Halloween 2019

It does not have to be all about ghosts and goblins and glucose

Parents from around the world are gathered in The Children’s Center to learn what celebrities have arrived from The Evan Thomas Institute to celebrate Halloween

Halloween has traveled around the world. In the United States it is celebrated by more Americans than almost any other cultural event except the 4th of July. It used to be kids only but now baby boomers have decided they do not want to grow up and Halloween has become a good excuse for a party with costumes and a lot of beloved junk food for adults of all ages.

VIPs from NASA arrive first. No surprise NASA and The Institutes have enjoyed a wonderful relationship for four decades.

Intellectual Excellence Classes: Rumiko sensei takes Halloween for a trip to Japan where pumpkins express their emotions freely.

Neil Armstrong presents his biography in large print so everyone can enjoy the story.

Some religions take a dim view of children pretending to be a ghost or a goblin

At The Institutes our kids want to be part the national party too but sometimes this can be problematical. This week there were parents and children from seven nations and five continents on our campus. We have children from many cultures and a variety of religions. Some of those religions take a dim view of children pretending to be a ghost or a goblin or the devil, himself.

It’s understandable.

NASA astronaut, Zelick, takes us back in time to learn about the first flight that ultimately lead us to modern space exploration

Guest celebrity Hana from Slovenia, just turned 7 years old, she taught everyone about her country in English and taught some words in Slovene, too! Hana represented our midbrain- injured kids around the world and like most of them she understands, speaks, reads and writes in two languages.

Our kids make healthy snacks for treats

Food is an issue as well. Our children do not eat food with added sugar or chemical additives so Halloween candy is not an option.

What to do?

Our parents and their children (and our very creative kitchen here at The Institutes) have come up with an endless array of healthy snacks that are beautiful and tasty. No one leaves hungry or empty handed!

Princess Elsa with her best teacher, Dad, teaches her fellow celebrities about the life of Walt Disney

Everyone is invited to the party

Many years ago we decided to have our own party but we wanted to make sure that everyone was invited and would feel completely comfortable attending. Each year we choose a theme – Mythology, Great Artists, Shakespeare Characters, Great Composers and, an all-time favorite, Staff members of The Institutes! The mothers and kids ran the extra mile that year to duplicate every detail of the staff member they chose. It was a riot. This year we ask our students to choose a famous person who they admired.

Halloween is a great opportunity to learn more about your favorite subject, design and, if possible, make your own costume, decide what you want to teach, show or perform for your friends and family and create simple gifts and snacks to surprise and delight your friends.

Twice Nobel Laureate Madame Curie was there to teach about Polonium – her green fingernails attest to her exposure to radioactive materials. Her historic notes are still radioactive and must be stored in lead-lined containers.