Submitted by Carol Richardi, New Jersey

Idea posted January 8, 2003

I do an activity called Stirring The Brew:

I put a large cauldron in the middle of a seated circle of children. We then say this chant, spoken dramatically...

Stirring, stirring round in the pot
  • clasp both hands together and stir in front of you
    • (I do this with a kind of witchy English accent - who knows why!)
    Bubbling, bubbling, bubbling hot
  • pat rhythm on alternate legs
  • hot = clap
    • Look to the moon and laugh like a loon
  • point dramatically to ceiling
  • on laugh, do witch laugh as you say - hands floating down from over your head
    • Stir something round in the pot
  • stirring motion again clap twice at the end

After we say the chant, I pick children to throw something in the pot to make the witches' brew... after four kids go, we stir again. At the end, we take our imaginary ladle and take a sip, spitting it out of course. They LOVE this, and it is great fun for Halloween as well as a good vocal exploration.