Fall is a season for fun with the cooler weather, colorful changing of the leaves, and amusing crafts, like carving pumpkins! Local teens from Oak Grove recently showed their pumpkin carving skills at the Extreme Pumpkins carving program. Pictured from left to right: The Headless Horseman, a fire-breathing dragon, a sharp-toothed jack-o-lantern, and a bat flying over a cemetery. What skilled pumpkin artists!
Come and join us for a morning of Trick-or-Treating in downtown Dearborn. Dress in your costume, and march with us up and down Main Street to visit the beauty shop, bank, firehouse, and other local businesses to see friendly faces and gather goodies. We can't wait to see you there boys and ghouls!
You may have noticed that the economy is not exactly booming. For many of us, money is a bit short. So that $1000, real Stormtrooper costume is probably not going to happen this year. So why not try some of these DIY ultra-low budget costume ideas:
Looking for a fun, unique alternative to Halloween candy? Try Books for Treats! This program is a fairly recent concept that was created for adults to give slightly worn or outgrown books to kids on Halloween instead of candy. If you don’t already have a stash of gently used books, Rebecca Morgan, founder of Books for Treats, recommends looking at garage sales or thrift stores to find very low cost titles. Rebecca's philosophy is to give trick-or-treaters "brain candy."
Who doesn’t like the opportunity to pretend that they’re something that they’re not? The chance to dress up and let the imagination run free, while perhaps only a cathartic opportunity to socialize for adults, is even more meaningful to children. It provides them with the opportunity to solidify social constructs in their minds. Children internalize the morals of right and wrong by playing them out. So, Halloween is the ideal learning experience for kids. By getting together, they get to have fun, eat candy, and learn at the same time!
Halloween is a very American holiday, but still, traditions have been different across the country and the generations. I had a pretty traditional 1980s upbringing when it came to Halloween. October 31st meant dressing up as whatever (a witch, Raggedy Ann, an extra from the musical Cats), plotting elaborate routes through the neighborhood to get as much candy as possible (anything with chocolate and peanut butter preferred), and in the process, steering clear of the house that gave out toothbrushes.
Lions, witches, and comic characters came to the library for storytime. The preschoolers enjoyed listening to stories and singing songs. While the boys and girls paraded around the library showing off their creative costumes, they were given a library orientation tour introducing non-fiction books. The children had fun choosing and checking out some exciting titles!
Halloween was a boo-scary event at the Liberty Branch!
Well, my favorite time of year is sneaking up on me: that glorious period between October 1 and November 1 that I call "The Halloween Season." It’s a time for apple cider, hayrides, pumpkin carving, and scaring the wits out of your neighbors and friends. And right about now—right at the edge of Halloween Season—is Halloween Party Planning Season! Here are some of my favorite resources for Halloween parties. Enjoy… but beware!
Celebrate Fall at the American Girl Halloween Monster Mash
Here at the Kearney Branch, we rarely turn down a chance to celebrate and have some fun. This fall, our big chance will be the American Girl Halloween Monster Mash on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 1:30 p.m.
We're dressing up the Library's American Girl doll collection in their Halloween costumes and turning our children's program area into a Halloween party.
Come to the Halloween Hulla-Boo! at the Boardwalk Branch
The Boardwalk Branch invites all interested little ghosts and goblins to come to the haunted library on Saturday, October 27, at 2:00 p.m. for a Halloween Hulla-Boo!
Don your scariest costumes and come enjoy a ghastly hour or two sharing spooky songs, stories, and horrible games. We will rip into crafts with our claws, and paws and tear into some dreadful refreshments. See you here, Wa-ha-ha!
