パーティーは午前10時に始まりました。まずはトリック・オア・トリートのバッグを作りました。あらかじめトリック・オア・トリートのペーパーポケットを用意して、子供たちがシールや絵で飾りました。みんな想像力を働かせて、素敵なトリック・オア・トリートバッグを作りました！
バッグを作った後は、かぼちゃを彫りました！日本でも、ハロウィンのシンボルであるジャック・オ・ランタンをご存知の方も多いと思います。レイニー先生とエリコ先生の監修のもと、大きなカボチャを彫っていただきました。その後、ハロウィンビンゴをして、みんなでおばけの形をした綿あめやハロウィンのキャンディーバッグを当てました。
その後、隣の部屋に移動してじゃんけんをしました。私たちはそれぞれの子供たちにハロウィーンの鉛筆を渡し、ペアを組みました。このゲームは伝統的なじゃんけんに似ていますが、勝者は敗者の鉛筆を受け取ります。次に、勝者が数人になるまで (たくさんの鉛筆で!)、勝者が再びペアを組んでいきます。
また、床にいくつかのクッションがあり、音楽が流れているときにみんながその周りを歩き回るクッション ゲームしました。音楽が止まるとすぐに、全員がクッションに座ろうとし、取り残された人はゲームから除外されます。このゲームはとても面白くて遊びやすいので、小さな子供から年長の子供まで楽しめます。
仮装コンテストも行われました。今年は、みんなが一生懸命衣装をしてくれて、とても素敵に見えたので、誰が優勝するかを決めるのはとても難しいです！勝者が決まらなかったので、視聴者の人気を見て勝者を決めて、みんなで好きな衣装を手拍子してもらいました。 モンスターズ・インクのマイク・ブロフロフスキーこちゃんが優勝し、２位は自作の黒猫の衣装をしたみずほちゃん。
最後に、子供たち全員が伝統的な「トリック オア トリート！」を行いました。先生たちはドアの後ろに隠れ、子供たちはパーティーの最初に作った紙袋を使って、「トリック・オア・トリート」を言って、キャンディーやお菓子とノックして回ってきました。
ハロウィンは日本の伝統的な祝日ではありませんが、ゲームや楽しいアクティビティを通じて外国の文化を経験できます。それはとても美しい朝で、パーティーに来てくれた子供たちは皆楽しんで、笑顔で帰りました。
On Sunday 19th October we had the Children’s Halloween Party!
More than thirty students came wearing awesome costumes, and we all had a lot of fun. Obviously, also the teachers were dressed up! Ranie sensei was wearing the Queen of Hearts costume, Eriko sensei was dressed like a devil and I was Cindarella. Our friend Reika san came to help us with the party, and she was a witch. The party started at 10am, and went on for a couple of hours.
First of all, we made trick or treat bags. We had prepared beforehand trick or treat paper pockets, so that the children could decorate them with stickers and drawings. Everybody used their imagination to create wonderful trick or treat bags!
After making the bags, we carved the pumpkin! Even in Japan I am sure most of the people know Jack-o’-lantern, which is the most iconic symbol of Halloween. Under the supervision of Ranie sensei and Eriko sensei, the children got to carve a big pumpkin. We then played Halloween bingo, and everybody won ghost-shaped cotton candy or Halloween candy bags.
After that we moved to the next room and played rock paper scissor pencil game. We gave a Halloween pencil to each child and paired them up. This game is like the traditional rock paper scissors, but the winner get the loser’s pencil. Then the winners are paired up again, until there are only a few winners (with a lot of pencils!).
We also played the musical cushions game, in which there are some cushions on the floor and everybody walks around them when the music is playing. As soon as the music stops, everybody tries to sit on a cushion and who is left out is out of the game. This game is very funny and easy to play, so both small and older children could enjoy it.
There was also a costume contest. This year it was very difficult to decide who would be the winner, because everybody put a lot of effort in making their outfits, and everybody looked great! Because we couldn’t come up with a winner, we decided to choose the winner based on audience popularity, and we asked everybody to clap for their favourite costume. The first prize went to Ko chan, who was dressed as Mike Broflovski from Monsters Inc., and the second prize went to Mizuho chan who was wearing a home-made black cat outfit.
Finally, all the kids did the traditional “Trick or Treat!”. The teachers hide behind the doors and the children came around knocking and saying “trick or treat” to receive candies and sweets using the paper bags they made at the beginning of the party.
Halloween is not a traditional Japanese holiday, but I think being able to experience foreign culture through games and fun activities is very positive for children. It was a very beautiful morning and all the kids who came to the party enjoyed and left with a smile on their faces (and a lot of candies in their pockets!).