Sit Down or Passive Games:

These are child party games that are played while the children are sitting in a circle or at a table. These games are a parents dream because they don’t require a lot of energy from the kids. Weave one or two of these games into the party after a very active game or use an activity to calm the kids down. Kids party games don’t have to be loud and crazy with lots of running in the house to be fun!

What am I:

Supplies: 10-12 socks without holes, a variety of common household items including a roll of tape, a spoon, a tape measure and a ball etc.
Fill each sock with one item and tie the tops shut with ribbons, yarn or string. The children sit in a circle and pass the socks around so that everyone has a chance to feel them and try to figure out what’s in the sock. They then write down what they believe each item is. The one with the most items guessed correctly wins a prize. You can make the items tougher for older children by putting things like dried macaroni or baby carrots into the socks. This is a tried and true kids Halloween party game that everyone loves!

Memory:

Supplies: 10 to 12 household items, a tray to put them on, paper and pencils.
Arrange the items on a tray and give the children 3 minutes only to go over the items. Take the tray away and then have them try to remember what was on the tray. Person with the most correct guesses wins a prize.

Play Dough:

Supplies: Play dough and cookie cutters.
Give each child a supply of play dough and have them create items related to the theme of the party. If the party has a horse theme, each one makes a horse. The younger kids will enjoy just playing with it and making their own creations.

Face Painting:

Supplies: face paint and towels.
Give everyone a tattoo from face paint that relates to the party theme or just a design that they desire. Hire someone to do the painting or practice some designs before the Halloween party.

Balloon Twisting:

Supplies: Balloons made for twisting.
Hire someone to perform balloon twisting or make a go of it yourself. You can teach older children how to twist and make simple knots, animals etc.

Ice Cream:

Supplies: Several flavors of ice cream!
Give everyone a scoop of ice cream on a plate and supply them with sprinkles, syrup and small candies. Give them 3-4 minutes to decorate the scoop. If the party is for older children have them decorate the scoop so that it relates to the party theme.

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By Stefan Patrick

Finding the right costume for a little girl may seem easy with the choice of fairies and princess costumes available, but looking for something more unique that will stand out from the crowd is a little harder than the norm.

But, with the wide choice available with the Little Bo Peep and Little Miss Muffet costumes, as well as the Sheep/Lamb and Spider options, you soon see the fantastic and stunning costumes you have to choose from.

Every little child loves both of these nursery rhymes, nursery rhymes that will never grow old and are a joy for any parent to tell to the child at bed time. Dressing up as one of these characters is very exciting for all little girls. The joy of bracing around in a Victorian puffy sleeved dress is just adorable and brings a lot of fun to any kid.

There are a number of designs for both Little Bo Peep and little Miss Muffet, it just depends on which character is your child’s favorite.

Most come in gorgeous pink or blue little dresses with puffy sleeves, beautiful little bonnets, adorable peasant styled coats, ribbons or bows and little staffs for Bo Peep or a basket For Miss Muffet. There are many designs, and fit toddlers, infants, school children, teens and there are even gorgeous costumes for adults.

Another perk for these costumes, especially if you have more than one child, is they both have a great pairing option. With Bo peep there are amazing Lamb and sheep costumes for infants and school children that would make a great family interaction idea. The Same goes for Miss Muffet, there is a fantastic range of spider costumes for infants and toddlers that are just to adorable and have to be seen.

With these two popular nursery rhyme characters you have a chance to dress your children up in something unique and completely beautiful and adorable, and stay away from the usual costumes that come around each year. Your child will love her gorgeous Bo Peep or miss Muffet costume and will never want to take them of, and they are also perfect for Easter, Halloween, Christmas and for any birthday or fancy dress party, a great costume idea all round.

View the wide range of Little Girl Costumes available with Little Bo Peep and Little Miss Muffet and find some amazing beautiful costumes. Visit http://littlebopeepcostumes-shop.com and check out the unique costumes available this year.

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By Jolanda Garcia

Halloween, which is celebrated on October 31, is a holiday in which adults and children can participate together. Have some howling fun by having a costume party and playing special games like bobbing for apples. Go “trick-or-treating,” tell “scary” ghost stories, and have a pumpkin-carving contest. Whatever you and your children decide to do, you’ll go batty over our Halloween and spider activities and ideas. Here are just a few spider-related activities that you can share with your children to get them in the mood for Halloween or use for your creepy spider Halloween party.

Friendship Spider Web Have children stand in a circle. Have one child hold on to the end of a ball of black yarn and toss the ball to another child on the opposite side of the circle. That child then throws the ball across to another child. Continue until a spider web is created.

Arachnid Treats With peanut butter, make a cracker sandwich with two round crackers. Insert eight pretzel “legs” into the filling. With a dab of peanut butter, set two raisin “eyes” on top. Serve some witches brew to wash down the spiders. (You can find directions on our site on to make a spider drinking straw.)

Spider Obstacle Course Have groups of 4 children stand together, one behind the other. Each player in a group holds the hands of the player directly behind him/her, thus connecting the group of 4. This group represents a spider (8 legs). The group must make it through an obstacle course without disconnecting hands in the quickest time. If the hands come apart, the “spider” must return to the beginning and start again.

Spider Craft Cut an egg carton into little cups sections. Paint an egg carton section with black paint. Let it dry. Using an awl or screwdriver, make 8 holes in the bottom edge of the egg carton for the spider’s legs. Cut some black chenille stems into small pieces. Push chenille stems in to one side of the egg carton section and out the opposite side to create legs and then bend the legs. Glue a pompom on top of egg carton. Glue on some wiggle eyes.

Spider Rhymes and Songs Recite the Little Miss Muffet rhyme with felt puppets (see member site spider activity section) and sing together “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” song. Ask children about their experiences with spiders. Do they like them or not? Look at different pictures of spiders. Discuss facts about spiders.

Fingerprint Spiders Here’s an easy activity! Have children use a black non-toxic ink pad to make fingerprints on a piece of paper. Then have them draw eight legs on their fingerprints to represent spiders.

Feed the Spider Game This revised version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey is a fun game to play at a party. Paint a big spider on a web on a big piece of paper. Cut small squares of different colored felt or fabric and place a spoonful of rice in the middle. Tie together with a string and have children decorate their bug with a black marker. Have children try to toss the bugs to the spider to feed the creepy creature. The bug closest to the spider wins a prize.

Spider Books Go to the library to learn about spiders and to read some fun books with spiders as the main characters, such as The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle, Anansi the Spider by Gerald McDermott, and Miss Spider’s Tea Party by David Kirk.

Spider Bingo Using poster board or cardboard from recycled cereal boxes, cut an eight-inch square board for each child. Draw a grid with nine squares on each board. Place different colored shapes on each square in the grid. Laminate or cover with clear contact paper. To play, call out different colors and shapes. Have children cover their squares with spider rings. Three in a row makes a Spider Bingo!

Jolanda Garcia is a former teacher and educational content designer. Her goal is to provide parents and teachers with quality resources to promote their children’s development and creativity. Visit her websites at: Preschool activities and crafts, and www.eartwiggles.com for resources and activities to promote healthy eating habits in young children.

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By Maggie Van Ostrand

When we tuck our children into bed at night and tell them fairy tales and nursery rhymes, we intend them to nod off peacefully and have pleasant dreams. But how pleasant can their dreams be when their sleepy little heads are filled not with visions of sugar plums but with fear, violence and death?

Their little heads are destined to be filled with the same images as ours were: blind mice who run but can’t escape having their tails amputated with a carving knife; a boy who kisses girls and makes them cry; an old woman living in a shoe who whips her hungry children for no reason; babies rocking in cradles and falling down when branches break; Solomon Grundy, born on Monday is dead by the end of the week; Tom, the Piper’s son, steals pigs; scary spiders frighten little girls on tuffets; Humpty Dumpty falls off a wall and can never be fixed; and monkeys who catch weasels and pop them. How did this carnage begin?

Some of these tales have been around for a very long time and generally date from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries as one of England’s most enduring forms of oral culture. Apparently most nursery rhymes were originally composed for adult entertainment, originating as popular ballads and songs.

The earliest known published collection of nursery rhymes was Tommy Thumb’s (Pretty) Song Book (London, 1744). It included “Little Tom Tucker,” “Sing a Song of Sixpence,” and “Who Killed Cock Robin?” The most influential was “Mother Goose’s Melody: Sonnets for the Cradle,” published by John Newberry in 1781. Among its 51 rhymes were “Jack and Jill,” “Ding Dong Bell,” and “Hush-a-bye baby on the tree top.”

Hush-a-bye Baby, on the tree top,

When the wind blows, the cradle will rock.

When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall,

And down will come baby, cradle and all.

