A Ghostly Good Time in Speech Therapy!

I love to mix it up in my speech therapy sessions.  I especially love it when a simple activity such as this Ghostly Good Time activity can be used by all my groups. Then the icing on the cake comes from being able to use it for the two weeks leading up to Halloween!

I must give create where create is due.  This ghost idea is from Michael's Craft Store.  You can find it online here or you can continue reading to see how I made mine and how it will be used in therapy.

How to create a tabletop ghost.

This tabletop ghost game costs less than $4 and takes about 30 minutes to create. Being a crafter, I have several of the tools you need, but they really are things anyone would have around the house.   

Step 1.  I purchased the large googly eyes (Wiggly Eyes) at WalMart for less than $3 and the sheet of foam core board for $1 at the Dollar Tree. (I am not an affiliate of either of these stores and do not get any reimbursement of any kind to mention them here by name.)  You will also need a marker, hot glue gun, and a craft knife that will cut through the foam core.  I used my Fiskars fingertip craft knife. 

Step 2.  For a ghost pattern, I used a ghost image from my stash of clip art and created a pdf of the image which I printed poster size. Of course you can easily free hand a ghost of your own!

Step 3. I taped the pattern together then cut it out. Next, I pinned it to the foam core board and traced around it.  After that, I cut it out.

Step 4.  I cut out a mouth and glued on the big googly eyes.  Then I cut a 4"x6" rectangle from the core board and then cut it in half diagonally to create my two triangles to make the ghost stand up. 

Now your ghost is ready to put some fun in your therapy!

Here is how to have a ghostly good time in speech therapy.

Tossing Game:

Give your students their work for the session.  If they are using a worksheet, that's great because it will become their ball for tossing.  If they are using a card deck, then supply them with a piece of paper so they can keep score of their correct or incorrect responses. Take 5 minutes at the end of your session to allow them to toss their "balls" (wads of paper) into the ghost's mouth.  If you have been using a tangible object in your therapy session, allow your students to earn scratch paper they will wad to toss. Seriously, it won't matter what your student goals are.  One way or another they are going to get to wad up paper to form a ball to toss. 

Alternative gameplay:

Give your artic students a piece of paper and have them write words/phrases or sentences with their sound on it. Leave enough space so that they can cut them into strips that can be wadded into very small balls to toss or flick with their finger into the ghost's mouth. 

Language students can earn strips of paper to wad and flick or toss.

You can let all who get their ball of paper into the ghost's mouth be the winners or keep score.

Another idea is to use your Halloween erasers to toss.  The students will earn them by the work you require them to do.

You kids will love this!  Have fun!