Make an adorable paint splat ghost craft using white paint, a spoon and a straw! A fun and easy Halloween process art activity for preschoolers.
Paint Splat Ghost Craft
Looking for a fun, slightly messy Halloween craft that lets kids get creative? This paint splat ghost craft is an easy Halloween painting activity that preschoolers and kindergarteners will love!
Using white paint, a spoon, and a straw, kids can create their own adorable little ghosts on black cardstock. Once the paint dries, all that’s left to do is add some silly faces and rosy pink cheeks.
The best part? No two ghosts will ever look the same!
This is one of those Halloween crafts that’s just as much fun to make as it is to display. Kids get to experiment with spreading paint, creating unusual shapes, and turning their paint splats into friendly little ghosts.
If you loved our Paint Splat Monsters Craft, you’ll definitely want to try this ghost version too!
It’s a wonderful addition to your October lesson plans, Halloween classroom activities, or afternoon crafting at home.
Why We Love This Paint Splat Ghost Craft
There are so many reasons to love this simple Halloween art project!
First, it’s incredibly easy to prepare. You don’t need a printable template, complicated instructions, or expensive craft supplies.
Just a few basic materials and you’re ready to go.
But what I especially love about this craft is how much freedom it gives kids to experiment.
Some ghosts will be round and chubby. Others will have long, wispy tails or funny little arms. And some might look more like silly blobs than ghosts!
That’s exactly what makes this activity so much fun.
Here are a few more reasons this ghost painting craft is worth trying:
- 👻 Encourages creativity: Every child gets to design a completely unique ghost.
- 🎨 Explores process art: Kids can experiment with how paint moves and spreads.
- ✋ Builds fine motor skills: Using a spoon and controlling a straw encourages hand coordination.
- 🧠 Encourages problem-solving: Children discover how different movements affect their paint splats.
- 🎃 Perfect for Halloween: The finished ghosts make adorable classroom decorations.
- ❤️ Budget-friendly: You probably already have most of the supplies.
And because this is a process art activity, there’s no pressure to make the finished ghosts look a certain way.
The fun is in creating them!
Supplies You’ll Need
You only need a handful of inexpensive supplies to make this adorable paint splat ghost craft.
- Black cardstock: The dark background makes the white ghosts really stand out.
- White washable tempera paint: A great option for preschool and kindergarten painting projects.
- Plastic or metal spoon: For spreading and splatting the white paint.
- Straw: For gently moving the paint into different ghost shapes. Use a clean straw for each child.
- Black marker: To add eyes and funny little mouths.
- Pink marker: To give each ghost adorable rosy cheeks.
- Table covering or craft mat: To make cleanup easier.
A quick tip: I recommend using thicker black cardstock rather than regular construction paper. It holds up better to wet paint and is less likely to curl or wrinkle as the ghosts dry.
For younger children, washable tempera paint is my favorite choice because cleanup is much easier.
How to Make a Paint Splat Ghost Craft
Ready to make some adorable little ghosts?
Follow these simple steps to create your own Halloween paint splat art.
Step 1: Add White Paint to Black Cardstock
Start by placing a sheet of black cardstock on a flat, protected work surface.
Squeeze a small amount of white washable tempera paint onto the paper wherever you’d like your first ghost to appear.
You don’t need a huge amount of paint, but you’ll want enough that kids can spread it around with their spoon.
If you’re planning to make several ghosts on one sheet, leave some space between each paint splat.
Teacher tip: For younger preschoolers, you can prepare the cardstock ahead of time by adding small dollops of paint to each sheet.
This makes the activity easier to manage when working with a larger group.
Step 2: Spread the Paint With a Spoon
Next, give your child a spoon and encourage them to gently press, tap, and spread the white paint.
The goal is to create an irregular ghost shape.
Kids can drag the spoon through the paint to make little arms, stretch the paint downward to create a ghostly tail, or gently tap the paint to make uneven splat edges.
Encourage them to experiment!
There’s no right or wrong way to make a paint splat ghost.
Some children might create a single large ghost, while others will want to make an entire family of little ghosts.
Step 3: Use a Straw to Shape the Ghosts
Now comes another fun part!
Give your child a straw and encourage them to gently blow across the paint to help move it into different shapes.
They can experiment with changing the direction of the airflow to create wispy edges, little ghost arms, and funny tails.
You can also use the straw as a tool to gently push and drag the paint around.
Important safety tip: Only use the blowing technique with children who can reliably blow outward through a straw without inhaling. Supervise closely, use individual straws, and avoid this technique with toddlers or children who may accidentally suck paint into the straw.
For younger preschoolers, simply use the straw as a painting tool instead. They can drag the tip through the paint to create similar ghostly effects.
This is also a great opportunity to talk about how air can move lightweight materials.
Ask kids what happens when they blow gently compared to when they blow a little harder.
Step 4: Let the Paint Dry Completely
Once your child is happy with their ghost shapes, set the cardstock aside to dry.
Because some areas of the paint may be thicker than others, drying can take several hours or longer.
