Ghost Coloring Page

Say hello to our friendly ghost. This ghost coloring page shows a big round ghost with a bow on its head, huge eyes, pink cheeks and a small open mouth, as if it just said boo. One arm waves. The other reaches down to a pumpkin pail full of treats. Stars, a moon and two bats fill the night sky above a grassy hill, with a tiny house and a fence behind. Pumpkins and wrapped candies sit in the grass.

It takes most kids about 15 minutes, and it works well for ages 3 to 8. There is a lot of open space, so even a very young child will not get stuck on small parts.

A gentle page for young kids

Lots of little ones feel nervous about Halloween. A soft, smiling ghost can help. Sit with your child, color it together, and talk about how this ghost is just a kid out for candy. Giving it a funny name often helps too.

Bigger kids may finish fast, so give them a challenge. Ask them to fill the sky with extra stars, or to add friends for the ghost along the bottom of the page.

Coloring a white ghost on white paper

This is the fun puzzle of the page. If the ghost stays white, how will it show? The trick is to color everything around it. A purple or dark blue sky makes the white shape jump forward right away.

You can also add a whisper of color inside the ghost. Light blue along one side gives it a soft shadow. Keep the cheeks pink and the mouth a deeper rose.

The pail and the pumpkins should be a strong orange so they stand out. Paint the little house purple with yellow windows, as if someone is home and handing out candy. Green for the hill finishes the picture, though a grey or blue hill feels more spooky if that is what your child wants.

Handy tips for this ghost coloring page

• Use the side of a crayon for the big sky. It covers fast and leaves a soft look.
• Go around the wavy bottom of the ghost slowly, then fill the rest with quick strokes.
• Leave the small dots in the eyes white. They make the ghost look alive.
• Glitter glue on the stars adds a nice touch, but let it dry flat.
• Give each candy wrapper two colors, one for the middle and one for the twisted ends.

Why we dress up as ghosts

Halloween has very old roots. It grew from Samhain, a Celtic festival held at the end of harvest time. People long ago believed that spirits came close to the living on that night, so they lit fires and wore costumes. Later on, kids began going door to door for food and small gifts. The Halloween article on Wikipedia goes into the full history.

The classic ghost costume is just a bed sheet with two holes. It may have become popular for a simple reason: nearly every home had an old sheet, and it cost nothing. That is still true today, and it is still one of the cheapest costumes around.

Crafts and games to try next

Make a paper ghost mobile. Color the ghost, cut it out and hang it from a thread near an open window, where it will float and spin. A few of them at different heights look great.

For a language game, write the word boo on a card and ask young readers to find words that rhyme with it, such as moo, shoe and blue. Then practice saying them in a ghost voice. Silly voices keep kids going. A small group can also pass the page around, with each child adding one thing to the sky until there is no more room.

Older children can write a short story from the ghost's point of view. Where is it going? Who lives in the little house, and who will open the door? What treat does it hope to find? Staple the story to this ghost coloring page, and you have a tiny book.

Keep the Halloween fun going

Find more friendly pictures in our Halloween coloring pages. The haunted house coloring page even has a tiny ghost hiding in the attic window. Kids who like cute drawings can also browse our cute coloring pages.

Questions