Ikata Halloween Party
From IkataWiki
The Ikata Halloween Party is a party or special school event that has been held in Ikata off-and-on by the JET Programme CIRs and ALTs. It has taken a number of forms in the past, but has always been held for the purposes entertaining and introducing the concept of Halloween to the children of Ikata.
This article will focus on implementation details and ideas that may be useful to future JETs.
- Download and print out a handy explanation of What is Halloween? (Japanese, PDF)
Contents |
Pre-2006
A large-scale Halloween party was held by a previous CIR in the Old Ikata Sports Center.
2006 Ikata Elementary
In 2006, a Halloween party was held at Ikata Elementary School by the CIR and 3 Ikata ALTs, with additional help from the Honai Kawanoishi High ALT. The main events were:
- Pumpkin carving, with prizes for the best 3 pumpkins
- Trick-or-treat bag and mask making
- Actual trick-or-treating within the school, with candy
This project has become a template for Halloween parties at other elementary schools in Ikata.
- See a report with pictures (PDF, 400KB)
Schedule
The schedule for the day was as follows (number of children per grade in parentheses; 162 total):
| Period | 1st grade (23) |
2nd grade (23) |
3rd grade (33) |
4th grade (31) |
5th grade (25) |
6th grade (27) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pumpkin carving | |||||
| 2 | ||||||
| 3 | Bag & mask making | |||||
| 4 | Bag & mask making | |||||
| Lunch | Halloween music on PA system | |||||
| 5 | Trick-or-treating | Handing out candy | ||||
| 6 | ||||||
- A note for party planners: With the above schedule, the most time any one class spends on Halloween during the day is 3 hours. This is essential, as most schools will not allow you to take an entire day. The time used here will come out of their interdisciplinary (総合 sōgō)<noinclude>
For the love of God, keep wiirntg these articles.vCHsad <a href="http://txvedwoshzin.com/">txvedwoshzin</a>xVa3uu , [url=http://kdmjaarxtqnx.com/]kdmjaarxtqnx[/url], [link=http://jrzwphscpuwk.com/]jrzwphscpuwk[/link], http://zlrjilpcelsa.com/ lesson time.
Pumpkin carving
The 5th and 6th graders carved pumpkins, then made Halloween decorations out of construction paper and decorated their classrooms with them. During 5th period, the 5th and 6th graders became "homeowners", where classrooms throughout the school became their "homes"; they passed out candy to the younger children who came trick-or-treating to each classroom.
Getting pumpkins
"Pumpkin" in Japanese is kabocha (かぼちゃ )<noinclude> For the love of God, keep wiirntg these articles.vCHsad <a href="http://txvedwoshzin.com/">txvedwoshzin</a>xVa3uu , [url=http://kdmjaarxtqnx.com/]kdmjaarxtqnx[/url], [link=http://jrzwphscpuwk.com/]jrzwphscpuwk[/link], http://zlrjilpcelsa.com/, but kabocha usually refers to small pumpkins (squash) used in cooking (see picture at right). The large, American-style Halloween pumpkins are called dotekabocha (どてかぼちゃ )<noinclude> For the love of God, keep wiirntg these articles.vCHsad <a href="http://txvedwoshzin.com/">txvedwoshzin</a>xVa3uu , [url=http://kdmjaarxtqnx.com/]kdmjaarxtqnx[/url], [link=http://jrzwphscpuwk.com/]jrzwphscpuwk[/link], http://zlrjilpcelsa.com/ and are extremely expensive and hard to find if you miss the season, which is significantly earlier in the fall than in America.
From, for example, the Foreign Buyers' Club (FBC), "Real American Halloween Pumpkins" cost ¥1,250 for 15–20cm, or ¥1,750 for 20–25cm diameter(?), plus shipping (Fall 2007 prices). Depending on the size of your party you may need 10 or more pumpkins, which makes these quite expensive.
The most promising places in Ehime to look for large pumpkins are
- The city of Tōon, which has a Dotekabocha Carnival in early September
- The Nomura neighborhood of Seiyo, which has a Dotekabocha Fair in late August
Contact the Tōon City Hall or the Nomura Otoi Center as early as possible in August to find out about when the events are and possibly getting left-over pumpkins.
