The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Lesson Plan for Young Kids

     I have always loved the story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow! And being that my 4 year old has taken after mom and enjoys the spooky things, I am dedicating a week to talk and learn about Sleepy Hollow.  We will read and review the story together and learn about Colonial New York.

     Although, there are many more ways of studying this subject as an older student.  For example: Fact or Fiction? The Story Behind Sleepy Hollow is an interesting read, and could ignite an interest in colonial history for middle schoolers or high schoolers.  If my daughter was older, I would probably assign her to write a short research paper on the history behind the story.  There are also many activity and worksheet packets available for purchase for older children, such as this Sleepy Hollow Activity Packet.

Here is an outline of my lesson plan for younger kids:

PICTURE BOOKS:
- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
- A to Z Mysteries: Sleepy Hollow Sleepover

EDUCATIONAL BOOKS:
- Colonial Kids: An Activity Guide to Life in the New World
- If You Lived In Williamsburg in Colonial Days 

WORKSHEETS:
- Sleepy Hollow Coloring Page
- New York State Coloring Page

ART/CRAFT PROJECTS:
- Flaming Pumpkin Head
   


     I fed orange construction paper through my printer and printed out a jack o lantern outline.  I instructed my daughter to cut it out, giving her a chance to practice her cutting skills.  She glued the jack o lantern on white paper.  Then, I showed her how to dip a fork into yellow and red paint and make flame prints.  She covered her pumpkin in flames, making it a nice representation of the headless horseman.
- Build A Cardboard Bridge

VIDEOS:
- The Haunted Pumpkin of Sleepy Hollow YouTube cartoon
- Legend of Sleepy Hollow YouTube narrated picture book
- And I highly recommend Disney's The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, which is a nice way to introduce a different time period to kids. (You can check your local library to see if it is available for check-out.)

GAMES/ACTIVITIES:
- Pumpkin Bowling
- Ichabod Crane Tag
     On a large area of grass set a starting point and a finish point and mark where the "bridge" would be.  This can be a simple game of tag, and the one who is getting chased would be Ichabod Crane.  The person running would be the headless horseman.  You can get creative with this and make pumpkin flag tags or use orange water balloons to throw at Ichabod.  It's fun and lots of good outdoor exercise!

SCIENCE PROJECT:
 - Make Slime