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Montessori Monday – Halloween Grace and Courtesy

October 31, 2011 By Deb Chitwood 30 Comments

Halloween is a fun holiday – and it’s a holiday that’s made even better with grace and courtesy.

Halloween Grace and Courtesy

Photo is of my now-adult-kids, Christina (at 2½) and Will (at 7½). ready for trick-or-treating!

Halloween Walking on the Line

You can use a Halloween theme with a classic Montessori activity for developing grace of movement – walking on the line. Here’s an Activity of the Week post with ideas for lines and extensions you can use: Activity of the Week – Walking on the Line. When I was a Montessori teacher, we used colored electrical tape to make a circle or ellipse on the floor, although you can use whatever you want to create a line.

For Halloween, it could be fun for your child to walk on the line while carrying a pumpkin. For more advanced balancing, your child could balance a Halloween book or even a cloth or plastic pumpkin on his or her head. We had a large, soft cloth pumpkin that worked well for that.

Halloween Manners

Etiquette lessons are important any time of the year – and especially for holidays. Halloween is no exception. Demonstration with role play is probably the most effective technique for introducing and reinforcing Halloween manners.

I’d recommend pretending you’re trick-or-treating to show your child the appropriate Halloween etiquette. Here are the points I made with my own children (in wording similar to what I’d use in a demonstration):

  • We only walk on sidewalks, not through yards or flower beds.
  • We never go to a house with the lights off.
  • If the porch light is on, I knock or ring the doorbell once and wait a bit. I don’t keep knocking or ringing the doorbell. If no one answers, I go to the next house. I don’t try to peek into the house.
  • When someone answers the door, I smile and say, “Trick-or-treat!”
  • If the person holds out a candy bowl or bag, I take only one piece of candy unless the person says I may take more.
  • I always say, “Thank you,” after I’m given a treat. Even if I don’t like the candy, I still say, “Thank you.” I don’t say that I don’t like the candy.
  • It’s always nice to say, “Happy Halloween!” at the end.

After you’ve demonstrated the appropriate trick-or-treat manners, it helps to give your child plenty of practice with trick-or-treat role playing. Your child could pretend to trick-or-treat at your house. You, a sibling, or even a doll, stuffed animal, or puppet (with your help, of course!) could give the treat. You could reverse roles as well.

Free Thank-You Songs and Rhymes for Home or School - Have a Polite Halloween!I have a post at Bits of Positivity (my other blog) with free thank-you songs and rhymes for home or school to make learning to say thank you more memorable and more fun!

Other Halloween Posts (updated 2021)

  • Montessori-Inspired Pumpkin Activities
  • Homeschool Halloween
  • Montessori-Inspired Pumpkin Unit
  • 25+ Montessori-Inspired Halloween Activities
  • Halloween Grace and Courtesy
  • Montessori-Inspired Friendly Ghost Activities
  • Montessori-Inspired Halloween Activities
  • Montessori-Inspired Skeleton Activities
  • Free Spider Printables and Montessori-Inspired Spider Activities
  • 20 Pumpkin Phonics Activities
  • Free Halloween Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time
  • Halloween Activities for Montessori-Inspired Themes and Parties
  • Montessori-Inspired Pumpkin Hammering for Toddlers
  • 20+ Pumpkin Hammering Activities for Preschoolers
  • Free Skeleton Printables and Montessori-Inspired Skeleton Activities
  • Free Spider Printables and Montessori-inspired Spider Math Activities
  • Free Tarantula and Spider Do-a-Dot Printables (Montessori-Inspired Instant Downloads)
  • Free Spiderweb Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
  • Yummy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Montessori Pumpkin Scrubbing for Toddlers and Preschoolers
  • Delicious and Nutritious Vegan, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Pie Squares
  • Simple Fun with Pumpkins and Pumpkin Seeds for Toddlers and Preschoolers
  • Hands-on Fun with Montessori-Inspired Human Skeleton Activities
  • How to Participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project with Non-Food Treats
  • Non-Scary Montessori Halloween Printables for Preschool Through Elementary
  • Free Bat Printables and Montessori-Inspired Bat Activities
  • Free Bat and Vampire Bat Do-a-Dot Printables (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
  • Free Bat Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
  • Kids’ Halloween Activities Pinterest Board

