Samhain: Ancestors & Cycles
At Samhain, the veil between worlds is thin. We honor those who came before us and learn that death is part of life's cycle.
UU Principle Focus
2nd Principle: Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations
We practice compassion by honoring all people—those living and those who have passed. We treat memories with care and respect.
Learning Goals
Language Arts
- • Recognize letters J, K, L, M
- • Share family stories orally
- • Learn vocabulary about feelings
Math
- • Review counting 1-20
- • Introduction to zero
- • Compare quantities
Science & Nature
- • Understand life cycles
- • Observe seasonal changes
- • Learn about animal behaviors
Social-Emotional
- • Process feelings about death
- • Honor family and ancestors
- • Find comfort in memories
Weekly Lessons
Week 1: The Thinning Veil
🕯️ Hearth Circle
Light candle, talk about people we love who have died. Share a happy memory.
📖 Language Arts
Letter J - Journey, Joy (in memories). Practice J with finger tracing
🔢 Math
Review counting 1-20. Introduction to zero - nothing, empty
🌿 Science & Nature
What happens to plants in fall? Observe decay and decomposition
🎨 Art & Handwork
Memory stones - paint rocks for people we remember
🏃 Movement
Ghost dance - move like spirits, float and sway gently
📚 Story Time
Lifetimes by Bryan Mellonie
📺 "Just Can't" Day Alternatives
Videos:
- Sesame Street: Letter J
- Sesame Street: When Big Bird's friend died
Shows:
- Nature Cat: Decomposition episode
Audiobooks:
- Lifetimes by Bryan Mellonie
Week 2: Honoring Ancestors
🕯️ Hearth Circle
Create an ancestor altar together. Place photos and meaningful objects.
📖 Language Arts
Letter K - Kin, Keep, Kindness. Family words and family tree
🔢 Math
Counting and comparing - who has more? Fewer? Same?
🌿 Science & Nature
Life cycles - everything that lives also dies. Caterpillar to butterfly.
🎨 Art & Handwork
Family tree craft, handprint generations, ancestor portraits
🏃 Movement
Freeze dance - when music stops, we're still like spirits
📚 Story Time
The Memory String by Eve Bunting
📺 "Just Can't" Day Alternatives
Videos:
- Sesame Street: Letter K
- Daniel Tiger: Remembering
Shows:
- Coco movie (Disney/Pixar)
Audiobooks:
- The Memory String by Eve Bunting
Week 3: Darkness & Light
🕯️ Hearth Circle
Sit in darkness, then light a candle. Discuss how light feels different after dark.
📖 Language Arts
Letter L - Light, Love, Legacy. L words about what we leave behind
🔢 Math
Patterns with light/dark - AB patterns, day/night tracking
🌿 Science & Nature
Why is it getting darker earlier? Earth's tilt and seasons
🎨 Art & Handwork
Luminaries - decorate paper bags for candles, shadow puppets
🏃 Movement
Shadow play with flashlights, candle gazing (safely)
📚 Story Time
The Longest Night by Marion Dane Bauer
📺 "Just Can't" Day Alternatives
Videos:
- Sesame Street: Letter L
- StoryBots: Day and Night
Shows:
- National Geographic Kids: Why Days Get Shorter
Audiobooks:
- The Longest Night by Marion Dane Bauer
Week 4: Costumes & Transformation
🕯️ Hearth Circle
Who do you want to be? Discuss how we can become different versions of ourselves.
📖 Language Arts
Letter M - Mask, Magic, Mystery. M words about transformation
🔢 Math
Shapes in masks - circles, triangles, squares. Symmetry
🌿 Science & Nature
Animals that transform - caterpillars, tadpoles, hermit crabs
🎨 Art & Handwork
Mask making, costume creation, face painting
🏃 Movement
Transform! Start as one thing, become another through movement
📚 Story Time
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
📺 "Just Can't" Day Alternatives
Videos:
- Sesame Street: Letter M
- Wild Kratts: Transformation episodes
Shows:
- Butterfly transformation time-lapse videos
Audiobooks:
- Where the Wild Things Are
Week 5: Samhain Celebration
🕯️ Hearth Circle
Dumb supper - set a place for ancestors, eat in silence, then share stories
📖 Language Arts
Review J-M. Create a memory book. Tell ancestor stories
🔢 Math
Counting candy, sorting by type/color, fair sharing
🌿 Science & Nature
Animals preparing for winter - hibernation, migration
🎨 Art & Handwork
Jack-o-lantern carving (or painting), final costume touches
🏃 Movement
Trick-or-treat practice walk, parade of costumes, harvest games
📚 Story Time
Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola
📺 "Just Can't" Day Alternatives
Videos:
- It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
- Room on the Broom
Shows:
- Wild Kratts: Creature Power of Halloween
Audiobooks:
- Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola
🎃 Samhain Celebration Ideas
- • Create an ancestor altar with photos, candles, and favorite foods
- • Host a "dumb supper" - a silent meal honoring the dead
- • Carve jack-o-lanterns to light the way for spirits
- • Tell family stories and look through photo albums
- • Visit a cemetery to leave flowers and tidy graves
- • Bob for apples - a traditional Samhain game
- • Make soul cakes to share with neighbors
- • Leave offerings outside for wandering spirits