According to Vikki Harris’ “The Origin of Nursery Rhymes & Mother Goose” (1997), regardless of their malevolent words, the nursery rhymes that were popular years ago, and still are today, can be placed into three categories. First are the lullabies, the songs and melodies with which most of us are familiar. These were far from soothing but rather are said to have been sung in order to intimidate the child and/or used as an outlet for the emotions of the parent or nurse:

Bye, baby bunting,

Daddy’s gone a-hunting,

Gone to get a rabbit skin

To wrap the baby bunting in.

-1784

Bye, baby bumpkin

Where’s Tony Lumpkin

My lady’s on her death-bed,

With eating half a pumpkin.

-1842

A second reason for the development of nursery rhymes was as infant amusement. Counting rhymes, and alphabet rhymes fit into this category, and are generally non-violent.

One, two, three, four, five,

Once I caught a fish alive,

Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,

Then I let him go again.

-1888

Here’s A, B, C, D, E, F, and G,

H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V,

W, X, Y, and Z-

And O, dear me,

When shall I learn

My A, B, C?

1869

Tickle games were readily used for the amusement of infants and toddlers. Perhaps the two best known are:

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man,

Bake me a cake as fast as you can;

Pat it and prick it, and mark it with B,

And put it in the oven for baby and me

-1698

This little piggy went to market,

This little piggy stayed home,

This little piggy had roast beef,

This little piggy had none,

And this little piggy cried,

Wee, wee, wee

All the way home.

-1728

“It is also possible that the credit of preservation should go to the nursery itself,” explains Henry Bett in “Nursery Rhymes and Tales – Their Origin and History (1968) “We owe the preservation of our nursery rhymes and nursery tales from remote ages to the astonishing persistence of popular tradition, reinforced by the characteristic conservatism of childhood which insists on having rhymes repeated the same way each time.”

In the circle game Ring-around-the-rosie, links have been made to the Great Plague of London and Edinburgh. The lines “Ashes! Ashes! We all fall down” or “Hush! Hush! Hush! Hush! We’ve all tumbled down” is referring to the death of the people.

Ring-a-round a rosie,

A pocket full of posies,

Ashes! Ashes!

We all fall down.

*******

Three blind mice

Three blind mice,

See how they run!

They all ran after a farmer’s wife,

Who cut off their tails with a carving knife.

Did you ever see such a sight in your life,

As three blind mice?

*************

All around the mulberry bush

The monkey chased the weasel.

The monkey thought ’twas all in fun.

Pop! goes the weasel.

*****************

Georgie Porgie, puddin’ and pie,

Kissed the girls and made them cry.

When the boys came out to play,

Georgie Porgie ran away.

(This rhyme refers to the amorous and amoral Prince Regent who became George IV during Regency times in England)

********

Jack and Jill

Went up the hill

To fetch a pail of water.

Jack fell down

And broke his crown

And Jill came tumbling after.

******

Little Miss Muffet, sat on a tuffet,

Eating her curds and whey;

Along came a spider,

Who sat down beside her

And frightened Miss Muffet away.

If you carefully reread Hansel and Gretel, you may never again repeat it to your children:

Hard by a great forest dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife

and his two children. The boy was called Hansel and the

girl Gretel. He had little to bite and to break, and once when

great dearth fell on the land, he could no longer procure even daily bread. Now when he thought over this by night in his bed, and tossed about in his anxiety, he groaned and said to his wife, what is to become of us. How are we to feed our poor children, when we no longer have anything even for ourselves. I’ll tell you what, husband, answered the woman, early to-morrow morning we

will take the children out into the forest to where it is the

thickest.

There we will light a fire for them, and give each of

them one more piece of bread, and then we will go to our work and

leave them alone. They will not find the way home again, and we

shall be rid of them. No, wife, said the man, I will not do that.

How can I bear to leave my children alone in the forest. The wild animals would soon come and tear them to pieces. O’ you fool, said she, then we must all four die of hunger, you may as well plane the planks for our coffins, and she left him no peace until he consented. But I feel very sorry for the poor children, all the same, said the man.

The two children had also not been able to sleep for hunger, and

had heard what their step-mother had said to their father. Gretel

wept bitter tears, and said to Hansel, now all is over with us.

*********

In “The Truth Behind Goldilocks,” Mental Floss – Volume 2, Richard Zachs writes that we are reading watered-down versions of the fairy tales and that the originals were far more graphic and brutal.

