Here are several ways to keep the children at bay as they wait so impatiently for Halloween. Engage them in a variety of fun ghost crafts to bring the holiday closer.
Children have always loved ghosts - you know those creatures that look like white sheets flying in the air? Or how about the friendly face of Casper? A ghost is a symbolic part of Halloween and many children choose this character for their costume during the Halloween celebrations. Since ghosts are free-form creatures, they can be easily made with a variety of art mediums. Here are a few ghost crafts for Halloween that are perfect for your toddler and preschool classroom.
Ghosts Made From Recycled Materials
Materials:
- Styrofoam packing pieces (different shapes)
- Black construction paper
- Glue
- Black marker
Procedure:
- Gather Styrofoam packing pieces. You will need some round ones and those peanut-shaped ones.
- Place the pieces on black paper in this order: a round one for the head, a peanut for the body, two peanuts for the arms, and two peanuts for the legs. Arrange these like a stick doll.
- Glue the pieces in place on the paper.
- Make several ghosts randomly on the paper.
- Use a black marker to draw two eyes and a round-shaped mouth on the head part.
Handprint or Footprint Ghosts
Materials:
- White tempera paint
- Paintbrush
- Black construction paper
- Plastic googly eyes or scraps of white paper
- Markers
- Soap and water for cleanup
Procedure:
- Decide whether to use hands or feet with your class.
- Brush white paint onto the body part. For example, for a handprint brush the white paint all over the hand, fingers and palm.
- Press down onto the black paper to make a print.
- When dry, add the adhesive googly eyes or make eyes from scraps of white construction paper. Draw the pupils to make an eye with markers.
- Draw a circle-type mouth with markers.
Free-Form Glue Ghosts
Materials:
- Waxed paper
- White school glue
- Salt
- Hole punch
- Yarn or string
- Black construction paper
- Safety scissors
Procedure:
- Help the children draw a ghost shape on the waxed paper.
- Guide them to squirt the glue on the paper and cover the entire shape. Sprinkle salt to the mixture for shine.
- Cut eyes and a mouth from the black construction paper. Place these on top of the glue.
- Leave this to dry (it may take a day or two).
- Peel the ghost shape from the waxed paper.
- Punch a hole at the top and thread with yarn to hang the ghosts from the ceiling.
Facial Tissue Ghosts
Materials:
- Facial tissues in white
- White construction paper circles
- Blue construction paper
- Glue or glue sticks
- Crayons and/or markers
Procedure:
- Have the children use crayons or markers to draw a Halloween night picture. Include pumpkins, black cats, skeletons, bare-limb trees, and so on.
- Up in the sky glue the white circles making sure to catch the tip of a facial tissue under the circle. Let the tissue drape down on the picture.
- Use a marker to make eyes and a circle-type mouth for each ghost.
- The tissue gives a dramatic effect to the picture as if the ghost were sweeping across the sky.
During your holiday countdown , brainstorm with the children for other preschool ghost crafts for Halloween. Have “boo-tiful” moments during these fun art activities and decorate the classroom together. Halloween is an exciting holiday for children and adults as well.
References
-
The information offered in this article is based on the author’s personal experience as an early childhood teacher.
Photo credit: http://www.ghost-clipart.com/