Amazon Affiliate:

Halloween Books for Kids

Teal Pumpkin Products on Amazon

Happy Halloween! 🙂

Deb - Signature

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Filed Under: Activities - Practical Life - Grace and Courtesy, Activity of the Week, Holidays and Celebrations, Montessori Monday Tagged With: Activity of the Week, autumn, Halloween, Halloween Etiquette, Halloween Grace and Courtesy, Halloween Manners, Montessori Monday, trick-or-treat manners, walking on the line

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sasha says

    October 31, 2011 at 4:09 am

    Walking the Line is such a great activity – we have been practicing holding a pumpkin just as you mentioned in this post! The children love this simple extension. Thanks for sharing these ideas and the various link. Always so helpful… Sasha

    Reply
    • Deb says

      November 2, 2011 at 12:54 am

      Thanks, Sasha! I definitely love seasonal extensions like that for walking on the line. And I loved all the seasonal activities you had during October! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Torkona says

    October 31, 2011 at 4:13 am

    We don’t ‘celebrate’ Halloween in Australia. Infact, it’s frowned upon to do it. Some people have decorations up, and it’s happening more and more, but alot of people with say “we’re not america” to halloween. I think so too. It’s a pity we didnt think up the idea in the first place, otherwise every kid in the street would be doing it 🙂

    Happy halloween!

    – tork

    Reply
    • Deb says

      November 2, 2011 at 12:56 am

      Thanks for your comment, Torkona! I find it fascinating that holidays vary so much from country to country. I was surprised at how unimportant Halloween was in the UK when I was working toward my master’s degree there. It was barely mentioned at the day nursery where I did my school placement!

      Reply
  3. Martianne says

    October 31, 2011 at 4:39 am

    Great idea for walking on the line!

    I might also suggest practicing some simple road safety songs like I wrote about at http://traininghappyhearts.blogspot.com/2010/11/road-crossing-safety-song.html

    Reply
    • Deb says

      November 2, 2011 at 12:58 am

      Thanks so much for sharing the link to your safety song – and your important post about Halloween safety, Martianne. I added your link to my educational songs post at https://livingmontessorinow.com/2011/10/27/free-educational-songs-for-circle-time/.

      Reply
  4. Discovering Montessori says

    October 31, 2011 at 5:59 am

    Love the photos of your children! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Deb says

      November 2, 2011 at 1:04 am

      Thanks so much! It’s always fun to relive great memories! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Melissa says

    October 31, 2011 at 7:30 am

    Great ideas! I had never considered what a great opportunity to practice grace and courtesy Halloween can be! I hope you have a great one today 🙂

    Reply
    • Deb says

      November 2, 2011 at 1:06 am

      Thanks, Melissa! My husband and I have a quiet Halloween now that our kids are grown. Our neighborhood is in the Cheyenne Mountain foothills in Colorado Springs, so we don’t tend to get trick-or-treaters. They have to work too hard for their treats on our hilly streets! I hope your Halloween was wonderful! 🙂

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        November 2, 2011 at 10:07 pm

        I really miss this time of year in that part of the world. I love that part of the city! I held a little Montessori-based Spanish summer camp in Cheyenne Canyon Park for a couple of years and really loved that particular spot. I did my internship + 2 years at Giving Tree not so far from you, too! I miss it so! But I digress… glad you had a nice, quiet Halloween 🙂

        Reply
        • Deb says

          November 4, 2011 at 4:42 pm

          It sounds like your Montessori-based Spanish summer camp was awesome – great idea and location for it! How fun that you lived in Colorado Springs, too! 🙂

          Reply
  6. Jackie says

    October 31, 2011 at 10:26 am

    I love this post. Such an important lesson to teach our kids and Halloween is a fun way to practice those personal skills.

