Halloween Update: Expanding Worldviews and Imagination!

Explore the tricks, treats, and endless learning opportunities of this magical season!

Halloween is around the corner and we’re departing from Pok Pok’s usual realism with a dash of spooky magic across the playroom! This season is filled with pretend-play opportunities that expand creative problem-solving, social-emotional learning and tons of other important  foundational skills.

With this update, kids can step into a world of imagination and dream up potion recipes in Shops or unravel the mysteries of the eerie mansion in Town. Little explorers can be on the lookout for hidden surprises including a treasure trove of treats, jack-o-lanterns, costumes, and decorations waiting to be uncovered!

What’s new in the app:

• Town: A Halloween fair has visited Town, including a Hot Air Balloon Festival, a haunted mansion, creepy decorations, hidden candy baskets to find, and a parade of costumed characters.

• House: Step into Pok Pok’s version of a Haunted House with dusty furniture, cobwebs, black cats, a wardrobe full of costumes to play dress-up with and more.

• Shops: Shops gets in the spirit with new toys, freaky food items, a functional cauldron, and creepy decorations. Play dress up and go trick-or-treating!
  
• Silly Blocks: These blocks are now both silly and spooky. Kids can scroll through a collection of Halloween characters and costumes, stacking them to create their own versions of Frankenstein.

• Dress-Up: It wouldn’t be Halloween without a new collection of costumes and themed wardrobe pieces to choose from! Now, little ones can put together as many Halloween looks as they desire without you having to run to the store or break out the sewing machine.

• Radio: Radio now has two new songs inspired by the holiday, Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) that are sure to inspire some new moves. Learn more about these tracks and Día de los Muertos below!

What makes Día de los Muertos different from Halloween?

Día de los Muertos (or Día de Muertos depending on who you ask) is commonly associated with Mexican tradition. However, you’ll find it celebrated throughout Latin America and generally anywhere with Latino communities!

Celebrated on November 1 and 2, Día de los Muertos is distinctly unique from Halloween despite some of their shared visual themes. Rather than a holiday based around playing pretend and delighting in scary tales, Dìa de los Muertos celebrates those who have departed, keeping them alive through stories and tradition. The souls of the dead are invited into homes and gatherings through ofrendas (altars with offerings) that contain a range of elements like cempasúchil flowers, sugar skulls, mole, pan de muerto (bread of the dead), and candles all meant to guide the loved ones back and offer nourishment.

During these celebrations, it’s common to hear various Mexican folk genres being played including Mariachi (widely known as ensembles of brass and string instruments) and corridos—a type of ballad with narratives often surrounding social topics.

Speaking of corridos, our sound designer, Matt, claims he must have listened to this album 5000 times while composing these new songs for Radio! He says,

“I continued listening to music until I found something that I really connected with, and that was a group formed in the early 1950s called Trio Chicontepec, specifically their 1968 album Juan Patatuchi. They’re from the region of Huasteca, on the Gulf of Mexico. The music is sublime and virtuosic, and upon first hearing it will instantly transport you to their world. It features various guitar-like instruments, violin, harp and vocals.”

We hope that like Matt, your family also feels transported by the new music in Radio and the rest of the updated content in the app. We’re wishing all of you an exciting and safe spooky season full of tasty treats and cozy family time. Open Pok Pok now to explore our new Halloween update!

We’ve been so inspired by the unique approach of each child who plays with our toys and can’t wait to hear what families like yours think of this one. Receiving your feedback, videos and ideas for new updates is so important for the growth of Pok Pok so please say hello at hello@playpokpok.com or on social media @playpokpok.