[email protected]

wanted to jot this to share before the season passes...
LOOK! a halloween "unit study"(unschooler style) -- notes taken
after-the-fact --all of this wonderfully uncontrived while happening!
brainstorming (creative problem solving) what to be. after seeing too many
50's girls'poodle skirts at the parade, 10yodd decides she wants to be
something more original so she gets out a library book or 2 on greek myths to
refresh her memory & see costume ideas and decides upon persephone... a
character from one of her fav's. 7yodd chooses gypsy and we discuss the
different kinds of gypsies weve heard of and from where we have heard about
them.
later, family discussion on diff meanings of halloween to diff people, why
some dont celebrate, etc. as we know fams who do not participate.
pumpkin carving, note historical origins of carving gourds for lighting, talk
about techniques for transferring patterns onto pumpkins before carving,
roasting seeds for snack.
during trickorttreat, practicing manners and safety lessons...
after trickortreat, sorting (led by the oldest, the kids put similar kinds of
treats in smaller bags and label with their names!) and next day trading with
friends who were over. both great reinforcements of math and realworld
concepts...
next few days, splitting skittles into equal parts to share evenly,
(love those little kids doing fractions.) and sharing the haul with elderly
neighbor and parents-- lessons of sharing w/less fortunate (or in this case:
less candied!)
later in wk, 3yos takes all of his loot and sets up a store for family to
come shop from!

what have i forgotten?
erin