5 Little Ghosts

📝 This post, 5 Little Ghosts, was originally published in 2012 and has been updated with new information and resources.

My first teaching job out of college was working with 2- and 3-year-olds. Kids that age love music, rhymes, and repetition, so I quickly discovered the magic of fingerplays! I started creating seasonal fingerplays for my students and continued using them throughout my teaching career. Later, when my own boys were little, I brought them home too. We would make the characters together and then act out the rhymes over and over again. Those are some of my favorite early Halloween memories.

Why Fingerplays Are So Good for Little Kids

If you have never tried fingerplays with your kids, you are missing out! These short rhymes with hand motions are such a simple way to sneak in some learning.

✔️ They help with reading skills — all that rhyming and repetition builds the foundation kids need before they start reading.

✔️ They are great for little hands — the finger movements help build the fine motor skills kids need for things like writing and using scissors.

✔️ They help with counting — most fingerplays count up or down, which is perfect for practicing number sense in a fun way.

✔️ They keep kids engaged — perfect for wiggly kids or those moments when you need a quick activity with zero prep.

✔️ They are just plain fun — and a great way to connect with your kids or students!

Best of all, fingerplays are simple to set up and so much fun to do together. The ghost fingerplays below even come with an easy craft to go along with them!

Five Little Ghost Craft and Rhyme

Materials Needed

✔️white paper
✔️scissors
✔️black pen
✔️googly eyes
✔️cardboard
✔️glue

One of the things my boys loved most about fingerplays was helping make the characters first. By the time the ghosts were cut out and decorated, they were already invested in the rhyme and excited to act it out.

How to Make the 5 Little Ghosts

✔️Draw a ghost shape and cut it out to create a stencil.
✔️Trace the ghost shape 5 times on white paper and cut them out.
✔️Add two eyes and a mouth.

5 Little Ghosts (version 1)
5 little ghosts, what a spooky sight,
One was so tired he slept through the night.
4 little ghosts flying so high,
One was so scared he started to cry.
3 little ghosts as happy as can be,
One flew so high he bumped into a tree.
2 little ghosts dancing in the air,
One did the Hokey-Pokey; he didn’t care.
The last little ghost all alone in the night,
He said, “Boo!” and gave himself a fright!

5 Little Ghosts (version 2)
5 little ghosts all dressed in white
Scaring each other on Halloween night.
“Boo!” said the first one, “I’ll catch you!”
“Woooo!” said the second, “I don’t care if you do!”
The third ghost said, “You can’t run away from me.”
The fourth one said, “I’ll scare everyone I see!”
Then the last one said, “It’s time to disappear.”
“See you at Halloween time next year!”

How to Use Your 5 Little Ghosts

Once your ghosts are made, the fun really begins! Here are a few ways to bring the rhyme to life:

✔️ Act it out — Hold up each ghost as you say the rhyme, removing one ghost at a time as the rhyme counts down.

✔️ Tape them up — Stick your ghosts to a wall, door, or window and act out the rhyme as you remove each one.

✔️ Finger puppets — Tape each ghost to a craft stick or your child’s finger for an interactive retelling.

✔️ Practice counting backward — Use the ghosts to count down from 5 to 0 before or after reciting the rhyme.

✔️ Practice rhyming words — Have your child listen for the rhyming words in each version (night/fright, see/tree) and see if they can spot them!

✔️ Create a Scene— Make a simple haunted house, graveyard, or Halloween background and use it while acting out the rhyme.

✔️ Create Your Own — Use the ghosts to make up your own rhyme or story.

Whether you use these ghost fingerplays at home or in the classroom, I hope they bring lots of Halloween fun to your little learners!