little slices of pizza:

Adorable, right? The girls’ mom made those costumes, and their win was well-deserved :) What are your little ones going as? I had so much fun looking at all of my students’ costumes at school today, from cheerleaders to jailbirds and everything in between.

Enjoy your Halloween; stay safe and have fun! Here’s a little tune to hum as you go to door-to-door with your little ghost or goblin.

Do you know about a day
That’s not so very far away
Everywhere there’s orange and black
And chills are running up your back.

Jack-o-lanterns and ghosts and bats,
Witches and goblins and big black cats
Spooky spooks come out to play
On the thirty-first, Halloween Day.

Let’s pick a costume we can wear
And all the neighbors, we will scare
When at their door we trick or treat
And they will give us something sweet.

Jack-o-lanterns and ghosts and bats,
Witches and goblins and big black cats
Spooky spooks come out to play
On the thirty-first, Halloween Day.

‘Dem Bones, ‘Dem Bones

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How about a Halloween song that almost everyone knows, or at least has heard once or twice? It’s actually an old spiritual, but over the years has become a staple for this time of year. Most of my students instantly recognize this when I begin singing or playing one of the many versions that has been recorded for children.

My favorite is in the style of a barbershop quartet, and you can find it on the album Wee Sing for Halloween. What’s great about “Dry Bones” is that it doubles as a fun way to work on body part identification.

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones!
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones!
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones!
Oh see dem skeleton bones.

The foot bone connected to the leg bone,
The leg bone connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone connected to the thigh bone,
The thigh bone connected to the back bone,
The back bone connected to the neck bone,
The neck bone connected to the head bone,
Oh see dem skeleton bones.

Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around,
Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk around,
Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk around,
Oh see dem skeleton bones.

The head bone connected to the neck bone,
The neck bone connected to the back bone,
The back bone connected to the thigh bone,
The thigh bone connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone connected to the leg bone,
The leg bone connected to the foot bone,
Oh see dem skeleton bones.

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones!
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones!
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones!
Oh see dem skeleton bones.

I usually pass out rhythm sticks for this song, and yesterday, one of my students did the cutest, most clever thing with them. She made a “skeleton” out of an entire tub of sticks, and then pointed to each different “bone” as it was sung. Seriously, these kids never cease to amaze me.

Costumes on Parade

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I still remember the costume parades from preschool and elementary school, and my mom even has pictures! I love the idea of using this song to accompany such a parade – it would be so easy to substitute the costumes I used for those that the students are actually wearing.

And even if you aren’t having a parade, you can still sing the song; just ask the students to suggest the costumes to be included. They could even draw pictures of them as an art project!

Come one and all,
Big and small,
Gather ‘round for the parade.
We’re dressing up,
On Halloween,
So many costumes to be seen!

Costumes on parade,
Ghosts and witches walking by,
Mummies, vampires, Frankenstein,
And Batman, me oh my!

CHORUS

Costumes on parade,
Clowns and cats are walking by,
Princesses and firemen,
And Elvis, me oh my!

CHORUS

Costumes on parade,
Frogs and monkeys walking by,
Hannah Montana and Harry Potter,
And ninjas, me oh my!

CHORUS

All the Candy I’ll Eat

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When I was a kid, the best part of Halloween was coming home from trick-or-treating, dumping my bag of candy on the floor, and taking inventory of all the goodies. My brother and I would sort out our candy and make trades, and then I usually proceeded to eat way more candy than one should ever consume in a single sitting.

Well, apparently Tip Top Tom and I had a lot in common as children, because this is what he had to say:

This is a simple idea that can bring lots of cheer. Counting candy! As a kid that was one of my favorite activities on Halloween.

His simple idea just happens to be winning song topic #2! It didn’t take me long to come up with a song based on it; in fact, I had to leave out a couple verses. I could feel my sweet tooth aching as I sang this:

I just got home,
It’s Halloween night.
My costume gave my neighbors a fright.
But it did the trick, because I got a treat,
Just look at all the candy I’ll eat.

Ba-doop-a doo,
I see some Snickers bars,
Butterfinger, Hershey’s and Mars.
So much chocolate, what’ll I do?
I guess I’m gonna share with you!

CHORUS

Ba-doop-a-doo,
I see some lollipops,
Gummi bears and lemon drops.
So much sweet stuff, what I’ll do?
I guess I’m gonna share with you!

CHORUS

Ba-doop-a-doo,
I see a toothbrush there,
And a lot of toothpaste to share.
I think I’ll need it and so will you,
After all the candy we’ll chew!

CHORUS

Two Pumpkins in a Patch

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Happy Monday to all of you lovely people! Today is the last day to enter the Halloween song topic contest, so I am hoping you’ll do so if you haven’t already. And just because I couldn’t wait any longer, I’ve already chosen one of the three winners…so congrats to Emily! This is what she had to say:

Hi Rachel! I stumbled onto your blog and really enjoy it! I think a cute song topic would be the life of a pumpkin in the patch that gets to be a jack-o-lantern! My daughter’s birthday is Halloween, so I didn’t think much of it till she came along. Now I get excited because that’s when my “punkin” came into the world!

I absolutely loved her idea and ended up writing the song shortly after I received her entry. She will be receiving a custom Listen & Learn CD, and you can too! Just leave a comment or send an email describing your idea for a creative Halloween song topic (kid-friendly, of course).

And now, without further ado, here is the song that came of Emily’s great idea. It’s called “Patrick & Polly Pumpkin” and I hope you like it!

Patrick and Polly were a pumpkin pair,
In the patch sitting side by side.
Together they grew from tiny sprouts until
They were big and round and wide.

“I wonder who is going to pick us?”
Patrick and Polly would say.
As they watched the people in the pumpkin patch
And hoped it’d be their turn someday.

Patrick and Polly were the very same size,
With skin of orange so bright,
Alone they sat while all their friends got picked
And taken out of sight.

CHORUS

Patrick and Polly were the last ones left
Two pumpkins in an empty patch.
When along came a boy and a girl
Looking for a perfect match.

Patrick and Polly got picked right up
By the children, laughing with glee,
“We found the best little pumpkins in the world,” they said.
“One for you and one for me.”

“I’m so happy they picked us!”
Patrick and Polly would say.
As they sat on the porch, talking happily.
Side by side on Halloween day.

Several of my students went pumpkin-picking this weekend, which of course made me think of Patrick and Polly, sitting in the patch hoping to be chosen :) Now get busy thinking of your own song topic, and share it with me ASAP!