Ghosts

Book Ideas:

Say Boo! by Lynda Graham-Barber
"Little ghost Ben can say 'Whoo,' and he can say 'Moo,'

but he can’t say 'Boo!' And soon it will be Halloween!"

Ghosts in the house by Kazuno Kohara
“At the edge of town lives a clever girl with a spooky problem: Her house is haunted! Luckily, she happens to be a witch and knows a little something about taking care of ghosts. She catches them, puts them in the washing machine, airs them out to dry, and gives them new lives as sofa covers, table cloths, and, of course, bed sheets to cozy up under. "

Ten Timid Ghosts by Jennifer O’Connell
“Countdown from ten as a witch tries to scare ten ghosts out of the haunted house where they live; but in the end, they play a trick on her.”

The Teeny Tiny Ghost by Kay Winters

("The tiny ghost discovers that haunting is very hard, especially for a ghost who is scared. The secrets of his heritage seem out of his grasp until one Halloween night when he is motivated to be a protector of his cats and his home. ")

Halloween Countdown by Jack Prelutsky

("Turn the pages with ten rascally ghosts and count down to a spooky surprise ending!")

The Perfect Pumpkin Pie by Denys Cazet

("Mr. Wilkerson, lover of pie, returns as a ghost on Halloween to demand some good pie from Jack and his grandmother.")

**This one might be more suitable for 5 yrs.old and up, depending on the child.

Songs:

Ghost and goblins
(sung to the tune Frere Jacques)

Ghost and goblins
Ghost and goblins
Witches too
Witches too
All out trick or treating
All out trick or treating
Can’t Scare You
Can’t Scare You !

Five little ghosts
(Making ghost finger puppets or ghosts glued on popsicle sticks

would make this rhyme more fun and interactive)

Five little ghosts flying through the door,
One flew away and then there were four.

Four little ghosts spooky as can be,
One flew away and then there were three.

Three little ghosts drinking Halloween brew,
One flew away and then there were two.

Two little ghosts having lots of fun,
One went home and then there was one.

One little ghost’s a real superhero,
Went to help a friend and then there was zero!

If You’re a Ghost and you know it
(sung to the tune of "if you're happy and you know it")

If you’re a ghost and you know it,
Then say “Boo!”
If you’re a ghost and you know it,
Then say “boo!”
If you’re a ghost and you know it,
And you really want to show it,
If you’re a ghost and you know it,
Then say “Boo!”

GHOST HUNT
Chant while slapping legs
(Children and moms repeateach line)

We’re going on a ghost hunt
We’re looking for ghosts
It’s a beautiful day!!
We’re not scared.

There’s some big tall grass.
Can’t go over it,
Can’t go under it.
We’ll have to go through it.
(Act out ) swish, swish, swish

We’re going on a ghost hunt
We’re looking for ghosts
It’s a beautiful day!!
We’re not scared.

Oh, no. There’s a deep, deep forest –
Can’t go over it,
Can’t go under it.
We’ll have to go through it.
Stumble, stumble, trip – 3 times

We’re going on a ghost hunt
We’re looking for ghosts
It’s a beautiful day!!
We’re not scared.

Oh, no. there’s a haunted house – so scary!
Can’t go over it,
Can’t go under it.
We’ll have to go through it.
(Creaky floor) Squeak, squeak, squeak..

We’re going on a ghost hunt
We’re looking for ghosts
It’s a beautiful day!!
We’re not scared.

There’s a Big box! What’s in it???
Can’t go over it,
Can’t go under it.
Just have to open it…
(pretend to open a box)
A ghost! AHHHHH!!
(optional: Run back home…Do all previous actions)

Activities:

Banana Ghosts

1. Remove any stringy fibers from the peeled banana, then cut it in half width wise.


2. Push a Popsicle stick into each half through the cut end, then cover each pop with plastic wrap and freeze until firm (about 3 hours).


3. Next, place a 1.5-ounce piece of white chocolate candy in a microwave-safe bowl and cook on high until melted (it generally takes about 1 minute). With a butter knife, spread the melted white chocolate on the frozen banana halves.


4. Set the pops on a waxed-paper-covered dish. Press on candies or currants for eyes and mouths and return the pops to the freezer until ready to serve. Makes 2.

*****I got this recipe from Family Fun. I just tried it and had trouble spreading the white chocolate on the frozen banana. The warm chocolate hardens as soon as it touches the cold banana. It was sort of frustrating. I don't know if it was the kind of chocolate I used (I used white chocolate chips from Target). Anyway, Next time I make these I am going to try using cool whip instead. It will give it the same look and be easier to spread since it is cold too. You would still need to freeze it for a few minutes after putting on the face. Somebody try it and let me know what works for you. My kids loved eating the frozen bananas. Three hours in the freezer was perfect (they weren't too hard to bite into).

Ghost Wind Catcher

Making this ghost requires a little more parent involvement to follow specific step by step procedures. While the kids will still have fun helping make the ghost, the activity is going to be running and playing with their wind catchers once it's assembled.

Materials Needed:
Paper plate
Black Marker
String
Hole Puncher
White trash Bag
Scissors
Tape

Step 1: Have child draw eyes and mouth on the back of the paper plate

Step 2: Cut off the trash bag's draw-string at the top; Then cut the bag into 2" long strips (lengthwise)

Step 3: Give your child pieces of tape and let them help tape the strips, evenly, around the underside edge of the plate.

Step 4: Have the child punch two holes (one on each side of the ghost face) on the outer edge of the plate and then the parent will string the yarn through the holes and knot it on each side.

Step 5: Go outside and let child run, holding the string handle behind them, to see their ghost fly. Or put on some music and dance with the ghost and swirl him through the air.

"Magic" Appearing Ghosts
Adult draws ghost with white crayon on a white paper in advance, so child doesn't see. Give your child dark color watercolors or diluted tempra paint and encourage your child to paint over the whole paper to see the ghost magically appear through the paint. Show your child the trick and let them play with this technique, making their own hidden pictures, for a while.