Ghosties and Ghoulies - Halloween Ideas

October brings Halloween, and with it the presence of little ghosts (friendly and otherwise) for parties and activities. Here are some quick and easy ghost ideas.

Supplies:
White napkins (paper to give away or fabric to last) or white facial tissue – up to 2 per ghost
Thanks to CraftsfortheKing - Any white fabric or handkerchief will work
White yarn or pipe cleaners, cut in six inch lengths
Crayons or markers
Round head lollipops (optional)
Cupcakes (optional)
Popcorn balls (optional)
Styrofoam balls (optional)
Balloons (optional)


Let’s start with party activities:
Give each child two napkins. Have them wad one up in a ball (Watch the fun as they squeeze and shape the napkins!).

Center the second napkin over the first and gather around the balled up napkin. Tie with white yarn or a white pipe cleaner to form the ghost’s neck.

Use crayons or markers to draw eyes on the ghost’s face. (Younger kids might do better to draw the face near the center fold of the second napkin before wrapping it.)

Presto! There’s a little ghost to take home as a remembrance of the party. (Special thanks to Dr. Karen Romito of HobbyTown USA in Folsom, CA for reminding me of this activity!)

Working with children in the sticker-crazy phase? Use colored sticker dots as the eyes.


Party favors:

Center a quarter-folded paper napkin over the head of a round lollipop and tie under the head to make ghosts that can stand up in a piece of Styrofoam. It’s a tasty little party favor that serves as a decoration in the meantime.


As dessert:
Stand the lollipop ghost in a cupcake to make individual desserts/decorations for your party attendees.

Wrap a napkin around a popcorn ball (wrap it first in plastic wrap) for a larger version of a dessert ghost.


Party decorations:
Add a yarn loop at the top of the ghost’s head to hang the little fellows as decorations. Use the cloth napkins for outdoor décor – they’ll hold up to weather better.

Use balloons to form the heads for a more ethereal look if there will be light shining on them.

Use a Styrofoam ball as the form for the head for a larger ghost decoration. This is a more expensive version, but may be just the centerpiece you need.



Remember, you can adapt these projects to fit your budget, group size and skill level. Please let me know how you use this with your group.