Halloween—one of the most popular holidays in the U.S.—is coming up! Many kids wait eagerly for October 31st to dress up in costume and walk from door to door, saying “trick or treat” and receiving candy. But a dilemma that many of us experience is not finding a good costume to wear on Halloween. Many costumes you can buy are expensive and not worth it. Here are four creative costumes that you can make yourself with minimal cost to show off something unique this Halloween: 1: Jellyfish I was a jellyfish last year for Halloween and got so many compliments on this costume! Here are the materials needed: Clear umbrella LED string lights with batteries attached White decorative ribbon Strong tape First, take the ribbon and cut it into multiple long strips. Attach these to the inner rim of the clear umbrella with tape so they hang down. Wrap and tape a long piece of ribbon horizontally around the outside rim of the umbrella. Secure the battery box of the LED lights to the inner top of the umbrella with tape, and wrap and tape the string lights around the inside pillars of the umbrella. Your jellyfish costume is now ready to go! 2: Popcorn (image from cutegirlshairstyles.com) This costume is very affordable and quite easy to make! All you need is: White paper Yellow acrylic or spray paint Red and white striped skirt or red skirt and white duct tape White shirt Hot glue Start off by tearing the paper in half and crumbling it into little balls. Paint or spray paint these pieces of “popcorn” slightly yellow (to represent butter), then hot glue them onto a white shirt. You can use a red and white striped skirt for the “box”, or make one by sticking strips of white duct tape onto a red skirt. And now you’re finished with your simple popcorn costume! 3: Ghost (image from scratchandstitch.com) When you think of a ghost costume, you probably imagine a boring white sheet. But this costume is so realistic and spooky! You’ll need: Cheesecloth Colored markers First, add streaks of yellow, red or brown marker onto the cheesecloth. You can even dip the cheesecloth in tea to give it an old look! Then, rip holes in the cheesecloth for your neck and arms, and make random tears everywhere else to give it a mystical effect. Wear it over all black clothing, and you’ll look just like a scary ghost! 4: Emoji (image from Pinterest) This costume is very versatile and you probably don’t need to buy anything to make it! This is all you need: A plain, bright yellow shirt Permanent markers in the colors of your emoji All you have to do is use the markers to draw your emoji’s features onto the shirt and you’re done! This is a great last-minute costume if you have to create something quickly. Another variation to this costume is to cut a piece of yellow cardstock into a large circle and draw your emoji onto it. Hole punch and tie the sides with string, and then hang it around your neck over black clothing. Whether scaring your friends with the ghost costume or brightening up the day with the emoji costume, these four costumes are easy to make at home with barely any supplies and in a short period of time. Have a fantastic Halloween this year and make sure to add a comment on what you are dressing up as!
Remember This “On the Way to School”
I used to not look forward to having to get up so early in the morning, get ready so quickly, eat breakfast in minutes and rush into the car starting in mid-August. The relaxing days of summer would be gone and replaced with studying and school. However, I recently watched a movie called, “On the Way to School” that showed me how lucky I am to have such an easy, five-minute drive to my school, and to even be going to school and have such a great opportunity for a great education. The movie focuses on four children that each have to walk more than 10 miles each day just to get to school on time, and their walks are not just straight, easy paths like a road or a sidewalk. Jackson, an 11-year-old, has to cross savannahs in Kenya filled with wild, angry elephants with his little sister twice a day. With her two friends, twelve-year-old Zahira must trek across more than 13 miles of rocky cliffs in the Moroccan Atlas Mountains to reach her weekly boarding school. Samuel, who is thirteen, but cannot use his legs, has to be pushed 2.5 miles by his younger brothers on a homemade wheelchair in eastern India in the morning and afternoon. And finally, Carlito, 11, rides eleven miles (on a horse) through the plains of Argentina with his younger sister the way to school and back. What amazed me was that these children, who are all around my age, walk these distances and face these dangers alone! Their parents pray for their safety before they go, and they all have friends or siblings accompanying them, but they are very brave to go on the journey by themselves. They all realize the importance of doing whatever it takes to go to school to learn. I cannot imagine doing the same thing any one of these kids does on a daily basis. When asked about what they want to be in the future, they all had inspiring replies. Samuel said that he would like to become a doctor so he could help fix other people with conditions like his. Zahira wants to travel to the villages around her school and persuade families to send their children to school so they can have the same opportunities as her. After watching this movie, I realized that when I complained about having to get up early and rush in the morning for school, it was nothing compared to what these kids had to go through to get to school as part of their normal routine. I felt grateful that I could safely sit in a car and ride with my parents to get to school each day for a 10 minute, not 10 mile, ride. So the next time you get annoyed for having to get up so early to ride in a car, take a bus, bike or walk a short distance o school, remember these four kids and how they must walk miles in dangerous locations just to get to their schools. We should all be grateful we have access to a good education and an easy path to it. If you want to find out more, you should watch the movie, “On the Way to School.” I highly recommend it if you want to watch an inspiring and motivating movie! “On the Way to School” (2015), DistriB Films. Directed by Pascal Plisson, written by Marie-Claire Javoy, Pascal Plisson.
10 Fun Things To Do This Summer
School is out and the sun is blazing hot each day. You are looking forward to some fun days since summer has finally arrived! However, there may be some days that you are feeling bored at home with nothing to do. Here are 10 fun things you can do this summer to help you get rid of this problem: Hike: This is a great way to get exercise while observing the beauty of nature! Go to the park: Parks are also a great way to get exercise. You can even invite your friends to play with you–it’s a good way to stay in touch during the long break. Go camping/glamping: Staying outdoors and living completely off the grid is another great way to have some fun this summer. If camping isn’t your thing, try glamping, which could include staying in a cabin or RV truck (these places let you enjoy nature while still having access to amenities like air conditioning, a comfortable bed, and a clean, bug-free bathroom). Volunteer: Whether at a library, the animal shelter, or a nursing home, volunteering is a great way to spend your time. It helps other people and makes you feel good inside. Look online today to find a local place that offers volunteering opportunities for kids! Visit a Museum: Museums are great places to spend your time, if not admiring famous art pieces then doing hands-on activities. You can learn so many new things while having fun. Read: Make a list of books that you want to read over the summer. You can even do a book club with your friends or participate in a summer reading challenge at a local library. Have a sleepover with your family/friends: Order some pizza, bring out the sleeping bags and watch a movie. This is a great way to have fun and bond with your family or friends! Start a big project: Choose a big project to work on by yourself, as a family, or with friends. Some examples are: building a large Lego sculpture, making a big puzzle, or even writing a book. Summer is the perfect stretch of time for you to take on a big project and be happy with the results. Learn something new: Whether it is a new language, a new skill or hobby, learning something new will make you feel proud of yourself. This can be a big accomplishment that is perfect to begin this summer. Create a summer scrapbook: Near the end of summer break, collect things that represent what you have done throughout the summer and put them together in a scrapbook. Add captions and you will have something to remember the summer by! All of these activities for the summer are great ways to spend your time instead of lying on the couch all day watching TV or playing video games. It is important to stay active and be productive for at least some days in the summer. Have a great fun-filled summer and comment down below what you are planning to do this summer. The more ideas we can share with each other the more fun we all can have!
