Pumpkin Ponderings

The pumpkins are out and little goblins are bouncing in their seats.  Halloween time is near.  This week the focus is on finding some educational Halloween websites and apps that will keep candy energized students focused on learning. These are some of my new favorites and old standbys.

1.    It’s the Great Pumpkin,Charlie Brown:  At its core, it's the classic story with that same classic music and even its classic storyteller walking you through it: Peter Robbins, the original voice of Charlie Brown. Aside from the tale you already know, you can also dress a Peanuts character in a Halloween costume. Developers say there are more than 1 billion combinations. You can also play around with some mini-games, including pumpkin carving, playing Schroeder's piano and bobbing for apples. Plus, you can virtual trick-or-treat with the Peanuts gang. "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is an iOS app for $5.99.

2.    HalloweeneBook:  This app is a simple customizable ebook for kids.  It focuses on the “Where” question.  Students will learn location concepts like in front of, behind, and next to.  Students are instructed to find characters as they read.  You can also upload pictures so that students appear in the book next to the characters.  This app was created for students that fall under the Autism Spectrum but it is beneficial for all students working on communication skills.   This app is $0.99

3.    ABCya:  This is one of favorite sites to find games for reviewing skills.  On their home page they are featuring several Halloween games.  One of my favorites is the Carve a Pumpkin game.  Students can virtually carve a pumpkin into a Jack-O-Lantern.  While this may appear to have no educational value, it really does work well in a writing situation.  Let student’s create their Jack-O-lantern and have them using that as a writing prompt.  They can write a descriptive paragraph about their pumpkin.

4.    The Legend of Spookley theSquare Pumpkin:  This is one of my favorite Halloween stories.  This app would be great at a center with a story map that would have students identify the different story elements. According to iTunes, In “The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin” a very unique pumpkin delivers a special message of tolerance and self-acceptance that's just right for Halloween...and every day of the year! 

Narrated by Bobby "Boris" Pickett, singer of the perennial Halloween favorite "Monster Mash", this interactive omBook for your iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch includes custom music, background audio and enlarged artwork for each scene.  

To promote reading in young children, individual words are highlighted as the story is read. By combining the original text of author Joe Troiano and artwork of Susan Banta with features that entertain and promote reading, this omBook appeals to readers of all ages. This app is $0.99.

5.    Mask JumbleHalloween:  In this Augmented Reality App students can make a virtual mask on top of their face.  They create masks in a realtime video mirror.  This app is $0.99.  It includes 10 masks.  Photos of the mask can be emailed as a postcard.  This works great as a writing prompt.

Have a great weekend!