Songs for Halloween I-M

I am a pumpkin, big and round

I am the witch’s cat

I made a Jack O’Lantern

I made a Jack-O’-Lantern (2)

I saw a ghost

If I were a witch

I’m a Jack-o’-lantern

I’m a mean old witch with a hat

In a dark, dark wood

In a pumpkin patch

In the hairy, scary castle

It’s Halloween

Jack-o’-lantern

Jack-o’-lantern (2)

Late one dark and stormy night

Mad mischief and mystery!

Moans and groans and skeleton bones

Mrs White had a fright

Find more Halloween songs at: Songs for Halloween O-W

Last updated: 10/17/2022 9:59 AM

The songs below are part of ‘Away we go’ compiled, adapted and illustrated by Dany Rosevear

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I am a pumpkin, big and round O

A hand rhyme.

1. Hold arms above head in a circle. 2. Point to floor. 3. Point to mouth, eyes, nose. 4. Put hands to face and throw them out. 5. Hold up index finger. 6. Put thumbs in armpits and look proud.

I am a pumpkin, big and round;

Once upon a time I grew on the ground.

Now I have a mouth, two eyes and a nose,

What are they for, do you suppose?

When I have a candle inside shining bright,

I’ll be a Jack-o-lantern on Halloween night.

I am the witch’s cat 🔊

A Halloween finger play.

Music and second two verses by Dany Rosevear.

1. Open and close thumb and forefinger. Make whiskers with all fingers. 2. Stroke fist with other hand. 3. Circle eyes with thumbs and forefingers. 4. As before.

I am the witch's cat. MIAOW! MIAOW!

My fur is black as darkest night,

My eyes are green and scary bright.

I am the witch's cat. MIAOW! MIAOW!

I am the witch's broomstick. SWISH! SWISH!

I fly so high up in the sky,

And past the moon go whizzing by.

I am the witch's broomstick. SWISH! SWISH!

I am the witch's owl. TOO-WHIT TOO-WHOO!

I sit and stare with round black eyes,

Then hunt for mice and toads nearby.

I am the witch's owl. TOO-WHIT TOO-WHOO!

I made a Jack O’Lantern 🔊

A hand rhyme. Making a Jack O’Lantern lights up every face!

Music by Lucille F. Wood.

1. Hold arms above head in a circle. 2. Circle eyes then make a triangle with forefingers. 3. Draw a smile with forefingers 4. Point to each tooth. 5. Hold up forearm with pointed hand. 6. Put hands together at wrist under chin and look happy!

I made a Jack O’Lantern;

I made him yesterday.

I made two eyes like big round wheels;

I made his nose this way.

I made his mouth into a smile

With ev’ry tooth in place,

And then a candle lighted up

My Jack O’Lantern’s face!

I made a Jack-O’-Lantern (2) 🔊

A traditional Halloween hand rhyme adapted by Dany Rosevear.

1. Form circle with arms in front of tummy. 2. Hold up three crooked fingers in front of mouth then shake forefinger. 3. Circle eyes with thumbs and forefingers then shut them. 4. Draw a big smile on your face.

I made a Jack-O’-Lantern for Halloween night,

With three crooked teeth but they don’t bite.

With two round eyes that cannot see,

It’s a jolly Jack O’Lantern as happy as can be!

I saw a ghost 🔊

A scary hand play.

Music by Dany Rosevear and words adapted by the same.

1. Circle eyes with thumbs and forefingers. 2. Point to yourself. 3. Wave your hand. 4. Scare person next to you.

I saw a ghost,

It saw me too,

I waved like this,

But it said, "BOO!".

If I were a witch 🔊

Music and words by Wallace E. De Pue. It can be found in the songbook ‘This is Music’ published by Macmillan of Canada in 1968.

If I were a witch, I’d laugh ‘Hee, hee, hee!’

If I were a cat, I’d meow ‘Meow!’

If I were a ghost, I’d groan with my most,

And I’d scare everybody now.

Chorus:

‘Hee, hee, hee! Meow, meow!’

I’d show everybody how.

‘Hee, hee, hee! Meow, meow!’

I’d scare everybody NOW!