    Reply
    • Deb says

      November 2, 2011 at 1:08 am

      Thanks, Jackie! I love holidays as a way to reinforce manners. 🙂

      Reply
  7. coedith says

    October 31, 2011 at 10:44 am

    I love real life lessons in grace and courtesy. Halloween provides plenty of “practice” in patience and thank yous.

    Reply
    • Deb says

      November 2, 2011 at 1:09 am

      Thanks, Coedith! So true … children definitely get a lot of practice saying thank you during trick-or-treating if they’re taught to say thank you for each treat. 🙂

      Reply
  8. Amanda says

    October 31, 2011 at 2:08 pm

    Great suggestions. Thank you for inspiring gratitude and courtesy. We attended a community Halloween event and I was so sad to hear NO thank you’s from either children or parents. We MUST be good examples for our kids. You really got my mind spinning and I posted some of my thoughts here. http://theeducatorsspinonit.blogspot.com/2011/10/grace-and-courtesy-bilingual-families.html

    Reply
    • Deb says

      November 2, 2011 at 1:13 am

      Thanks so much for your comment, Amanda! It is sad when kids and parents don’t say thank you. Thank you for sharing your post. I love your ideas about courtesy in bilingual families. 🙂

      Reply
  9. Lexi says

    October 31, 2011 at 8:53 pm

    Cute costumes! And a great reminder about manners! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Deb says

      November 2, 2011 at 1:15 am

      Thanks, Lexi! Will had fun planning out his spelunker costume that year. And Christina always enjoyed dressing in girly costumes such as an angel, ballerina, or princess! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Malea says

    October 31, 2011 at 9:16 pm

    Your rules for courtesy are the same ones I was expected to follow when growing up, and we were expected to be doubly courteous on nights like Halloween when so many others forget their manners entirely. As an adult, I can honestly say that I’m glad my parents were so insistent on these points.

    The practice of walking on a line, or balancing was also very important for me as a child. I have inner ear problems, and vision problems. Balance practice was really important as I grew up as a result.

    Reply
    • Deb says

      November 2, 2011 at 1:18 am

      Thanks for your comment, Malea! I was so thankful that my parents taught me manners, too. It’s definitely a gift we can give our children. I hadn’t thought about walking on the line in relation to inner ear problems, but it makes a lot of sense that it would be very helpful. 🙂

      Reply
  11. sheila says

    November 1, 2011 at 5:56 pm

    a day late and a dollar short getting here, lol but great tips! Thankfully mine are all done with trick or treating (I think, lol) But this is a great post for those who still have little ones! SO important to teach all these things, and respect/courtesy/please/thank you… 🙂

    Reply
    • Deb says

      November 2, 2011 at 1:19 am

      Thanks, Sheila! I think often parents don’t realize how much practice young children need before they feel comfortable saying please and thank you in public.

      Reply
  12. Grandma Bonnie says

    November 1, 2011 at 9:01 pm

    Thank you for this wonderful post. Manners are so important even on Halloween. It is so sad to see children trick-or-treating and complaining to the neighbors they don’t like their treat.

    Reply
    • Deb says

      November 2, 2011 at 1:21 am

      Thanks so much for your kind words, Grandma Bonnie! I think it’s sad, too, when children don’t say thank you for treats – and especially when they complain about their treats. The nice thing is that they can be taught good manners without too much difficulty.

      Reply
  13. Michelle Breum says

    November 2, 2011 at 11:24 pm

    Yes, manners are important on Halloween and always.

    Reply
    • Deb says

      November 4, 2011 at 4:39 pm

      Thanks, Michelle! Manners are definitely one of my main soapbox topics! 😉

      Reply
  14. Mira Herbert says

    October 30, 2013 at 11:28 am

    Thank you for a wonderful post that never grows old! A refreshing pause for thought amid the myriad of Halloween crafts and activities. I’ve linked to you in my blog. Thank you!

    http://puzzleheads.ca/halloween-grace-and-courtesy/

    Reply
  15. Carla says

    October 13, 2014 at 5:10 am

    I love these ideas! It’s always so nice when a kid getting candy says, “Thank you!”

    Reply

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