Our kitchen table has been full of crafts lately, and this week we made a little ghost family that quickly became one of our favorite Halloween activities! 🎃 Each ghost ended up with its own personality, some silly, some shy, and some scary!
Halloween crafts are one of my favorite ways to mix creativity with a little emotional learning. These simple paper ghosts are perfect for helping kids recognize and talk about feelings while having fun and making a bit of a mess (the best kind!).
🧵 What You’ll Need
• White cardstock or construction paper • Black marker or paint • Cotton balls or tissue paper (for the ghost “floof”) • Glue and scissors
✂️ How to Make It
Cut out ghost shapes (you can draw them freehand or trace around a template).
Draw a face, maybe your ghost is happy, scared, or surprised.
Glue on cotton or tissue pieces at the bottom for a fluffy touch.
(Optional) Punch a hole at the top to hang them up with a string.
💭 Conversation Starter
It’s such a simple way to help kids recognize feelings, just like Pumpkin does in Pumpkin Finds His Feelings!
While decorating, talk with your child about the ghost’s expression: • “How do you think this ghost is feeling?” • “What makes you feel like that sometimes?”
We think one of these ghosts could be Pumpkin’s twin! Take a look and tell me in the comments which one you think it is. 👻✨
If you haven’t met Pumpkin yet, you can find Pumpkin Finds His Feelings. It’s a cozy, heartwarming story about friendship and emotions, perfect for fall reading with your little ones. 🍂
In the heartwarming children’s book, This Thing Has a Name, Amanda Bacon-Davis takes us on a delightful adventure that encourages young readers to understand and embrace their emotions. With its empowering message, this book helps children normalize and navigate feelings like fear, anger, and anxiety, fostering emotional intelligence and well-being.
Amanda skillfully introduces the concept of anxiety and depression in a way that young minds can grasp. Through relatable examples and vivid illustrations by Jinjer Markley, she paints a picture of what these feelings might look and feel inside a child’s body and mind. By teaching kids to recognize and understand their emotions early on, the book equips them with resilience skills to guide them through life’s ups and downs.
“The only way out is to go all the way in; I must feel all these feelings to let the healing begin.”
One of the standout lessons is the importance of staying with our feelings rather than running away from them. The author beautifully expresses this sentiment through a memorable line: “I won’t run away, I won’t jump on the train. I’ll do something I love, like dance in the rain!” This message encourages children to find joy and comfort even when anxiety or fear is present.
Furthermore, Amanda highlights the significance of support from loved ones during challenging times. The book reminds us that it’s okay not to be okay and that there are people who care for us. The touching line, “The people that love me said I’m full of AMAZE. Because I’m working on healing… New trails I must blaze!” instills a sense of hope and reassurance that we can overcome difficulties with the help of those who cherish us.
This Thing Has a Name also emphasizes the availability of various tools to assist children during challenging moments. The captivating illustrations guide readers from chaos and darkness to finding inner peace, symbolized by beautiful flowers and serene gardens. These visual metaphors inspire young hearts to seek solace and discover their strength.
As a parent, I highly recommend This Thing Has a Name for any child experiencing anxiety, no matter the scale. This book opens up a dialogue about emotions and instills a sense of empowerment and resilience. It’s a valuable resource that resonates with children and adults alike.”
Amanda Bacon-Davis is a successful businesswoman, entrepreneur, and a proud advocate supporting the mental health community. She has a beautiful daughter, Ella Rain, two amazing bonus kids (who are actually wonderful adults), and the most loving husband in the world. Amanda and her family live on the Seacoast of New Hampshire with their two dogs, Dog-Dog (featured in the book) and Halo. When she is not writing, Amanda’s favorite thing to do is belly-laugh with her family.
Jinjer Markley is an illustrator from Minneapolis, MN. Her formal training is in science, but she still loves to draw. Besides drawing, she loves helping people understand things, dancing, ice-skating, bike riding, cooking overly complicated meals, anything Japanese, hanging out with her family, and the magic of making things by hand. Jinker is available for commissions on Upwork.Click here to learn more about the illustrator.
Download below to get free access to this Cody’s Crazy Christmas activity pack. In this activity pack, you’ll find, coloring pages, a maze, a thank you letter to Santa, a read and write activity sheet, and much more. Have fun! Coloring is always a good idea.
Angy's Books 