I recommend leaving the artwork overnight if the paint has been applied thickly.
Make sure the white paint is completely dry before moving on to the next step.
Otherwise, the markers may smear or become clogged with paint.
Classroom tip: This is a great two-day Halloween art project. Have children paint their ghosts on the first day, then add the faces during your next art session.
Step 5: Draw Funny Ghost Faces
Once the white paint is completely dry, it’s time to bring those little ghosts to life!
Using a black marker, have your child draw two eyes and a mouth on each ghost.
They can make happy ghosts, surprised ghosts, silly ghosts, or even slightly spooky ghosts!
Next, use a pink marker to add two little rosy cheeks.
I think the pink cheeks make these ghosts especially adorable!
Encourage children to give each ghost a different expression.
One might have a tiny smile, another might have a big surprised mouth, and another might look like it’s laughing.
And that’s it!
Your adorable paint splat ghost craft is complete and ready to display.
What Kids Learn From This Halloween Process Art Activity
One of the things I love most about process art is that children are learning while they’re having fun.
This simple ghost painting activity offers several opportunities to practice important early childhood skills.
Fine Motor Development
Using a spoon to spread paint helps children practice controlled hand and wrist movements.
Drawing small facial features also encourages hand-eye coordination and fine motor control.
Cause and Effect
Children can explore how their actions change the appearance of the paint.
What happens when they press harder with the spoon? How does the paint move when they blow across it? What happens when they change direction?
These simple experiments introduce important cause-and-effect concepts.
Creative Thinking
Because there’s no template to follow, children have the freedom to experiment with shapes, sizes, and expressions.
This encourages creative thinking and independent decision-making.
Emotional Expression
Adding faces is a wonderful opportunity to talk about feelings.
Ask children to create a happy ghost, a surprised ghost, or even a grumpy ghost.
You can extend this conversation with our Emotions Worksheets, which help young learners identify and explore different feelings.
Tips for Making This Craft With Preschoolers
If you’re planning to make these paint splat ghosts with a group of preschoolers or kindergarteners, a little preparation goes a long way.
Use small amounts of paint. A little white paint spreads surprisingly far. Start with small dollops and add more if needed.
Protect your work surface. Paint splatting can get messy! A washable craft mat, plastic tablecloth, or large sheet of paper makes cleanup easier.
Let children experiment. Try not to correct their ghost shapes. The irregular splats are what make this activity so charming.
Have a drying area ready. A drying rack or designated classroom table will keep wet artwork from being accidentally smudged.
Add names before painting. If you’re making these ghosts in a classroom, write each child’s name on the back of their cardstock before starting.
Plan for two sessions. Paint one day and decorate the following day. This keeps the activity manageable and gives the paint plenty of time to dry.
Fun Ways to Extend This Ghost Craft
Want to turn this simple Halloween painting project into a longer learning activity?
Here are a few fun ideas!
Create a Ghost Feelings Activity
Ask children to give each ghost a different facial expression.
They can create happy, sad, surprised, sleepy, and silly ghosts.
Once the artwork is finished, talk about the different emotions.
Practice Counting
Encourage children to count how many ghosts they created.
You can also ask simple questions like:
- How many ghosts have happy faces?
- How many ghosts have surprised faces?
- Can you make one more ghost?
- Which ghost is the biggest? Which is the smallest?
For even more seasonal math practice, try our Halloween Color by Number Worksheets.
Make a Halloween Bulletin Board
These paint splat ghosts would make such a cute classroom bulletin board!
Have each student create their own sheet of ghosts, then display them together with a fun Halloween heading like:
Our Class Is BOO-tiful!
Because every child’s ghosts will look different, the finished display will be full of personality.
You could even pair this activity with our Halloween Name Crafts to create a personalized Halloween classroom display.
Turn It Into a Halloween Art Experiment
Give children different tools for spreading the paint.
Try using spoons, cotton swabs, craft sticks, or a small piece of cardboard.
Ask children to compare the different textures and shapes they create.
This is a fun way to introduce experimentation and observation through art.
Halloween Picture Books to Pair With This Ghost Craft
I love pairing seasonal crafts with picture books.
Reading a Halloween story before crafting is such an easy way to introduce the activity, build excitement, and encourage conversations about the characters.
Here are some adorable Halloween books that would pair beautifully with these friendly little ghosts.
1. The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt by Riel Nason – A sweet story about a little ghost who feels different from the other ghosts because he’s made from a quilt instead of a sheet. This is a lovely choice for encouraging conversations about individuality and celebrating what makes us unique.
2. Ghosts in the House! by Kazuno Kohara – A charming Halloween picture book about a little girl who discovers that her house is full of ghosts. Its simple illustrations and playful storyline make it a wonderful companion to this ghost painting activity.
3. The Ghosts Went Floating by Kim Norman – A fun, counting-themed Halloween story that follows a growing group of ghosts and other spooky characters. Pair it with your finished paint splat ghosts for a simple Halloween counting activity.
4. There’s a Ghost in This House by Oliver Jeffers – This imaginative picture book follows a little girl who suspects her house might be haunted. The interactive illustrations make it especially fun for children who love searching for hidden details.
5. Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago – A heartwarming story about a shy little ghost who wants to make friends. This is a wonderful book for talking about friendship, confidence, and expressing feelings.
6. How to Catch a Ghost by Alice Walstead – A playful Halloween adventure filled with silly ghost-catching plans. It’s a fun read-aloud before making your own collection of friendly paint splat ghosts.
More Easy Halloween Crafts for Kids
If your kids enjoyed making these paint splat ghosts, there are plenty of other fun Halloween crafts and activities to try next!
Here are some of our favorites.
Paint Splat Monsters Craft
If you loved making these ghosts, you have to try our colorful paint splat monsters! Kids use paint and simple tools to create silly, one-of-a-kind monsters with funny faces. It’s another fantastic Halloween process art activity.
Fork Painted Frankenstein Craft
This adorable Frankenstein craft uses a fork to create wild, spiky hair. It’s a fun Halloween painting activity that combines creative art with fine motor practice.
Fork Painted Witch Craft
Kids use a fork to paint colorful witch hair before adding a paper witch hat. A fun, hands-on Halloween craft that’s perfect for preschool and kindergarten this fork painted witch craft is a fun option for kids in early elementary grades.
Torn Paper Frankenstein Craft
This fun Halloween torn paper Frankenstein craft gives little hands lots of practice tearing and gluing paper while creating an adorable monster.
Halloween Suncatchers
Brighten up your classroom windows with colorful Halloween suncatchers! These make beautiful seasonal decorations and are a great way to practice fine motor skills.
Halloween Handprint Wreath
Turn colorful paper handprints into an adorable Halloween wreath. This is a fun keepsake craft for preschoolers and kindergarteners.
Mummy Lacing Craft
This cute mummy craft gives kids the opportunity to practice threading and lacing while creating a fun Halloween decoration.
For even more ideas, don’t miss our complete collection of Halloween Crafts and Activities for Kids.
It’s packed with easy Halloween crafts, hands-on learning activities, and creative projects for preschoolers and elementary-aged kids.
More Halloween Learning Activities and Printables
Looking for ways to add a little Halloween fun to your literacy and math centers?
These hands-on Halloween activities are great for classroom centers, morning tubs, small groups, and learning at home.
Halloween Alphabet Matching Game
Our friendly ghost alphabet matching game is a perfect companion to this paint splat ghost craft!
Kids practice matching uppercase and lowercase letters using adorable ghost-themed alphabet cards.
It’s a great way to reinforce letter recognition while keeping Halloween learning fun and hands-on.
Halloween Bingo
This printable Halloween bingo game is perfect for classroom parties, small groups, and family game nights.
Kids will love matching the festive Halloween pictures while practicing listening, visual discrimination, and turn-taking.
Halloween Color by Number
These fun Halloween coloring worksheets help children practice number recognition, color identification, and fine motor skills.
They’re a great quiet-time activity for busy October classrooms.
Halloween Name Crafts
Our collection of Halloween name crafts makes learning to recognize and spell names extra fun!
From friendly ghosts to witches, pumpkins, and monsters, these activities are perfect for preschool and kindergarten name recognition practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of paint works best for paint splat ghosts?
White washable tempera paint works really well for this activity. It’s easy to spread, generally cleans up more easily than permanent paints, and creates a nice contrast against black cardstock.
Look for a washable paint that dries opaque enough for the ghost faces to stand out.
Can toddlers make this ghost craft?
Toddlers can participate in a simplified version with close adult supervision.
Skip the straw-blowing step and let them spread the paint with a spoon or another age-appropriate painting tool.
An adult can help add the facial features after the paint dries.
How long does the paint take to dry?
Drying time depends on how much paint children use and how thickly they spread it.
Thin areas may dry within a few hours, but thick paint splats can take much longer.
For best results, allow the artwork to dry overnight before adding the faces.
Can I use regular construction paper?
You can, but I recommend black cardstock instead.
Cardstock is thicker and more durable, so it’s better suited to the wet paint used in this activity.
Can I make this craft with a whole classroom?
Absolutely!
This is a wonderful preschool or kindergarten classroom art project.
Prepare the supplies ahead of time, work with small groups if possible, and designate a drying area for the finished artwork.
You can also divide the activity into two sessions to make it easier to manage.
Final Thoughts
This paint splat ghost craft is such a fun way to celebrate Halloween while encouraging kids to get creative, experiment with paint, and practice important fine motor skills.
I especially love that every finished ghost looks completely different. Some are silly, some are surprised, and some are just plain adorable!
Whether you’re planning Halloween activities for your preschool classroom, looking for an easy kindergarten art project, or simply want a fun afternoon craft to make at home, this is one Halloween painting activity worth trying.
For more easy, screen-free ideas, explore our Halloween Crafts and Activities and October Crafts and Activities.
And don’t forget to follow This Tiny Blue House on Pinterest and Facebook for more easy crafts, printable activities, and hands-on learning ideas for kids!
