So, guess what we’re up to this year? We’re mixing up Halloween and science like never before, and I couldn’t be more excited to share our spooky (and educational) adventures with you all!

Now, before I dive into the eerie details, I have a confession to make. I have this completely irrational fear of lizards. Yep, those tiny, harmless (and totally gross) creatures just about scare me to death so it seems fitting that we’ll be starting off our unit learning all about fear and phobias!

Anyway, back to our Halloween-science mashup! This year, we’re delving into the science behind fear itself. What makes our hearts race when we hear a spooky noise in the dark? Why do we get goosebumps when we watch a scary movie? It’s all about adrenaline, fight-or-flight responses, and understanding the mysterious workings of our brains. So, we’re getting all scientific about fear this September (because why wait until October)?!

I’m MOST excited because we’ll take some time to explore the mysteries of the past by diving into the world of mummies and skeletons. History meets science in the coolest way possible. This couldn’t come at a better time because… a few weeks ago we actually had the opportunity to check out the largest traveling mummy exhibit at our local museum! The girls were excited, but also kinda grossed out. At the end of the exhibit they decided that they were interested in the shrunken heads. And there have been no nightmares since so I’m counting that as a win.

The kiddos are obviously most excited for the sweetest part of Halloween – the candy! We’re going to be candy chemists, experimenting with different ingredients and concocting our own delicious treats. It’s like Willy Wonka meets Bill Nye the Science Guy.

With all of these fun topics, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give credit to our library that lets me check out a ton of books and not keep any of the clutter. We’ve checked out stacks of books about everything from spooky folklore to anatomy. We basically have a haunted library.

Now, here’s the fun part – I wrote my own curriculum for this Halloween-science extravaganza (and you can check it out right here). It’s a blend of spine-tingling, brain exercise, and hand-on experiments.

I really believe that education can be fun and meaningful! So, here’s to mixing Halloween and science, facing our fears (even if they involve lizards), and making learning an adventure.