In the earliest known version (1831) of Goldilocks, discovered in Toronto, the author, one Eleanor Mure, a 32-year-old maiden aunt, created “The Story of The Three Bears” for her nephew, Horace Broke.

The original “Goldilocks” was an “angry old woman” who breaks into the bears’ house because they snubbed her during a recent social call. Once the three bears catch the old woman, they try to figure out what to do with her. Here’s what they came up with:

On the fire they throw her, but burn her they couldn’t;

In the water they put her, but drown there she wouldn’t;

They seize her before all the wondering People,

And chuck her aloft on St. Paul’s churchyard steeple;

And if she’s still there, when you earnestly look,

You will see her quite plainly — my dear Little Horbook!

No other version has Goldilocks impaled on a church steeple. The grayhaired old lady didn’t become a goldenhaired young girl until 1918.

The tales which we so fondly recall from our childhood will be passed on to our children and produce yet another generation of nursery lore.

Who killed Cock Robin? I did Mommy. It was fun.

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By Andrew Lydon

When Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet “eating her curds and whey” she was most probably seated on a small clump of grass or hillock. Nowadays the term “tuffet” is more likely to mean a piece of furniture used as a footstool or low seat.

Other definitions of this unique piece of furniture include pouffe, a nineteenth century French import for “something puffed out”, or “hassock” which has a special association with churches, as it is used to describe the thick cushion employed by the congregation to kneel on while in prayer.

Later pictorial representations of Miss Muffet show her sitting on a stool which is completely covered in fabric so that no legs are visible. What we would regard today as a cube footstool or pouffe are essentially large hard cushions that have an internal wooden frame structure to aid rigidity. Wooden or plastic feet may be added to the base to give it stability. If Miss Muffet had chosen a larger piece offering internal storage then it would have been known as an ottoman!

Although the origins of this classic nursery rhyme are unclear, Miss Muffet is believed by some to have been the step daughter of a Sixteenth Century insect specialist, Dr Thomas Muffet. He is thought to have penned the rhyme to include two of the passions of his life. Others have suggested that it was written as a polemic about Mary Queen of Scots and the perceived threat of a return to Catholicism during the early period of the reign of Elizabeth the First of England. Whilst neither source can claim definitive authenticity it is thought the rhyme was passed down through the ages by word of mouth until it first appeared in print in 1805.

The Little Miss Muffet image has proved engrossing for children ever since. In the depression years of the 1930s the WPA in the United States used the image to encourage reading among children. The theme has been parodied by such luminaries as Peter Cook and Dudley Moore and even today it remains an essential nursery rhyme song for all small children. Whether sitting on a tuffet or a footstool Miss Muffet and her fear of spiders will engage the minds of the very young for years to come.

http://www.funkyfootstools.com

The author has over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing and has recently been specialising in company start ups.

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By Arthur Adams

So you want to dress up as Little Bo Peep for Halloween? Here are some ideas for a Little Bo Peep Halloween costume for young girl or adult.

For an adult, remember you are dressing up as a nursery rhyme character. Little Miss Peep, was a young girl, so any make up should be kept to a minimum. Look around your local thrift stores or 2nd hand stores for an inexpensive costume. A pastel colored, short sleeve, knee to shin length dress would be ideal. Remember when you add a hoop under the skirt you will be taking off inches in length. To have a realistic costume try and find a dress with a wide skirt so you can wear a petticoat, or hoop skirt underneath. The sleeves should be puffy as well. A nice light blue or pink material would be really pretty. White stockings or bare legged would work for your legs.

Accessories are a must for this costume. Some white elbow length gloves will add to the look. Mary Jane type shoes will also keep the young look going. Of course, you must have some bows in your hair. If your hair is long enough, a hairstyle with plenty of ringlets that you can tie the bows in would be perfect.

Then it is an all important prop would be Miss Peep’s staff. You may be able to purchase one of these at a costume store. If that is not ideal you could try and find a nice long wooden stick that needs to be about head high. If you are lucky enough to find one with a curve that would be even better. Another idea, is to make your own staff out of empty paper towel tubes, or wrapping paper tubes if available. Stack them together and use clear packing tape to hold them together.

Now of course, some people may still wonder what your costume is, so a great prop would be a nice, fluffy stuffed sheep for you to carry. Again, this may be available at a thrift store and will keep the price of your costume down.

There is always the easier way, and you can purchase a costume at a costume store. The fun of a Halloween costume is being original.

