Candy Alternatives for Halloween

As Halloween approaches, we often do special activities at my studio or allow students to wear costumes.  Many teachers like to reward their classes with a special treat, which historically has been candy.  I feel that as dance teachers, we have a responsibility to celebrate healthy choices and I like to search out alternatives to candy--especially with all of the food-allergies and preferences that my students have.


Coloring Pages
Such an easy and low-cost "treat"

Glow Bracelets
This is my choice for this year - trying something new and potentially something that they kids can take with them on Halloween.  I found glow bracelets on Amazon for $8.79 for 100 bracelets, so for under $20 I was able to get enough to cover my 16 weekly classes.


Stickers, Stamps & Temporary Tattoos
My elementary-aged kids love stickers, stamps and tattoos.  Not sure if their parents love them as much, but its fun to do a grab-bag of these items.

Rolls of 500 Halloween Stickers:  $9.99
72 Glitter Halloween Temporary Tattoos: $5.50
24 Halloween Stamps:  $7.95

"Haunted House" Class Picture
This one is fun to do with the older kids or students who love social media... the "Haunted House" class picture - take a group picture but tell your students to make a face like they are going through a haunted house - leads to lots of funny faces!

Slap on a filter/background and send to your students and watch them share :)


More Ideas For Those Blessed in the Craftiness Department (THANK YOU PINTEREST)

• 9 DIY Alternatives to Halloween Candy
• Lego Pumpkin Treat Bags
• Glowstick Brooms

Do you do something special with your classes for Halloween?  Do you hand out any treats?  Share in the comments!

Summer Playlist

Happy Summer!  Time to refresh those playlists with some fun summer tunes from the Billboard Top 40!  Here is a list of songs I've mixed into my classes to keep them feeling updated.

That's How We Do - Teen Beach Movie 2:  Super fun and upbeat song - would be great for a tap or jazz combination - currently using it in my 7-10 year old tap class

Drop That - Jacob Plant:  A nice funky electronic beat - fun for tap or hip hop - totally instrumental

You Know You Like It - DJ Snake & AlunaGeorge - have been using this in teen tap

This Feeling - L’Tric: A fun feel-good song - great for warm-ups

I Don't Like It, I Love It (feat. Robin Thicke & Verdine White) - Flo Rida: My other go-to warm-up song

Fire Under My Feet - Leona Lewis:  A nice moderate tempo for tap or jazz

Fun (feat. Chris Brown) - Pitbull:  Another moderate tempo

Lean On (Remixes) [feat. MØ & DJ Snake] - EP - Major Lazer:  Steady beat for across the floor combos for older students

Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix Radio Edit) - Omi:  This song.  I have a love-hate relationship with it.  The kids love it and it has a nice calypso-y feel to it that makes it fun for tap, so I had to include it.  Be warned - this will be the song that plays over and over in your head when you go home for the night.

Rude (Acoustic) - MAGIC!:  This is from last summer, but I have been loving using the acoustic version for tap.  Such a fun little groove.

Enjoy!

What songs have you been obsessed with this summer?

NMM: Promised Land - Hannah Miller

You know how you start on YouTube looking up a ballet step and then you end up down a weird alley of YouTube and don't know how you got there?  Or is that just me?  Anyway, this time I ended up at drone videos of Chernobyl (what?), but at least I got this haunting song out of it.  Happy Monday!

iTunes link to Promise Land by Hannah Miller

And here is the drone video of Chernobyl: