Let’s be honest, we’ve all had a moment (or two!) when we were afraid of something—whether it was as simple as a dark room or the first day of school. That’s why I’m excited to teach Ghost Afraid of the Dark this Halloween —a fun, heartwarming book that can make a big impact in your classroom. It follows Boo, a little ghost who – believe it or not – is afraid of the dark! And while that may seem a little strange for a ghost, it opens up so many teachable moments about overcoming fears, friendship, and even a little bravery.
So how can we use Ghost Afraid of the Dark to support our students in the classroom? Below I share some insights, strategies, and fun ideas I’ve tried in my own teaching!
Are you looking for a low-prep engaging resource to go along with Ghost Afraid of the Dark and packed with fun activities? Visit my TPT store or click HERE to learn more!
Brief Summary of the book Ghost Afraid of the Dark
The story follows Boo, a ghost who is scared of the dark – something to make your students laugh, since ghosts typically love the night. Boo visits his friends like Witch, Frank, Dracula, Mummy and Werewolf, who all reassure him that there’s nothing to be afraid of in the dark. They show him how they have fun at night—dancing, flying, and making potions. By the end of the story, Boo not only overcomes his fear but even begins to glow with confidence and excitement about the night.
Why I Love teaching about Halloween with Ghost Afraid of the Dark activities
I’ve used Ghost Afraid of the Dark multiple times during my Halloween read-alouds, and each time my students have loved it. The story is full of rhymes, and it’s great for vocabulary development. I also love how it brings up real fears in a fun, relatable way. I remember one year, I had a student who was terrified of thunderstorms. After reading this book, we had an honest conversation about what made him feel safe when he was scared. We even used the book’s characters as examples to brainstorm ways to face our fears together. The book emphasises how it is easier to face fears together with someone (you can mention friends, parents, teachers, etc.), which is a great lesson in itself.
Ghost Afraid of the Dark is an easy go-to for discussing emotions, bravery, and how friends can help us through tough times. And let’s not forget how much fun it is for students to interact with the rhyming text—it’s a win for phonemic awareness!
Activities for Ghost Afraid of the Dark
1. Ghost Afraid of the Dark Activity – Character Study: Boo’s Friends
Each of Boo’s friends has their own unique nighttime activities, whether it’s dancing, flying, or making potions. This activity encourages students to explore each character’s traits and why they enjoy the night so much.
Activity Directions (for students): Pick one of Boo’s friends from the story. What do they like to do at night? Draw and write about their favorite activity and explain why they do it at night instead of during the day.
2. Ghost Afraid of the Dark Writing Activity: Boo’s Transformation
Boo’s transformation is perfect for a writing activity, where students explain what changed about his attitude to darkness and why. We compare how Boo feels about the dark at the beginning of the story versus the end using these worksheets available in my resource HERE.
3. Ghost afraid of the Dark Sequencing and Retelling Activities, Problem and Solution Discussion
Boo’s main problem is his fear of the dark. Throughout the story, we see how his friends help him overcome that fear. To help students focus on the role of his friends in helping him find the solution to the prtoblem, I created a cut and paste activity to match the characters with the reasons they like night and darkness. In my TPT resource with A Ghost afraid of the Dark activities, I included a cut and paste matching activities that doubles as a sequencing worksheet, as well as a differentiation option with a writing prompt students fill out themselves.
Brief Lesson Plan
Here’s a quick lesson plan you can follow after reading Ghost Afraid of the Dark:
- Objective: Students will identify rhyming words, explore character development, and discuss problem-solving strategies from the text.
- Materials: Copies of Ghost Afraid of the Dark, paper, pencils, chart paper, scissors, glue, and images from the story.
- Activities:
- Character analysis of Boo (comparing his feelings at the beginning and end of the story).
- Rhyming word hunt and creation of new rhyming pairs.
- Problem and solution chart to track Boo’s journey.
Final Thoughts
What I love most about Ghost Afraid of the Dark is its heartwarming message: we all feel afraid sometimes, but with the support of friends (and a little courage), we can face our fears and even grow from them. I hope you give Ghost Afraid of the Dark a try in your classroom. Whether you use it for vocabulary building, writing activities, or character studies, this book has so much to offer in terms of both literacy and social-emotional learning.
If you are looking for a low-prep, engaging, and differentiated resource for Halloween, please check my Ghost Afraid of the Dark actitivities pack available on TPT is ideal! Packed with fun, easy-to-implement activities like character studies, retelling and sequencing, exploring the theme and more – it’s designed to make learning fun while building key literacy and emotional skills. Click Here or the image below to learn more!
In my TPT store you will also find a growing bundle of Halloween read-alouds that includes 5 engaging books plus a bonus cauldron writing craft, all for the price of less than two individual units! A new non-scary Halloween book perfect for elementary students is added each week, ensuring you’ll have fresh, fun activities leading up to Halloween. Perfect for encouraging students to interact with the stories in meaningful and creative ways! Click the image below to learn more:
