Scarecrows - After discussing what scarecrows do, have the children stand up and pretend to be scarecrows as they act out this poem:

Scarecrow, scarecrow, turn around.
Scarecrow, scarecrow, touch the ground.
Scarecrow, scarecrow, wave in the breeze.
Scarecrow, scarecrow, touch your knees.
Scarecrow, scarecrow, touch your toes.
Scarecrow, scarecrow, touch your nose.
Scarecrow, scarecrow, dance up and down.
Then sit quietly without a sound.

(Say this line softly as you model how to sit down and put your hands in your lap.)

Class Scarecrow - Let the children help construct a scarecrow for your classroom. You will need newspaper, an old pair of pants, shirt, boots, work gloves, old pair of hose, and a hat. First, stuff the pants and shirt with newspaper. Use part of the panty hose and stuff it for a head. (Add facial features with felt, paint, or paper.) Complete the scarecrow with the hat, gloves, and boots. Let the children name their new friend, draw pictures of it, write stories about what would happen if it came to life, etc.

Scarecrow Sandwich - Cut a circle out of a piece of bread. Tint cream cheese yellow with food coloring and spread it on the circle. Grate carrots and use for the hair. Raisins can be added for eyes and a mouth. Add a candy corn for a nose and enjoy!

Pumpkin Paint - Mix equal parts of flour and salt. Stir in orange tempera paint. (Obviously, if it's powdered, you will need to add some water, too.) Add a spoonful of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to the paint and stir. Children can paint a pumpkin, pumpkin pie, or whatever they want. Their painting will be textured and smell good, too!

Real and Pretend - With all the monsters and goblins, this is a good opportunity to talk about things that are real and pretend. Use a T chart to help children brainstorm and discriminate reality from fantasy. This is also a good time of the year to talk about fears. Tell children something that you are afraid of, and then encourage them to discuss things that frighten them. Make a language experience story by having each child complete this sentence. "I am afraid of ..."

Pumpkin Seeds - Before carving your pumpkin, have the children estimate how many seeds they think it will contain and write down their estimations. Have the children separate the seeds and count them. Who guessed more? Who Guessed less? Who guessed the closest amount? Cook some of the seeds by rinsing them and frying them in a little butter and salt. Save some of the seeds to plant in the spring.