Good evening Monday!

Today was the first day on my new hours. I did enjoy my 9.30am start! I usually set everything up on a Sunday evening, but with having a late start, I can set everything up on the Monday morning, just before the children arrive. The 4pm finish on a Monday is nice as well. The children and I always tidy up before they go home, so there's very little for me to do and it meant I was sat down with a cup of coffee by 4.10pm :D

This week we're doing a few Halloween activities. I usually focus more on Autumn in general, but I bought a couple of Halloween board books at the weekend so thought I'd do some activities to fit in with them. We attempted handprint spiders today. They look nothing like spiders and the children went home with stained hands where the black paint wouldn't wash off, but they had fun so that's what counts :laughing:

Has anyone got anything exciting planned for the week?

Evening!

I had one little one off with suspected chickenpox today. We spent the morning outside as the weather was really nice but it has changed now as just walked the dog and it's raining.

I have some pumpkins for the children to play with and explore, we are supposed to be making pumpkin soup later in the week. I am not working next week so haven't really thought much about Halloween crafts.

Gosh Mouse, I was just reading about all your Christmas shopping!

I have been very naughty and ordered the mood stars. I have wanted them fr a while now and I have a mindee who I think would really benefit from them. I can't wait until they arrive. I really can't justify buying anything else for a while now for my business - even though there are so many things that I would love.

We made playdough today and then popped out into the garden for a 5 minute runaround, because it looked like it was going to pour it down withing minutes, but we were out there for about an hour and a half in the end.

I have one little one who will come over to an activity table/area, get some of the resources and just walk away with them and then eventually just drop them in the middle of the lawn. It drives me nuts. I am forever telling him that he can use the resources at the table OR go for a walk, but he can't go for a walk with the resources!

I've just got my Halloween box down from the loft and put a few bits up.
I'll do a Halloween sensory tray with coloured rice/ plastic spiders etc. I have a couple of small plastic cauldrons they like to mix in!
Oh, and mixing Autumn and Halloween... I keep seeing that washing pumpkins and conkers in the water tray is a 'thing' so we'll give that a go one day!

My big schoolies are desperate to do 'Halloween Craft' ... but I have no idea what they think that is! ... my one idea is to tear stripe of paper and stick it onto another piece to make a 'spooky' sky and then to add silhouette of trees/houses/witches etc . Any other ideas for almost 10yr old arty girls?
I normally only do Halloween for the week before, but as I'm only working a day and half next week, and there are lots of Halloween decorations around I thought I'd better do something!
Your late start sounds great Mouse ... I seem to have ended up starting at 7.30 at the moment, which wasn't the plan!