Getting Ready for Samhain - 5th Day of Halloween



For a free download of this owl stencil template, click on these words!

                                                  Happy October!  October is truly one of my favorite months of the year! The weather starts to get cooler, the leaves change colors, and all animals (including humans) begin to prepare for the dark of the year.  I'm a bit late starting my 31 Days of Halloween this year.  Feel free to check out some of the activities I did last year for Halloween if you need some inspiration to get you started!.

The above owl stencil I found on Craftarella's Site. She gives detailed instructions for how to use the stencil to bleach this pattern onto a t-shirt, but I'd prefer to use non-toxic fabric paint with the kids to transfer the design onto old t-shirts.  Under the design, we can use fabric pens to write "Samhain is a real hoot!".  Ok, it's a little cheesy, but fun! ;)

This year, I'm excited to include my littlest ones in our Samhain celebrations.  We've been invited to 2 parties already, and are planning a kid-friendly ritual.  My husband and I will likely attend an adults-only ritual with one of our favorite local covens, so our kid-friendly ritual will be planned on a different day earlier in the week.  Since Samhain is a harvest celebration, I'm planning a wonderful meal, which will include herbs from my magical garden - specifically Rosemary, which is for rememberence (since Samhain is a time to remember our honored dead).  As we get closer to Samhain (and as I finalize the details on the ritual), I may post my menu as well as the general idea of our kid-friendly ritual here for others to consider trying with their own kids! 

Stars in the apples (then used w/ paint to make apple prints)

One of my favorite things to do at Samhain is to prepare Apples of Samhain.  Samhain occurs during the time of the apple harvest, which makes them perfect for magical workings.  The symbolism of apples (and pomegranates) is found throughout history texts about all sorts of ancient cultures.  For children, we can give them a brief synopsis of these stories if we like, before we show them how to find the star within the apple.  All you do to find that star is cut an apple in half horizontally, which will reveal the 5-pointed star within.  When you cut the apple with a blessed knife, this process becomes even more magical.  From there you could make apple prints using non-toxic paint. Naturally, you can eat some of the apples, but be sure to leave some apple to offer to the diety/dieties of your choice as a thank-you for the harvest.  The offered apple will die and return to the earth, where its seeds may sprout and take root after the chill of the dark of the year, to then become yet another new tree - thus completing the circle of life once more. 

Create a Paper Star in the Apple

Here's another activity you can do with the kids. You could create a paper Star in the Apple.  If you print out the below patterns, the children can color or decorate each part as they wish and then affix the star in the middle of the apple (be sure to remind the children that the star is going to go in the middle of the apple, and therefore will cover up anything drawn there). 

Another option is for the children to create a mobile. You could print several copies of each shape and let the children design them as they wish (even gluing small autumn leaves, twigs, or other items found in nature to them).  Take 2  2-feet long tree branches (preferably ones that have already broken off of a tree on their own) and use twine to cross one over the other, creating an x shape.  Then use the twine or some thread/string to hang the designed shapes from the twigs in varying lengths and spots on the twigs. The children could also hang other items from nature from the twigs.  Then, find a safe place to hang the mobile from where it will remind everyone of how much fun they were to make! Apples, and nature, will be happily represented as it spins and twirls high above.  Happy October!

  Please check out Jade Bemgco's amazing website!