No Halloween celebration in pre-school?

[Anonymous]

My kid just started pre-school this year so I’m new to this world. We got a note that due to Halloween being scary for some kids and against some families’ beliefs, Halloween is not celebrated and no costumes allowed. They are having an all day pajama party instead. Is this typical? This is a private preschool with no religious affiliation.

[Anonymous]

Not sure if it is "typical" but our preschool (also nondenominational) celebrates Halloween. Our preschooler has been practicing a pumpkin poem her class will recite (she is almost 4, not 2) and will have an all school Halloween parade followed by party on Halloween day. I would find that weird but that alone wouldn't drive me from the preschool unless that kind of hypersensitive attitude pervaded many things.

[Anonymous]

Our preschool celebrates Halloween but doesn’t have the kids wear costumes, just orange and black clothes.

[Anonymous]

The preschool where I work doesn’t “celebrate” Halloween; we let students wear costumes any day of the year. We’ve been doing pumpkin activities, but we won’t be handing out candy or anything like that.

Our primary schoolers are making costumes to wear to a museum on a Halloween field trip.

[Anonymous]

Many schools only allow book characters to promote reading and keep things less gory.

[Anonymous]

Our preschool does a PJ party with pumpkins. I’m a former preschool teacher & love it. They dress up in costumes all the time at school. We are a very mixed income school and I like that there is no expectation for $$ costumes, parade where parents have to take off work, sugary treats, etc. We do all that kind of stuff at home.

[Anonymous]

I haven't heard of this in preschools before, but in public school, yes, it's book character day now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our preschool does a PJ party with pumpkins. I’m a former preschool teacher & love it. They dress up in costumes all the time at school. We are a very mixed income school and I like that there is no expectation for $$ costumes, parade where parents have to take off work, sugary treats, etc. We do all that kind of stuff at home.

I never understand the move by schools to eliminate teaching traditional American holidays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our preschool does a PJ party with pumpkins. I’m a former preschool teacher & love it. They dress up in costumes all the time at school. We are a very mixed income school and I like that there is no expectation for $$ costumes, parade where parents have to take off work, sugary treats, etc. We do all that kind of stuff at home.

I never understand the move by schools to eliminate teaching traditional American holidays.

DP. Maybe you should read the post you quoted. PP gives several good reasons Halloween isn’t in their classroom.

[Anonymous]

Our preschool had a "Harvest celebration," and the kids got to dress up and march around, but they didn't call it a Halloween celebration. They did learn about Halloween traditions, just like they learned about Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa traditions.

Celebrating Halloween is contrary to some people's religion, such as Jehovah's Witnesses and Orthodox Jews. They wanted to make sure all the kids could participate.

[Anonymous]

We do a costume parade, but don't collect candy. We invite parents and about 1/8 of our parents will attend. It's awfully cute. But no party, no candy, no food treats.

[Anonymous]

My kids preschool has a Halloween party, winter party, and valentines party. Sometimes end of the year party, but I feel like that’s been teachers choice.

[Anonymous]

So weird. Our preschool has a costume parade and party. They encourage storybook characters but there are no requirements. Are kids really so fragile that they can’t handle a Halloween parade because some kid might be wearing a gory mask?

[Anonymous]

Maybe the director at OP's school is Jewish. At our daycare, we have a Halloween party and the preschool kids do a little skit/songs.

[Anonymous]

I actually think this is fairly typical these days. Our preschool also does the PJ day and party. I’m fine with it and it probably keeps things a little more chill for the teachers during the day. Plenty of time for costumes at neighborhood events and trick or treating.