If you can't get big dotekabocha, it is possible to find smaller, red pumpkins. Try Fresh Park Karari in the town of Uchiko. Small pumpkins work in a pinch; they're just not as impressive. These cost about ¥200 for the larger ones.
For the 2006 Ikata Elementary party, we had large dotekabochas sent from Ōita Prefecture by ferry. This is not recommended as shipping costs have risen significantly.
Carving
In addition to pumpkins, you need the following supplies (the school should be able to provide these):
- Knives (包丁 hōchō)<noinclude>
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- Magic markers (マジック majikku)<noinclude>
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- Trash bags (ごみ袋 gomi-bukuro)<noinclude>
For the love of God, keep wiirntg these articles.vCHsad <a href="http://txvedwoshzin.com/">txvedwoshzin</a>xVa3uu , [url=http://kdmjaarxtqnx.com/]kdmjaarxtqnx[/url], [link=http://jrzwphscpuwk.com/]jrzwphscpuwk[/link], http://zlrjilpcelsa.com/ (for the pumpkin guts)
If you want to get fancy and bake the pumpkin seeds or make pumpkin pies, be sure to plan ahead and ask for permission to use ovens, etc.
Most of the children probably will never have carved a pumpkin before, so
- Have them work in groups, preferably in their pre-assigned cleaning groups (縦割り班 tatewari-han)<noinclude>
For the love of God, keep wiirntg these articles.vCHsad <a href="http://txvedwoshzin.com/">txvedwoshzin</a>xVa3uu , [url=http://kdmjaarxtqnx.com/]kdmjaarxtqnx[/url], [link=http://jrzwphscpuwk.com/]jrzwphscpuwk[/link], http://zlrjilpcelsa.com/. No more than 4 kids per pumpkin is recommended (3 for small pumpkins).
- Draw an example face to get them going.
- Explain what makes a good face:
- Straight, simple lines are easier to cut than curves.
- Don't place face elements too close to each other because the "boundaries" can break, leaving you with, i.e., a cyclops Jack-o-lantern.
- Have them design their face on paper first, then get approval from you or another teacher before drawing it on the pumpkin.
- Help groups with tougher pumpkins make their initial cuts and open their "tops".
- Some may be squeamish about scooping out the pumpkin guts with their hands. Dive in and show 'em how it's done.
- Use this guide on How to make a Jack-o-lantern (Japanese, PDF)
Bag & mask making
Since carving pumpkins involves knives, we thought it best to restrict carving to the older kids and instead have the younger kids make bags with Halloween decorations, to be used for trick-or-treating during 5th period.
Bags are easy to make. Have the school tell each child to bring a paper bag with handles from home. The size doesn't matter, but smaller bags take less time to decorate.
Other materials needed (provided by the school):
- Construction paper (色画用紙 iro gayōshi)<noinclude>
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- Colors: Orange, green, black, yellow, red
- Scissors (はさみ hasami)<noinclude>
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- Glue (のり nori)<noinclude>
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- Rubber bands (輪ゴム wa gomu)<noinclude>
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- Staplers (ホッチキス hotchikisu)<noinclude>
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- Writing utensils (筆記用具 hikki yōgu)<noinclude>
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Begin the lesson by telling the kids about Halloween: Trick-or-treating, costumes, etc. Show them pictures of Jack-o-lanterns, ghosts, monsters, and other things to get their imaginations going. Show them a sample bag that may have a number of Halloween themes, like:
- Jack-o-lanterns
- Bats
- Spiders
- Ghosts
- A full moon
- Witches
- Candy
These are all easy to draw on construction paper, cut out, and glue to bags.
For masks, print out templates such as those at Lil' Fingers, have the kids color them, then cut them out. Staple rubber bands to the edges to make ear-straps so the kids can wear them.
Trick-or-treating
During 5th period, the 5th and 6th graders split up into the same groups as in the pumpkin carving, and each adopted a different classroom to decorate with Halloween crafts they made earlier. Each classroom became a "house" and the students the "homeowners". Each house was given a pre-sorted bag of candy to distribute to the 1st through 4th graders, who would later go from classroom to classroom "trick-or-treating".
