Create a simple Halloween ghost hand puppet in the early childhood classroom. This fun puppet making activity is a great art lesson for young children. Preschoolers can get creative and design unique puppets that can be painted or drawn with marker. Adapt this lesson plan to fit specific classroom needs in terms of age and developmental level.
Halloween Puppet Art Lesson Objectives
- Explore art materials and process.
- Develop shape and color recognition skills.
- Design a holiday themed puppet.
- Utilize the puppet for dramatic or imaginative play activities.
- Increase fine motor skills.
- Develop creative thinking and problem solving skills.
Grade/ Age Level
This art lesson can be used with children ages three and up.
Materials Needed to Create Halloween Ghost Puppets
- Paper bag (lunch bag sized)
- Scissors
- Glue
- Construction paper
- Tempera Paints
- Paint brush
- Optional: Markers
- Optional: Glitter
Steps to Create Puppets in the Early Childhood Classroom
Pre-activity
Before beginning this art activity, try reading a Halloween themed book to the class. Avoid stories that are overly scary, or books with frightening illustrations. If possible, read a children’s book about friendly ghosts.
Process Steps
- Give each child a paper bag. Ask the children to turn the bags so that the flap (rectangle bottom part) is at the top facing up. This will be the front of the puppet.
- Invite the children to paint the front of the bag with white tempera paint.
- Have the children lift the flap, and paint the inside with a dark color.
- Optional: Sprinkle silver or opal colored glitter over the paint for a special effect.
- Set aside to dry.
- After the front has dried, turn the bags over and ask the children to paint the back of the bag with white tempera paint.
- Set aside to dry.
- After the back of the bag has dried, turn the bags to the front. Invite the children to cut out circles from dark construction paper. Glue these on as eyes. Optional alternative: Instead of using paper and glue, ask the children to draw on the eyes (circles) with markers.
- Once dry, the ghost puppets are now ready to be used for a fun day of imaginative play!
Ghost Puppet Lesson Wrap Up
After the children have finished creating the puppets, hold a class discussion about the art making process. Talk about how the children made the puppets, what was fun, what was difficult, and what the puppets can be used for. Additionally, at this time hold a class show and share. Invite the children to show the newly created puppets to each other.
Preschool Classroom Art Enrichment Activities
Try some of these enrichment activities as an addition to the ghost puppet project.
- Dramatic Play: Put on a Halloween inspired puppet show with the ghosts.
- Literacy: Read related Halloween books.
- Other Puppet Making: Try a similar activity for other Halloween creatures.
- Halloween Parade: Hold a class parade with the ghost puppets as props.
Puppet making is a great way to involve preschool aged children in the visual arts. Start with a simple paper bag, and inspire the children in the class to design and create unique Halloween ghost puppets. Use these puppets to foster the young child’s imagination during dramatic play activities.
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