Halloween Archives

Research Says Fun is Good for Everyone

Fun is good for you, but I bet you all ready knew that.

In third grade, I dressed as a pilgrim for Halloween.

That was pretty unusual even in 1964.

My grandparents were missionaries in Japan and my mother was born and raised there. Mom didn’t know much about Halloween and couldn’t see the fun in it very much. (Huh?) Consequently, Halloween wasn’t very important to her.

Her idea of a costume was to put together whatever we had.

Sounds logical, right?

Prior to my third grade year of school, my sister traveled with the Girl Scouts to England the summer and brought back a Pilgrim hat.

Mom took one look at me and I knew what it mean: Voila, my Halloween ostume.

While everyone else was purchasing their dime store costumes for Halloween, I was relegated to the pilgrim outfit. It was always that way for me, but that’s probably why I look at things uniquely.

Ugh.

Costume Design with Halloween Characters

Recently, I got to thinking about that experience and decided it might be really fun for students to learn about costume design by designing their own costume for Halloween. I mean, when have you ever done that?

Here is the product:

This is a one or two day lesson studying costume design through Halloween characters.

Costume Design with Halloween Characters

This two-day lesson on costume design is focused on Halloween characters and gives the students an opportunity to be costume designers. Suitable for students in grades 5 to 9, the product is broken in to two class periods, although it could be used for a one day exploration of the subject.

Students will learn about:
The History of Costume Design
The Rationale for Teaching Costume Design
Costumes Notes for Students
The History of Halloween and Halloween Costumes
Procedure
Materials List
Source & Video Link List
A Warm-Up—Engaging and Creative
Fairy Tale Character List
Two Assignments–one designing and one creative writing
Student Examples

Comprehensive? You bet.

Pumpkin Everything Season

What is the deal with fall? Everyone is so crazy about it!

I was looking around on the internet and found this information on inverse.com:

“According to neuroscientist Dr. John McGann, the hype is less about turning the volume up on reality than stirring a virtuous cycle of happy memories. Our love of fall smells is less about the smells themselves and more about association. And when it comes to making memories, the scent of spiced desserts and firewood is pretty likely to override the reek of rotting pumpkin.”

I love this time of year as does my younger daughter. I lovingly call this season, “Pumpkin Everything Time.” I was just teasing her about the Starbucks Pumpkin Latte being available now. We’re both quite excited!

I enjoy how people give in to fun while enjoying themselves from Halloween through New Years. They decorate their houses two and three times, go trick or treating with their kids, overeat at Thanksgiving trying to make every dinner invitation extended to them, wear funny sweaters at Christmas and promise ridiculous resolutions for the new year.

Know what I mean?

When I decided to blog on this product, I thought it might be interesting to see how fun helps us.

I found a great article, ” Why Adults Need Playtime, Too” on Verywellmind.com

“Hobbies and fun activities can bring added joy and happiness to life, and can be a great way to relieve stress as well. In fact, many hobbyists have told me that they’d originally started learning about their area of interest as a coping mechanism for stress, and that their hobbies continue to be a great source of relaxation and stress relief. Some people are even able to turn their hobbies into careers at some point, and end up with a lifestyle where their work is their play.

Another benefit of fun is the lift in mood that it can bring. Beyond merely bringing positive feelings to your life, doing things that get you into a better mood can actually make you more resilient toward stress. This is something that has been researched as part of psychology’s broaden-and-build theory; activities that raise our level of positive affect, or increase our good mood, can lead us to be more aware of resources in our lives that can help us to remain strong in the face of stress.

Finally, having fun with others can bring a sense of connection that strengthens relationships and builds social support. Bonding with others while having fun is good for you, and for those close to you. It’s more than a frivolous pursuit; it’s important for your overall wellbeing.”

We can all use more of that, huh?

I hope you’ll check out my product at: Costume Design with Halloween Characters

There are several others I have created, too. Here’s a new one: Costume Design with Nutcracker Ballet Characters

Or this one:

Teachers are crazy for this one:

I’d love to hear how this works for you. Do contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

I have several other lessons on costume design. You can find them here: Here’s a Lesson You’d Never Expect: Costume Design

Fairy Tale Lessons for Drama Class (This lesson is super popular!)

Like Halloween? Then You’ll Enjoy This Costume Sale

Do you like Halloween like I do? Tomorrow, it’s almost October! Yippee! Have you found a theater’s costume sale you can peruse?

October is one of my most favorite months–the leaves begin to change to scarlet and gold, pumpkins are everywhere. And probably one of most favorite things is the air is crisp. No more muggy hot Kansas weather!

When our daughters were children, we had a rule: you couldn’t talk about Halloween until September 1st. No drawing pictures of what your costume should be, negotiating for some extravagant costume piece, and NO buying Halloween candy.

