*Read to the children in your life every day. You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!
The Hallo-Wiener By: Dav Pilkey
Ages: Preschool through Second Grade
This is a Halloween story that has been around awhile, but is a great read-a-loud for the season. In this classic story, Oscar, a wiener dog, gets made fun of by his friends. It even gets worse when his mother buys a hot dog bun for Oscar to wear on Halloween. In the end, Oscar saves the day and becomes the hero. This is a great story to foster comprehension as well as vocabulary development.
Tips for Reading:
- Before reading, ask the child to look at the cover of the book and tell why he/she think the dogs are laughing.
- As you are reading, discuss with the child any new vocabulary, such as obedience, embarrassed, ghastly, ornery, etc.
- After reading the book, ask the child to tell you how Oscar was feeling at the beginning of the story and why.
- Ask the child to tell you why Oscar decided to wear the costume that his mother made for him.
- Ask the child to tell you if Oscar got many treats and why he did or didn’t.
- Ask the child to explain to you how Oscar became a hero.
Additional Books:
- Room on the Broom By: Julia Donaldson Illustrated by: Axel Scheffler
- Click, Clack, Boo! By: Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin
- Corduroy’s Best Halloween Ever! By: Don Freeman Illustrated by: Lisa McCue
- Enzo’s Very Scary Halloween By: Garth Stein Illustrated by: R. W. Alley
Cooking Time:
Mummy Dogs
These hot dogs are a different take on “pigs in a blanket” and are perfect for Halloween. Children will love to make these hot dog mummies and will really love eating them. Children can help by rolling the crescent strips around the hot dogs, putting on the eyes and kitchen clean-up.
1 can (8 oz.) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls
2 1/2 slices American cheese
10 hot dogs
Mustard and/or ketchup (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and set aside a large ungreased baking sheet.
- Unroll the crescent rolls, separate at perforations creating 4 rectangles.
- Press the perforations together to seal.
- Using a serrated knife, cut each rectangle lengthwise into 10 strips. You will have a total of 40 strips.
- Slice each piece of cheese into 4 strips. You will have a total of 10 strips of cheese.
- Put a slice of the cheese on the flat side of a hot dog. Begin wrapping 4 strips of the crescent roll around the hot dog to form the bandages.
- Be sure to leave an opening at the top of the mummy to show the face.
- Place the hot dog on the ungreased baking sheet.
- Continue forming mummies with the rest of the hot dogs.
- Bake for 13 to 17 minutes in a 375 degree oven.
- Let the mummies cool for 5 minutes, then using yellow mustard, form dots for the eyes.
- Serve with mustard and ketchup (optional).
Makes 10 mummies.
Spooky Cat Cookies
Children will love making and eating these delightful Halloween cookies. They are a great chocolate cookie and the cats are fun to decorate. Children can help by rolling the cookie dough into a ball, forming the faces and adding the candies.
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 cup baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
72 candy corn pieces
32 red-hot candies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture.
- Beat until completely combined.
- Using a 1 1/2 inch ice cream scoop or a spoon, form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls.
- Using the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar, flatten each ball.
- Using your fingers, form the ears for the cat.
- Using a fork, form the whiskers for the cat.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
- As soon as you take the cookies out of the oven, add the candy corn for the eyes and the red hots for the nose. Gently press into the cookie.
- Place baking sheets on wire racks to cool.
- After 5 minutes, remove cookies from the trays and place back on the racks to continue cooling.
Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.
