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Ghost Shadow Puppets

  • Grades 1-3
  • All Ages

Create cute ghosts for decorations or have a haunted puppet show to celebrate Halloween! Use these as shadow puppets to create an eerie feeling during the show!

Materials

  • Black Craft Foam
  • Scissors
  • Glue
printDownload Template

Instructions

Step 1. Gather your supplies.

 

Step 2.

 

Download, print and cut out the provided template. To download the template, simply click the “Template” button above.

 

Step 3.

 

Trace the stencils with chalk on black craft foam.

 

Step 4.

 

Cut out the shapes from the craft foam.

 

Step 5.

 

Glue each shape to a wooden dowel.

 

Step 6.

 

Display your ghosts or cast a shadow on the wall for a puppet show!

 


Teacher's Corner

Discover the science behind dark shadows with this totally ghoul puppet craft! 

Lesson Objectives

  • Shadow Shapes: After decorating your ghosts, turn off the lights, place a flashlight behind the ghost puppet, and watch spooky shapes fly around the room! How does the shape appear in two places at once? Shadows are light blocked by objects and their sizes change based on how close they are to the light source.  
  • Ghost Stories: Have your students practice their storytelling skills with a few not-so-scary stories — use the ghost puppets to act them out in class!

Follow-up Discussion

After your students finish their own show, follow along with this video to discover more about shadows! This seven-part video series will explain everything kids need to know about light, shadows, and shapes — at a pace that works well with your class schedule.