A Rare Peek Inside the RSC’s Costume Sale

Recently, I ran on to an article in the New York Times about the Royal Shakespeare Company’s costume sale. Wow, that would have been a neat thing to see. I was in England in August and visited Stratford in Avon where the sale was held. If only I had visited a bit later…

Read on.

Ball Gowns, Lace Ruffs and Fairy Wings: Theater History for Sale

By Holly Williams

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON, England — Have you ever wanted to step into the shoes of a great Shakespearean actor? Over the weekend, shoppers here in Shakespeare’s birthplace, which is also the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company, had a chance to walk away with a piece of theatrical history. This legendary company held a sale of 15,000 costumes and other items.

By the time the sale opened at 9 a.m. Saturday, a line snaked down the street; the first fans had arrived at 5 p.m. the previous day, camping out to secure a spot. Such patience was rewarded, and customers emerged clutching treasures, from the sublime — period ball gowns, lace ruffs, fairy wings — to the ridiculous — gold lamé lion tails and grotesque pig suits.

The Royal Shakespeare Company has the largest costume department in British theater, and it employs 30 members of staff, including experts in armor and millinery. The sale was raising money for the company’s Stitch in Time campaign, to renovate its costume workshop and to finance specialist apprenticeships. Around a third of its stock — items too worn or too specific to be reused — was on sale at bargain prices: from 50 pence, or 67 cents, for a fan to 30 pounds, or roughly $40, for a velvet cloak.

Like Halloween? Then You’ll Enjoy This Costume Sale

The life-span of Royal Shakespeare Company costumes are recycled across productions and for up to 100 performances. This is among what makes them special, and every item has a sewn-in label identifying the actor who wore it last, and in which show. Beady-eyed rummagers could pick up Anita Dobson’s grubby underskirt from “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” or Joanna Vanderham’s silver gown from “Othello.” One happy shopper claimed to have found a dress worn by Jane Asher.

It can be bittersweet, however. “What makes this so emotional for someone like me — I put on my first R.S.C. costume in 1966 — are the name tags,” said the British actor Patrick Stewart, who fronted the Stitch in Time campaign. “I already found one item worn by a dear friend of mine, long gone.”

Indeed, among the armor, I came across a breastplate with “Tim Pigott-Smith” written on a label; the British actor died in April.

Like Halloween? Then You’ll Enjoy This Costume Sale

Even stars of Mr. Stewart’s caliber are not immune to feeling awe when taking on the mantle (at times literally) of acting giants. “I was once given a jacket which I did not really like,” Mr. Stewart said, adding that he had then seen from the label that it had been worn by Paul Scofield, a British actor who died in 2008.

“So of course I wore it,” he said. “Although it had to be cut down, because Paul was a much taller actor than I was, in every sense.”

Performers often highlight how vital costumes are, and by trying on a vast crinoline (used in the “Tempest”) and an absurdly heavy cloak (“Henry VIII”) I can understand why: They completely change the way you move and hold yourself.
“There were times when the costume had a significant impact on the work I would do on that character,” Mr. Stewart said, recalling the transformative effect of a luxurious pale gray three-piece suit worn for a modern-dress “Merchant of Venice” in 2011 — “which I should have stolen because it fitted me so well.”
I unearthed a kitsch, frothy wedding dress from the same production, worn by Susannah Fielding as Portia. Indeed, a whole rail of wedding dresses were available to make wedding days extra special — once they’ve had a good clean, at least.

Costume Treasures in Everyday Life

Outside, members of the public emerged enchanted with their hauls. Jenkin Van Zyl, whose parents drove up from London so that he could fill their car, went on quite a spree: “I only wear theater costumes,” he said. “So I just came to top up, but I didn’t realize how cheap and amazing the sale was going to be. I spent £800.”
Shelley Bolderson from Cambridge, England, also wears costumes in her daily life. She said she had been delighted to find a coat made from pages of a book, created for the dancing satyrs in the 2009 production of “The Winter’s Tale.”

“I just hope it won’t dissolve in the rain,” she said.

From the Stage to the Classroom: Lessons That Last

The sale is also a godsend for amateur theater groups. Miriam Davies, from Stamford, England, is a costume designer for a company specializing in Shakespeare.
“You can’t really miss something like this,” she said. “Having R.S.C. costumes is a special thing — it’s history.”

Lots of theater companies have costume sales prior to Halloween. Their costumes are worth the money they ask for them. Trust me on this.

If you don’t know me, I am a retired drama teacher and director having done both for thirty-eight years.

Several years ago because of this experience, I decided to sell drama education lessons on Teacherspayteachers.com.

I have several costume design lesson plans available if you are interested.

One is focused on Halloween characters:

Costume Design with Halloween Characters

Or, if you want to just go whole hog on Halloween, check out this bundle!

Bundle: Drama Lessons Bundle