This year wouldn’t you like to dress up as a cute nursery rhyme character? A Little Bo Peep costume will have everyone remembering you. Whether you need a kids costume or a Little Bo Peep adult costume, be creative and you will be the one to remember.

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Here is a brilliant Halloween costume idea that gets over looked, especially if you have a few children and are looking for a unique way of helping them find an equal theme this Halloween, is the Sheep or lamb Halloween Costumes, perfect for pairing with Little Bo Peep, or Mary and Her Little Lamb, or even just on their own, they stand out outrageously in a very cute way and make for an unique look for your child this Halloween.

While most kids will be aiming for the scary look , following the sheep (excuse the pun) yet the cute look can be more stunning and eye catching. The thought of Little Bo Peep strolling along with a Sheep or Lamb is most curious and cute and would melt the hardest of hearts.

By searching online, you can find a huge range of Lamb or Sheep Halloween costumes, and are made for both boys and girls. There are excellent styles and designs, snugly all in one jumpsuits, complete in a wide range of colors and made for bunting, toddler, infants or school age children.

My favorite costume is the classic fairy tale beauty and will be a favorite for generations to come. It is a one piece jump suit with great craftsmanship, detailing dark lambs legs and sleeves and has a separate head piece with cute lambs ears available in toddler size and school age size and must be seen, so cute.

Having a child dressed up in the stunning Little Bo Peep costume and pairing off with a lamb or sheep costume is just a fantastic yet overlooked Halloween idea, an idea sure to be a big hit. Because of the huge choice of Bo Peep costumes available and the Lamb and Sheep costumes doing the rounds, this Halloween pairing will be the biggest hit this year.

Even on their own, the Sheep or Lamb costume can make any parent sigh with joy at the cuteness and stunning beauty of the look, a unique look, perfect for a fun filled Halloween.

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This rhyme is a great little short piece for making children laugh, especially with the whole “spider who sat down beside her” line, frightening Miss Muffet away, for such a short piece, it has stood the test of time and is as captivating to children as it is to us adults.

With it been a very popular children’s rhyme, a lot of stunning Miss Muffet costumes have been manufactured, and some are absolutely amazing, and a must for any toddler or young little girl.

The Bonnets and dresses available are so adorable, light pink, puffy sleeves with ruffle trim, wristlets and bloomers, so gorgeous and cute, perfect for any little girl. Even comes with a spider hand bag, very very adorable.

These Little Miss Muffet costumes come in Toddler, Child, Teen and Adult sizes. The adult costumes can come as cute to sexy, plenty for each taste.

There is another great option for this costume, to accommodate the theme of the nursery rhyme and especially if there is a family involved, is the toddler and infant very cute Spider costumes.

These just have to be seen as they are so cute. Having a child as Miss Muffet and another as a little spider, is probably one of the best pairings I have come across, the cutest and most adorable idea for any Halloween or fancy dress party yet. They are comical looking with all the eight arms sticking out of the body of the costume and the little hood, a perfect costume for any child on it’s own, but together with a Miss Muffet Costume, they are a winning match made in heaven.

This Halloween, if you are looking for a completely unique look for your child, this pairing could be the answer. The Miss Muffet costume is beautiful and would stand on it’s own, brightening your child’s Halloween, and along with her spider, will be cutest and most perfect looking kid and a delight to any parents heart.

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Why Are They So Popular?

The reasons for the popularity is simple. Little Bo Peep costumes are a fun pretty costume to wear for any girl. Lovely fluffy Dresses with beautiful laces and ruffles make a unique Victorian look that would put a smile on any parents face.

They fit all little girls from any age, from toddler to school-age, teen to adult, there is a stunning costume for each body type, and for adults you can find a sexy looking costume too.

Also because of the growing interest in Vintage fashion, these costumes are making a huge leap in the market due to there stylish and trendy unique looks, especially for teens and adults, looking very modern with a hint of Vintage, very cool and unique.

Most girls these days, and with the parents help, are dressed either as Princess or Fairies, but deciding on a change with a Little Bo Peep Costume will make their Halloween truly unique. There are tons of different designs, colors and styles and even because of the Toy Story movie, a stunning Little Bo Peep costume has become available.

Be Unique

It is true, these costumes are truly unique with an excellent choice of cute or trendy for little girls, trendy and stylish for teens, cute, trendy, stylish and sexy for adults, the choice is endless and with only a few people choosing or even thinking about this costume idea, you and your child will have a unique fun filled Halloween

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