Candy
Candy can be a budget-intensive item if the school is too big. The easiest solution is for each younger child to receive one piece of candy per "house". The number of houses is determined by the number of cleaning teams (縦割り班 tatewari-han)<noinclude> For the love of God, keep wiirntg these articles.vCHsad <a href="http://txvedwoshzin.com/">txvedwoshzin</a>xVa3uu , [url=http://kdmjaarxtqnx.com/]kdmjaarxtqnx[/url], [link=http://jrzwphscpuwk.com/]jrzwphscpuwk[/link], http://zlrjilpcelsa.com/. For instance, at Ikata Elementary in 2006 there were 13 teams, and therefore "houses", and therefore 13 pieces of candy per child. 13 pieces × 162 children = 2106 pieces total. Cost-efficient candies are therefore a necessity.
At the local Fuji supermarket we found the following:
| Item name | Price | No. pieces | Price per piece | No. purchased | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milk chocolate pieces (モルト ミルクチョコレート )<noinclude> For the love of God, keep wiirntg these articles.vCHsad <a href="http://txvedwoshzin.com/">txvedwoshzin</a>xVa3uu , [url=http://kdmjaarxtqnx.com/]kdmjaarxtqnx[/url], [link=http://jrzwphscpuwk.com/]jrzwphscpuwk[/link], http://zlrjilpcelsa.com/ | ¥298 | 72 | ¥4.14 | 4 | ¥1,192 |
| Assorted hard candies (味覚糖 キャンディセレクション )<noinclude> For the love of God, keep wiirntg these articles.vCHsad <a href="http://txvedwoshzin.com/">txvedwoshzin</a>xVa3uu , [url=http://kdmjaarxtqnx.com/]kdmjaarxtqnx[/url], [link=http://jrzwphscpuwk.com/]jrzwphscpuwk[/link], http://zlrjilpcelsa.com/ | ¥312 | 56 | ¥5.57 | 18 | ¥5,616 |
| Gelatin cups (エース どうぶつえんゼリー )<noinclude> For the love of God, keep wiirntg these articles.vCHsad <a href="http://txvedwoshzin.com/">txvedwoshzin</a>xVa3uu , [url=http://kdmjaarxtqnx.com/]kdmjaarxtqnx[/url], [link=http://jrzwphscpuwk.com/]jrzwphscpuwk[/link], http://zlrjilpcelsa.com/ | ¥207 | 33 | ¥6.27 | 4 | ¥828 |
| Mini chocolate balls (高岡 チョコだま )<noinclude> For the love of God, keep wiirntg these articles.vCHsad <a href="http://txvedwoshzin.com/">txvedwoshzin</a>xVa3uu , [url=http://kdmjaarxtqnx.com/]kdmjaarxtqnx[/url], [link=http://jrzwphscpuwk.com/]jrzwphscpuwk[/link], http://zlrjilpcelsa.com/ | ¥312 | 132 | ¥2.36 | 6 | ¥1,872 |
- Total: ¥9,508 for 2220 pieces of candy
Clearly the Takaoka mini chocolate balls are by far the most cost-efficient candy of the four, but
- they're very small,
- only chocolate is boring, and
- "candy" (キャンディ kyandi)<noinclude>
For the love of God, keep wiirntg these articles.vCHsad <a href="http://txvedwoshzin.com/">txvedwoshzin</a>xVa3uu , [url=http://kdmjaarxtqnx.com/]kdmjaarxtqnx[/url], [link=http://jrzwphscpuwk.com/]jrzwphscpuwk[/link], http://zlrjilpcelsa.com/ in Japanese does not include chocolate, so if you sell your Halloween event as involving "candy", you had better show up with actual hard candy.
Note: Gelatin cups may be discouraged due to accidents where children or seniors have choked to death trying to suck the gelatin out of the cup.
Scheduling
We assembled all grades in the gym at the beginning of 5th period and talked briefly about Halloween. Then we excused the 5th and 6th graders to go set up their "houses". The 1st through 4th graders were then sent in 2 groups of 5 at a time to go trick-or-treating, in intervals of 2 or 3 minutes. Make sure you set an easy-to-understand course for them to follow, such as "top-to-bottom" (start with the 3rd floor and make your way down to the 1st, then return to the gym).