If I were a bat, I’d fly, ‘Flap, flap, flap!’

If I were an elf, I’d cry, ‘Boo-hoo!’

If I were a pumpkin, I wouldn’t be a dumkin,

I’d make me a pumpkin pie.

‘Flap, flap, flap!’ ‘Boo-hoo!’

I’d show everybody too,

‘Flap, flap, flap!’ ‘Boo-hoo!’

I’d scare everybody – BOO!

I’m a Jack-o’-lantern 🔊

Learn to recognise ordinal numbers to five with this Halloween number song.

The tune is by Tom Glazer and arranged by Dany Rosevear.

Verse 1. Draw a smile, put forefinger atop head. 2. Hold up five spread fingers, place heel of hand on the other with fingers closed, the gate, wag one finger, hand to cheek. 3. Raise two fingers, hands make a pointed hat. Raise three fingers then put hands on hips and shrug shoulders. 4. Raise four fingers, make them run, raise five fingers, make a funny face. 5. Blow finger top, hands to eyes, make witches hat move from side to side.

I’m a Jack-o’-lantern with a great big grin.

I’m a Jack-o’-lantern with a candle in.

Five Jack-o’-lanterns were sitting on the gate.

The first one said, “Oh, my it’s getting late.”

The second one said, “There are witches in the air.”

The third one said, “But we don’t care!”

The fourth one said, “Let’s run, and run, and run.”

The fifth one said, “I’m ready for some fun.”

Then“Whoosh!” went the wind and out went the light,

And away rode the witches on Halloween night!

I’m a mean old witch with a hat 🔊

A Halloween hand play.

The music is arranged and simplified by Dany Rosevear.

Verse 1. Hands make a pointed hat shape on head. 2. Hold and move broomstick, sweep cheeks. 3. Finger make crooked nose, thumb and forefinger make pointed chin. 4. Shake finger, make scary claws and face. 5. As before.

I’m a mean old witch with a hat!

And I ride on my broom with my cat!

My nose is pointy and my chin is too,

But you better watch out, for I might scare you!

I’m a mean old witch with a hat! BOO!!!

In a dark, dark wood O

A creepy song for Halloween.

In a dark, dark wood, there was a dark, dark house,

And in that dark, dark house, there was a dark, dark cupboard,

And in that dark, dark cupboard, there was a dark, dark shelf,

And on that dark, dark shelf, there was a dark, dark box,

And in that dark, dark box, there was a GHOST!

In a pumpkin patch 🔊

A song to dramatise and sing individually.

Words by Louise B. Scott, music by Lucille F. Wood.

A seasonal song from one of my favourite collections for young children, ‘Singing Fun’ published in 1962.

Three little pumpkins lying very still,

In a pumpkin patch on a high, high hill.

This one said, "Oh, I'm very, very, green;

But I'll be orange for Halloween."

This one said, “Oh, me! oh my,

One day I’ll be a pumpkin pie.”

This one said, “I’m on my way

To be a Jack o’ lantern some day.”

The hairy scary castle O

Open a squeaky door slowly in the Hairy Scary Castle and see what might be there. A cumulative song for Halloween and community singing with lots of opportunities for spooky noises; use vocal and body sounds or whatever objects come to hand – newspaper can be used to make all sorts of noises.

In the Hairy Scary Castle,

Where the skeletons RATTLE,

And the ghosts go BOO!

In the Hairy Scary Castle… x3

Where the rats go SQUEAK,

And the bats go FLAP!

And the skeletons RATTLE,

And the ghosts go BOO!

In the Hairy Scary Castle… x3

Where the stairs go CREAK,

And the clock goes TOCK!

Where the rats go SQUEAK,

And the bats go FLAP!

Where the skeletons RATTLE,

And the ghosts go BOO!

In the Hairy Scary Castle… x3

Where the wind goes WHOOSH,

And the doors go BANG!

Where the stairs go CREAK,

And the clock goes TOCK!

Where the rats go SQUEAK,

And the bats go FLAP!

Where the skeletons RATTLE,

And the ghosts go BOO!

