COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN STORY TIME

Even though Halloween has come and gone for this year, and the sights and sounds of Thanksgiving and Christmas are everywhere, I wanted to share another Halloween post before moving on to the endless list of Christmas things I want to accomplish.

Every night at bedtime, my son and I cuddle up in the "Big Bed" and read a few books before he goes to sleep. I look forward to this time because it's a few minutes each day that I can get him to sit still and cuddle with me.  During the month of October, we countdown to Halloween with a book or two a night. My son loves to point out all the pumpkins and bats in the books.

To make it a surprise (next year he should understand more), I make selecting the book sort of a game.  First, at my local craft store I purchased some different patterns of Halloween material. Using a sewing machine, I made simple little fabric bags (big enough to hold a book each).   Next, I made an advent calendar for the countdown to Halloween, with each day/square a different patterned fabric to match each bag.  I place one book (possibly two if they are short) in each bag and place all the bags in a basket. 

Then, each night at bed time my son looks at the advent calendar to see what the fabric is for that day and finds the matching bag. And that is the book for the night. Here is a list of the books that I use for our Countdown to Halloween story time:



1. THE NIGHT BEFORE HALLOWEEN
by Natasha Wing

2. HAPPY HALLOWEEN, LITTLE CRITTER
by Mercer Mayer

3. BERENSTAIN BEARS AND THE GHOST OF THE FOREST
by Stan and Jan Berenstain

4. DINOSAUR TRAIN: THE SPOOKY SCAVENGER HUNT
by Craig Bartlett

5. THE SPOOKY WHEELS ON THE BUS
by J. Elizabeth Mills

 

6. I LIKE PUMPKINS
by Jerry Smath



7. PUMPKIN HILL
by Elizabeth Spurr

8. BUS TO BOOVILLE
by Wendy Wax

9. IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE
by Eve Bunting

10. HAPPY HALLOWEEN, BISCUIT!
by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

11. IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN!
by Charles M. Schulz

12. THOMAS AND FRIENDS: THE MONSTER UNDER THE SHED
by Wilbert Awdry

 

13. GHOST TOWN TRICK OR TREAT
by Alison Inches




14. TEN TIMID GHOSTS
by Jennifer O'Connell



15. CLIFFORD: HALLOWEEN HOWL
by Gail Herman

16. SPOOKLEY THE SQUARE PUMPKIN
by Joe Troiano

17. WE'RE OFF TO FIND THE WITCH'S HOUSE
by Mr. Kreib

18. AND THEN COMES HALLOWEEN
by Tom Brenner

19. THE LITTLE OLD LADY WHO WAS NOT
AFRAID OF ANYTHING
by Linda Williams

20. CAILLOU: HAPPY HALLOWEEN
by Francine Allen

21. HALLOWEEN
by Henry Behn

22. CLIFFORD'S HALLOWEEN
by Norman Bridwell

23. SESAME STREET: WHICH WITCH IS WHICH?
by Michael Muntean

24. T REX TRICK OR TREAT
by Lois Grambling

25. THE PUMPKIN PATCH
by Dee McKay

26. BERENSTAIN BEARS TRICK OR TREAT
by Stan and Jan Berenstain

27. BERENSTAIN BEARS GO ON A GHOST WALK
by Stan and Jan Berenstain

28. BERENSTAIN BEARS AND THE HAUNTED HOUSE
by Stan and Jan Berenstain

29. THE UGLY PUMPKIN
by Dave Horowitz

30. THE HALLO-WIENER
by Dav Pilkey

31. WHERE'S MY MUMMY?
by Carolyn Crimi



There are so many more adorable Halloween children's books out there. These are just some of the favorites from our home library. It really doesn't matter what book we read, its the cuddle time that we have together that matters to me. Happy Halloween!!