WHooOoo are the Witches

Witches and Goblins, Spooks and Ghosts...are you ready for Halloween?
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I set up this Storytime with a special Halloween bucket that has 'bubbling' orange netting material spilling out if it. In the bottom I have punched out paper spiders to hand out afterwards. Surrounding me I have a host of scary characters (mini ghost, mini witch, troll with hedgehog, black cat, black puppet spider etc.) peeping around various Halloween books I have pulled. I also have the flannel Humbug Witch story set up before the kids arrive.
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As you can see I have many friends here to help me tell stories. You see, this time of year can be kind of scary, I need the help of my friends. Friends just make things a little less scary.


Let's get in the mood and call all those witches out to join us -


One Little, Two Little, Three Little Witches

One little, two little, three little witches
~ fingers up, one, two, three
Fly over haystacks, fly over ditches
~ one hand flies up and over
Slide down moonbeams without any hitches,
~ slide the fying hand down the other arm
Hi Ho Halloween's here
~ hands on hips, then hands up, palms out


Let's start with a particular witch. A very grumpy grouchy horrible witch. A witch that goes by the name of Gritch.

Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini

Whew, that Gritch, she was more than just a witch by name, she was also a witch by nature I believe.

Pull over the flannel board with felt Humbug Witch on it, along with the black cat, 'Fred'. I love to ham this one up a lot, really act it out. The felt witch is there so that I can 'show' the kids the punch line at the end. I also ask the kids for magic words, I have them give me the ingredients for the potion, really let it go on this and have some fun!

I have another witch here, a different witch, a very little witch, as a matter of fact everything is tiny on this witch, well except for that nose. It's rather large...

Humbug Witch by Lorna Balian
OPL catalog link

Here is a flannel version of this classic story that I made. Set up the flannel board before the storytime, you don't want to give away the ending before you've even started!
















Well, no wonder her potion didn't work! She was just a little girl.

(((shiver)))
It's getting so cold outside now. The leaves are all falling, the wind is blowing. Let me teach you a little poem


Who has Seen the Wind by Christina Rossetti

Who has seen the wind?
~ hands up shrug shoulders
Neither I or you.
~ shake finger back and forth 'no'
But when the leaves hang trembling,
~ fingers hang down from wrists like leaves on trees
The wind is passing through.
~ hands together 'slide' through leaves


Now are you ready for a scary book? A truly frightening wicked witch story?
if you can get a large dried out leaf for this, it works GREAT!

Witch's Hand by Peter Utton


Okay, that does it! I'm scared. How about you? You know, here is a little something I'll teach you when things get too scary.


Go Away Big 'Orange' Monster
spin off the book Go Away Big Green Monster by Edward Emberley.
This is a cumulative story, read it, you'll love it! I've substituted a felt pumpkin for the green face.

As a flannel/felt story this story is so much fun as I whisk off the parts (mouth, hair, ears, eyes) and make little 'zzzup' noise as I do it - it almost always brings out the giggles in the kids. Really emphasize the end - 'and don't come back (shake finger and head in a 'no-no') unless I say so! (thumb to chest, nod head)

Felt Monster to make - PRINT IN LANDSCAPE, enlarge as needed.














Thank you all for coming to storytime today. I have one last thing for you, a question:

What time is it when a ghost comes to dinner?

!!! TIME TO GO !!!!
Riddle from Marc Brown's Spooky Riddles


Have a fun and safe Halloween! See you next time!