It’s Halloween! 🔊

Harry Behn, 1898 - 1973, also known as Giles Behn, was an American screenwriter and children's poet and author. The music was written by Milton Kaye and can be found in the songbook ‘Music now and long ago’ published in 1956.

Tonight is the night

When dead leaves fly

Like witches on switches

Across the sky,

When elf and sprite

Flit through the night

On a moony sheen.

It's Halloween!

Tonight is the night

When leaves make a sound

Like a gnome in his home

Under the ground,

When spooks and trolls

Creep out of holes

Mossy and green.

It's Halloween!

Tonight is the night

When pumpkins stare

Through sheaves and leaves

Everywhere,

When ghouls and ghost

And goblin host

Dance round their queen.

It's Halloween!

Jack-o’-lantern O

A song to sing once the jack-o’-lantern has been carved, lit and placed in the window with the lights turned out!

Jack-o’-lantern, jack-o’-lantern

You are such a funny sight,

As you sit there in the window

Looking out at the night.

You were once a yellow pumpkin

Growing on a sturdy vine,

Now you are my jack-o’-lantern:

Let your candlelight shine.

Jack-o’-lantern (2) 🔊

A simple Halloween song.

Jack-o’-lantern,

Halloween,

See the witches flying,

Hear the wind a sighing,

Whoo-oo-ooo!

Late one dark and stormy night 🔊

A Halloween hand play.

Adapted from a traditional rhyme by Dany Rosevear who also wrote the music.

Line 1. Tap watch, wave arms across body. 2. Put up three fingers, make witches hat, stir a pot. 3. Two fingers up, ring thumb and forefingers round eyes. 4. Sing in a whisper, hands move stealthily forward. 5. Raise hands and look scary.

Late one dark and stormy night,

Three little witches stir a pot, what a sight!

Two little ghosts say, “How do you do?”

Go tiptoe, tiptoe, tiptoe,

BOOO !!!

Mad mischief and mystery! 🔊

At the ‘Halloween jamboree’. Halloween fun with a calypso rhythm, inspired by the song from Jamaica, ‘Zombie jamboree’.

Words and music by Dany Rosevear.

Accompany this with spooky percussion sounds.

On Halloween night the spooky folk came.

They came from all around.

Beneath the moon, along our street,

Making weird and wonderful sounds.

Orange and black, purple and gold,

They waltzed around together;

Wild and wary, wobbly and scary,

Some floating as light as a feather.

Chorus:

Skeletons, witches, ghosts eating jelly,

Don’t scare me for I’m shaking already,

Goblins, monsters with great green bellies,

Mad mischief and mystery!

At the Halloween jamboree.

On Halloween night hear cries and calls,

“Come and join us – if you dare!”

Jack-o’-lanterns grin as the fun begins

Looking out for who they can scare.

Knocks on doors, giggles galore -

It’s time for trick and treating!

In disguises, full of surprises

Friends and families meeting!

Chorus

Moans and groans and skeleton bones 🔊

Out and about on Halloween night.

Or maybe just round the garden this year making a lot of noise!

Moans and groans and skeleton bones,

It’s Halloween tonight!

Shh! I fear a ghost is near,

BOO! what a fright!

Up the street, we’ll trick or treat,

We’ll dance beneath the moonlight.

We’ll beware if there’s a scare,

BOO! what a fright!

Mrs White had a fright O

An old playground favourite adapted here for a Halloween theme by Dany Rosevear.

Make up your own rhymes for other colours – there are plenty more!

Mrs White had a fright, in the middle of the night.

She saw a ghost, eating toast, half way up a lamp-post.

Mrs Red went to bed, with a pumpkin on her head,

Saw two bats, chase a cat, right into her pointy hat.

Mrs Black in a mac, eating hop toads for a snack.

Saw a witch, in a fix, sitting in a muddy ditch.

Mrs Green on Halloween, went to supper with the queen.

Saw a spider, in her cider, oh dear me it’s now inside her.

Mrs Blue, yes it’s true, threw snails in a witchy brew.

Added stones, gave a groan, stirred it with a finger bone.

Mrs Pink gave a wink, drank a drink of fizzy ink.

Saw a wizard, in a blizzard, turning hailstones into lizards.

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