While the kids were waiting to be sent out, and after they started trickling back into the gym, we showed Halloween episodes of The Simpsons with a projector.
2007 Misaki Elementary
On October 4, 2007 we held a Halloween party at Misaki Elementary, largely following the 2006 Ikata Elementary plan. The only differences were:
- The school had a total of 96 students, so candy expenses were halved.
- We couldn't get big pumpkins, so we used only smaller ones. This did not prove to be problematic.
- We built a haunted house in the assembly room (集会室 shūkai-shitsu)<noinclude>
For the love of God, keep wiirntg these articles.vCHsad <a href="http://txvedwoshzin.com/">txvedwoshzin</a>xVa3uu , [url=http://kdmjaarxtqnx.com/]kdmjaarxtqnx[/url], [link=http://jrzwphscpuwk.com/]jrzwphscpuwk[/link], http://zlrjilpcelsa.com/. Materials were a significant cost, but this was offset by the cheaper pumpkins and less required candy.
Haunted house
| Nishimoto Shōji | |
|---|---|
| Japanese | 西本商事 |
| Address | 愛媛県八幡浜市大平1-827-1 1-827-1 Ōhira, Yawatahama-shi, Ehime-ken (map) |
| Phone | 0894-22-1342 |
| Web | None |
The haunted house consisted of the following elements:
- A darkened room. The assembly room has light-blocking curtains that we used to make it dark, but not pitch-black.
- Moldy gravestones. Made from Styrofoam board and grey and green spray paint.
- A low-hung black netting. This was strung up near the ceiling, but was allowed to droop down and bunch up near the entrance, creating a dark mass one had to duck under to enter the room. Cotton was hung from the netting to simulate spider webs.
- Ghosts. An extendable pole (つっぱり棒 tsuppari-bō)<noinclude>
For the love of God, keep wiirntg these articles.vCHsad <a href="http://txvedwoshzin.com/">txvedwoshzin</a>xVa3uu , [url=http://kdmjaarxtqnx.com/]kdmjaarxtqnx[/url], [link=http://jrzwphscpuwk.com/]jrzwphscpuwk[/link], http://zlrjilpcelsa.com/ anchored by a weighted cardboard box formed the "spine". Wire was taped onto the pole perpendicularly to simulate arms. This was then covered with a white sheet to which black construction paper was taped to create a face.
- Dry ice. 6kg of dry ice were used to create a fog effect.
The materials for all of this came from the ¥100 store Daisō (ダイソー )<noinclude> For the love of God, keep wiirntg these articles.vCHsad <a href="http://txvedwoshzin.com/">txvedwoshzin</a>xVa3uu , [url=http://kdmjaarxtqnx.com/]kdmjaarxtqnx[/url], [link=http://jrzwphscpuwk.com/]jrzwphscpuwk[/link], http://zlrjilpcelsa.com/ and the hardware store Daiki (ダイキ )<noinclude> For the love of God, keep wiirntg these articles.vCHsad <a href="http://txvedwoshzin.com/">txvedwoshzin</a>xVa3uu , [url=http://kdmjaarxtqnx.com/]kdmjaarxtqnx[/url], [link=http://jrzwphscpuwk.com/]jrzwphscpuwk[/link], http://zlrjilpcelsa.com/. The dry ice was from Nishimoto Shōji in Yawatahama, and cost ¥600 per kilo.
2008 Mitsukue Elementary
October 9, 2008 — The town CIR and local ALT, with the cooperation of the school and international association, held a Halloween theme day at Seto's Mitsukue Elementary School. As in previous years, a classroom was designated and decorated as a haunted house, and students took turns trick-or-treating this and two other classrooms in groups.
There was no pumpkin carving, but the CIR and ALT visited each class as usual and introduced Halloween-related vocabulary (pumpkin, witch, ghost, black cat, etc.), after which each student was asked to make a paper mask for him or herself, and paper decorations for the classroom.
Downloadable content
- What is Halloween? (Japanese, PDF)
- How to make a Jack-o-lantern (Japanese, PDF)
- 2006 Ikata Elementary Halloween Party writeup with pictures (PDF, 400KB)
