Secret Shop for Grown-ups

Witch Grannie is the sweetest witch ever. She even wears candy corn on her skirt. In the story, she appears as kind, courageous, with a desire to learn how best to be herself and fit in so she can be happy. In the book, she discovers her bravery and strength when she overcomes the Sea Serpents. Even the Sea Serpents are illustrated beautifully and are more funny than scary.

Like Santa Claus, to keep the wonder alive, the parents will need to play a role. She only “magically” appears in your home on October 1st. Typically she’s set out the night before after the kids are in bed. They wake up and discover her and oh is it fun to see what’s in her basket waiting for them.

Witch Grannie “magically” disappears after the kids are in bed on Halloween night (October 31). The story goes that she flies back to her home in the Forevermore Forest on the Candy Moon. (So the grown-ups hide her somewhere in the house so she can return again the next year. Witch Grannie lives there with her Great Grandmother who has all kinds of secret recipes and wisdom passed down through generations. Together they work in the kitchen at Forevermore Forest, making treats for the next year.

It’s best to put Witch Grannie in a family room or common area in the home, not in the child’s bedroom for example. The grown-ups will be sneaking things into the basket when the kids are not looking so it’s best to be in a central area. She works well on a shelf by the television, or on a bookshelf, or counter. If she goes on a couch she may get sat upon or moved around too much or lost.

Witch Grannie, with her special basket, is meant to be in a consistent place, the same place the child can come back to over and over again, as they peek in to see if the Witch has brought them anything. This builds suspense and is all part of the fun.

There are no hard and fast rules here. Grown-ups can decide what works best in their home.  However, we find the best times for basket surprises are right as they wake up, upon their return from school or an outing, and perhaps after dinner, bath, story or just before brushing teeth. Again, whatever works best in your world. The best practice is at minimum 1 time per day, and maximum 4 times per day.

Absolutely not! Witch Grannie is easy to incorporate into your home. In fact, the kids often prefer she remains in the same place, so they know where to check the basket. The basket is more like to stay put if she is not being tossed and pulled all around the house. Keeping her is a designated space is a great way for the kids to learn patience and be rewarded with following the “rules”.

This Witch Grannie tradition works great for busy families. In fact, full time working single parents marvel at how easy it fits in with their day-to-day routines. The easiest solution for super busy families is to purchase the October Basket option on our Shop page. One click, and the calendar of curated notes and candies arrive in a super incognito box to your home. All you have to do is look at the calendar and pull out some candy that is secretly stashed in your closet or drawer. The fun and joy this brings to the kids will have you coming back again.

The basket is attached to Witch Grannie’s hands with Velcro. It is removeable if you decide to use it other than the intended purpose.

That works too! You can put whatever treats you like into her basket. Make your own or purchase from your favorite store. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter to stay abreast of fun inspirations for general activity adventures.m description