Ghostly Family Fun

Our grandson Carsen recently had a “half-day” at school, so we picked him up after his lunch while his parents worked, and he spent the afternoon with us. One of our activities was “ghost-making”. Recently while browsing around at Walmart I came across a small package of pre-cut white foam ghosts, perfect for adding faces. Carsen was excited about the project, and Grandpa was willing to join in the fun, too.

I made a very, very simple ghost. I guess I’m a bit of a “Halloween traditionalist.” Grandpa was a bit more inventive (his was my favorite — although I’m the one who added the freckles with one of my Kuretake dot markers). As for Carsen, he was more creative, putting together an entire family of four. There’s Mama Ghost and Papa Ghost, Sister Ghost and Brother Ghost. A job well done!

I always enjoy seeing his creative ideas! And even more, it’s always fun to see how he puts a story together. I simply drew a ghost face. Carsen made a family. And speaking of families, foam craft activities like this are so much fun for everyone! From the youngest to the oldest, all members of the family can enjoy simple Halloween art projects like this.

Although I haven’t found any online source for the exact same ghosts I purchased at Walmart, I did find a lot of “foam ghosts” and other “Halloween foam craft cut-outs” at Amazon. Just be sure of what you’re getting! Some appear to be already decorated; others include pre-made eyes and other features that can be glued on; some are, like the ones we used, blank and ready for creative young artists (and parents, grand-parents, and even great-grandparents.)

One interesting thing I learned was that there are a lot of different ways to make ghost faces. As “inspiration” I browsed online and came up with LOTS of possibilities. Here are just a few ideas. And, of course, you could cut your own ghost shapes or even make ghosts with white cardstock or construction paper.

Halloween is truly a creative time of year, and maybe that’s one more reason why I love it. Colors and designs are simple enough for even a child! And there’s still time for a bit of “ghostly family fun”, so if there’s a young child in your life, just grab a Sharpie marker — or two, or three — and have an enjoyable time together.