Creating Learning Opportunities out of Halloween

Fall is here, which means that Halloween is right around the corner! While candy and costumes take center stage during the fall holiday, there are a number of ways that kids can learn from the spooky celebration in and out of the classroom.

Best in Class, which helps K-12 students move towards the top of their class through customized

educational programs, is constantly thinking of ways for students and parents to find new learning opportunities. Here are five ways to incorporate learning into your family’s Halloween celebrations:

Costume Creativity

Thinking of a good Halloween costume requires creativity and some imagination. Assist your child by helping brainstorm ideas and even thinking of ways to execute a costume with items you already have or can buy easily. Once you have come up with an idea together, have him or her write down a story about a day in the life the chosen costume character.

Practice Basic Math Skills

Math is everywhere in our daily lives. With pumpkins and candy around during the fall, kids can practice simple math skills while having fun. Whether it’s sorting, counting or estimating the weight of candy collected, fundamental math skills can be practiced after trick-or- treating. Measure and weigh the collected bag of candy as a fun game to see who can guess the correct weight.

Test Your Child’s Memory Skills

Before heading out on your trick-or- treating adventure, tell your kids to keep an eye out and remember his or her favorite costume of the night. Quiz them once you are home on which costumes were the scariest, funniest and most accurate to their characters. You can also include a creative writing exercise and have your child write down their favorite costume and a story about how the night went for them.

Get Spooky with Science

Kids can enjoy Halloween-themed science projects as “mad scientists.” Prepare science experiments for your child to create fog, make a glow-in- the-dark pumpkin or concoct a bubbling potion. Test your child in human anatomy to see if he or she can tell you the role that skin or blood holds in the body.

Learn Halloween History

How many kids (or adults!) actually know the history of Halloween? Have your kids research and learn the history of how the holiday started and the meaning behind superstitions like broken mirrors or black cats.

To help your student exceed his or her academics goals, Best in Class Education Center offers a variety of customized, supplemental enrichment courses and tutoring options to ensure your students are equipped with the tools they need this school year.

For more information about Best in Class services for your student, or about current franchising opportunities, visit www.bestinclasseducation.com or call toll free at 1-888- 683-8108.