October 31st is Halloween. October 31st was the last day of the year for the Celts, who lived in Britain, Ireland and parts of France over 2,000 years ago. On this day, the Celts believed that ghosts could come back to Earth. The festival is still celebrated in the UK and many other parts of the world. Today's celebrations in the UK are likely to involve parties, where people dress up as ghosts and witches, and eat seasonal foods such as pumpkins and apples. Some children play 'trick or treat' which involves them visiting neighbouring houses in costumes - and receiving treats which are usually sweets.

You’ll find resources on the theme of Halloween animals here:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids-topics-halloween.htm

			With these activities your child can:
			learn Halloween words
			learn about the origins of Halloween by doing a fun quiz
			colour in a Halloween picture
			listen to a song about a scary skeleton which revises body parts
			read and listen to a story about a magic spell
			play a game about a haunted house. There are two different levels depending on your child’s language ability.
			read and listen to a longer story called Howling Halloween - this story is great for older children
			print some activities about Halloween for your child

These activities are for all ages and levels. Activities are marked with a symbol to indicate the best age group and level. Look at these when you choose which activities to use with your child. Younger children will enjoy the colouring and the vocabulary matching activities, while older children with a higher level of English will have fun and learn new language by playing the haunted house game or doing the Halloween quiz.

When you and your child have explored the on-line Halloween activities, why not have a mini Halloween party? Whether you just do one or two of the activities with your child, or whether you invite a group of friends, here are some tips for how both you and your child can practise English as you have fun together.
http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids-print-halloween-party.pdf

Costumes – Look at the pictures on the website together to decide what to dress up as. As you make the costume together try to revise the vocabulary for the things you are using such as scissors, glue, paper, plastic etc. When the costume is made why not take some photos? Later on you could use the photos for your child to label or write about, or simply to revise the language by remembering the dressing up process.

			Games – As you play the Halloween games try to use as much English as possible. Here are some useful phrases for playing games with your child in English:
			Shall we start?
			How do you play?
			Whose turn is it?
			It’s my / your turn.
			I’ve won!
			You’ve won!
			Don’t cheat!
			Well done!

Food – Have a look at the recipes that are suggested on the worksheet and decide together which one to make. Now, write a shopping list in English for everything you need to buy. Depending on the age of your child they may be able to write the list for you, or you could do it with their help. As you go shopping for the ingredients encourage your child to look at the list and find the items in the shop. When you are cooking the dish, ask your child to pass you some of the utensils you need in English, and give instructions for making the dish in English as much as possible. ‘Pass me a spoon please’ or ‘could you cut the bread?’.

It may seem strange at first to talk to your child in English at home if you’re not used to it, but the more you do it, the more you will both get used to it and it will become easier. Don’t worry if your English isn’t perfect; simply revising vocabulary together will be a great start. Good luck and Happy Halloween!