Halloween week is a lot. For me it starts at home: setting up the bonfire in my driveway, putting up all my decorations and yard inflatables, coordinating where my teens will be, and getting enough of the good candy before it’s gone from the Costco shelves.
Then I get to school, and the hardest part there is the candy too. Kids sneak it in the whole week long, and especially the day after. They’re excited, hyper, chatty, and extremely tired, all within just a few days. Weaving in a good, fun Halloween yoga lesson plan while navigating the high anxiety or excitement from the students is always a challenge.
We need a positive, energetic way to use that momentum, and a way to channel it into calm. Here’s the lesson I use, built around the picture book Ten Timid Ghosts by Jennifer O’Connell. It’s for ages 4 to 8, and the theme is Halloween, shadows, and facing our fears.
What you need
- A copy of Ten Timid Ghosts
- Something that makes light and shadow: a candle, a flashlight, or a projector
- LED glow wands (always a hit)
- Music for the skeleton dance
- A bell or chime
- Supplies for the ghost shadow puppet craft (listed below)
Start with a question
Welcome everyone and let them share their Halloween costume ideas. Then ask: how do you feel about the dark?
Some kids love the dark! It’s impressive how many kids actually enjoy the dark and spooky or scary movies. They’re usually the loudest voices in the room, too. The shy kids who are actually afraid of the dark don’t often speak up.
So I name my own fear. I don’t like being in the dark suddenly, without a warning. If I have a flashlight or candle ready, or the moon is bright enough, I’m always okay. I just don’t like being caught off guard.
Ghost Breath
Breathe in deeply, then breathe out with a gentle “whoo” sound, like a ghost. Repeat three to five times.
You can swap the ghost for a werewolf or for wind in the trees. Just make sure to model it first so they know it sounds gentle.
Mindfulness with light and shadow
Pick the one that fits your room.
- Candle. Dim the lights and watch a candle burn. Look at the shadows it makes.
- Flashlight or projector. If candles aren’t allowed, shine a flashlight on a blank wall, or use a projector on a blank screen, and make shadow shapes.
- Eyes closed. Have everyone close their eyes and notice the light behind their eyelids. Then turn the lights off. What happens? How does it feel?
- Glow wands. In the dark, let kids dance with LED glow wands and write their names in the air.
- The shadow of a sound. Ring a bell. Can you hear the echo after it ends?
Warm up
Skeleton dance. Shake your bones to the music, and freeze. Shake your elbows, arms, legs, hips, feet. Try “The Skeleton Dance” by Super Simple Songs or “Dem Bones.”
Be my shadow. Kids mirror you, as a whole group or one at a time. Then pair them up with a partner and work on mirroring and shadowing each other.
Read the book, with a pose for every character
Read Ten Timid Ghosts and stop for a pose each time a new character shows up.
Witch: Chair Pose (or Warrior 2)
Feet together, knees bent deep. “Pretend to hold a broom in between your legs and soar from side to side.”
Warrior 2: “Pretend to hold a wand, swishing it over your bent leg to cast spells.”
Skeleton: Star Pose
Wide feet, arms up and out, with skeleton movements or silly jumps with arms swinging.
Bat: Legs Up the Wall or Shoulderstand
Lie with your back flat on the floor. Put your legs up so your feet rest directly above your hips. Rest them on a wall if you like, and put your arms over your chest like a bat hanging upside down.
Or try shoulder stand for older kids, reaching your feet further up to the ceiling and pressing your hands into your low back or hips to lift them up.
Ghoul: Slow Creeping Walk
Arms out, moving slow, like the picture in the book. Pretend to creep forward slowly, like a zombie or a very slow ghost.
Cat: Cat Pose (or Tabletop with One Leg Out)
Hands and knees, arch the back, tuck your head down. Hiss like a scary cat!
Owl: Owl Pose
Sit with your knees and feet together and bent to one side. Sit tall and twist as far as feels good to the side like an owl. Make a scary hooting sound.
Vampire: Mountain Pose on Tippy Toes (or Half Moon)
Arms in a V, up on tiptoes, look up proudly. “Pretend to hold your cape up behind you.”
Monster: Dragon or Dinosaur Pose
Start in a low lunge and put your back knee on the floor. Reach your arms up overhead and stick your tongue out as you roar!
Spider: Spider Pose (or Turtle)
Hands behind, lift hips: “Crawl forward and back or side to side!”
Turtle: legs apart, arms under knees around shins. “Tuck your head down like a spider crouching on a web.”
Rat: Mouse Pose (Child’s Pose)
Sit on your knees and tuck your head down, wrapping your arms around behind you. Make tiny soft squeaks.
Mummy: Sit Up from Savasana
Lie flat on the ground as if you were a corpse. Reach your arms straight up and sit up slowly like a mummy rising from the dead.
The Ghosts Gather: Tree Pose, then a Community Tree
Gather everyone in a circle. Put your hands face out towards your neighbors. Gently press into their hand and support them as they press into yours. Bring your weight to your right foot and place your left foot on the inside of your right ankle or calf.
As we balance, slowly reach your hands and arms up straight!
Scare the Witch!
A loud boo, a scary face, or a breathing “boo.” Make your scariest face on three… 1, 2, 3!
The Witch Flees
Witch pose, or ghosts excited with glee. Everybody cheers!
Want more spooky poses? Here are my Halloween yoga poses for kids.
Talk about facing our fears
After the story, ask: how can we address what we’re scared of? What do we do?
Kids usually have good ideas. They’ll say ask an adult to go with you, bring a teddy bear or stuffie, or just take deep breaths. They know what to do. As adults, we get to help them practice it in a safe space, so they’ll be ready to do it on their own.
Two more books that work
- Ghost Afraid of the Dark by Sara Conway. Another really cute book about facing our fears. A ghost seeks help from his friends. Older kids often prefer to ask friends for help over grownups, but younger kids need this reminder. Lots of good “spooky” characters to help us practice those fun yoga poses, too.
- The Good, the Bad, and the Spooky by Jory John. This is a longer book that’s great for teaching kids about what good can come out of Halloween other than just candy- community, creativity, and fun!
Games
- Shadow puppet stories. Shine a flashlight on a blank wall and take turns telling a short ghost story with hand shadows or your ghost shadow puppets.
- Be my shadow. Just like the warm up, you do the movements and they copy, or split them into pairs.
Craft: ghost shadow puppets
You’ll need: white paper or cardstock, scissors, a marker, tape, a straw or craft stick, and a flashlight.
- Draw or trace a ghost shape on the paper. A ghost cookie cutter works well as a template.
- Cut it out. Adults can pre-cut for younger kids.
- Draw a face on your ghost.
- Tape the ghost to the top of the straw or craft stick.
- Dim the lights, shine the flashlight on a blank wall, and hold the puppet between the light and the wall.
- Act out Ten Timid Ghosts with your shadows, or make up your own ghost story.
Tip: move the puppet closer to the light to make the shadow grow, and closer to the wall to shrink it.
Savasana: embracing the light within
Find a comfy spot, sitting or lying down. Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose, letting it fill your belly, then slowly breathe out through your mouth. Let your breathing find its own rhythm.
As you breathe in, imagine a warm, golden light all around you. Feel it wrapping around you like a cozy blanket. With each breath, the light gets brighter, filling you from head to toe.
Now think of something you’re a little bit scared of, like the dark or something new. It’s okay to feel scared. As you breathe out, imagine the warm light moving toward that scary thing.
Breathe in bravery. Breathe out worry. You are safe and cared for.
Stay with the light a little longer. When you’re ready, wiggle your fingers and toes and open your eyes. The light is always with you.
