Creepy House

Chatterpack

Activities

for your Chatterbooks groups

2

Creepy House reading group activities!

About this pack

Here are some Creepy House discussion and activity ideas for your Chatterbooks groups – to enjoy in sessions during the summer or when your group gets back together in the autumn. The ideas are generic and can link with lots of the titles children are enjoying for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge. For Creepy reads, use the Creepy House Book Sorter on the Summer Reading Challenge website at http://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/book-sorter - lots of great recommendations from children doing the challenge! Chatterbooks [ www.readinggroups.org/chatterbooks] is a reading group programme for children aged 4 to 14 years. It is coordinated by The Reading Agency and its patron is author Dame Jacqueline Wilson. Chatterbooks groups run in libraries and schools, supporting and inspiring children’s literacy development by encouraging them to have a really good time reading and talking about books. The Reading Agency is an independent charity working to inspire more people to read more through programmes for adults, young people and Children – including the Summer Reading Challenge, and Chatterbooks. See www.readingagency.org.uk

Contents

Scary Words – group activity and individual story writing P 3

Things that Go Bump in the Night! Creepy Noises – group activity P 3

Ghosts and Ghouls – group activity P 4

Ghost Hunting! – group activity P 5

‘My Story’ – what is a ghost really thinking? P 6

Scary Stories for a Creepy Storytime P 7

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Scary Words

On a flip chart collect from your group all the scary and creepy words they can think of - eg. ghost, haunt, frightening

You could also group all the words into nouns, verbs, and adjectives

Get the children to vote for their 6 favourite scary words - or each child could individually choose their own 6 favourite words

Then use your 6 words to write together or individually, one of the following:

A story (1 side A4 max)

A poem

A text message

A tweet

A newspaper article.

Things that Go Bump in the Night!

Imagine you're walking through Creepy House. What sounds can you hear? Make a list of all the creepy noises you can think of, for each room - eg. bat's

wings in the attic; heavy breathing in the bedroom.... o Hall o Living Room o Dining Room o Kitchen o Cellar o Bedroom o Bathroom o Attic

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Ghosts and Ghouls – Creepy Creatures! Collect on a flipchart all the different kinds of ghosts and supernatural beings

everyone can think of

Each child then chooses one from the list, looks up more about it in books and on the internet, and draws a picture of their Creepy Creature

MY CREEPY CREATURE is called

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Ghost Hunting!

Imagine you are a ghost hunter tracking down a scary ghost in Creepy House. What equipment will you need? eg a camera? an invisibility cloak?

Using the chart below draw and name each item and say what it’s for!

Equipment How to use it in ghost hunting

Eg. Vacuum cleaner to suck up and catch a ghost!

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‘My Story’ – what might a ghost be really thinking?

Write down the answers to these questions and you will be well on your way with your story! Children can use the template below, individually; or the session leader can read out the questions for children write to down their answers and thus shape up their story. Imagine you’re a ghost Your answers will make a creepy story, told from a

ghost’s viewpoint!

What’s your name?

How old are you?

How long have you been a ghost?

Where do you live?

What sort of ghost are you?

What is your favourite kind of haunting?

What is your dearest wish?

What obstacles are stopping this happening?

How can you overcome these obstacles & do what you want?

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Scary Stories for a Creepy House Storytime –& a few ‘ghostly’ jokes! Here are a few suggestions for stories you could use in a Creepy House storytime:

Louise Cooper Short and Scary! OUP 978-0192781901 Short and Scary! includes stories of ghosts, monsters, and aliens - as well as some much more unexpected scares! Over forty stories in one book - all of them very, very short! None of the stories are more than two pages long, but each of them is special and thought-provoking. Drawn from a range of sources, including folk tales, urban myths, and narrative jokes, as well as original stories.

Sally Grindley & Peter Utton Shhh! Hodder 978-0340746622 A trip through a scary giant's castle - each page is another step towards the giant. There are lots of windows where children can look back to check they didn't wake the person in the last room - and eventually of course, you disturb the sleeping giant and have to shut the book quickly to escape!

Daniel Postgate The Hairy Toe Walker 978-1406322521 While out picking beans an old woman finds a hairy toe – and soon

wishes she hadn't – especially when its owner comes looking for it... Humorously illustrated by Daniel Postgate this spine-tickling traditional tale is a perfect creepy story and shouts to be read out loud!

Terry Jones Fairy Tales Puffin 978-0140322620

The scary story to look out for in this book is The Ship of Bones ! Creepy skeletons to send shivers down your back!

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And a few ghost jokes and riddles!

Q: What's a ghost’s favourite ride at the fair? A: The roller ghoster. Q: Where do ghosts mail their letters? A: At the ghost office. Q: Why are ghosts bad at telling lies ? A: Because you can see right through them ! Q: What did the polite ghost say to her son ? A: Don't spook until you’re spooken to !

Q: When do ghosts usually appear ? A: Just before someone screams ! Get your group to come up with their favourite creepy stories and jokes!

Finally here’s a great fun activity for a Chatterbooks group to promote the challenge. It comes from the Chatterbooks Dyslexia Friendly Book Group in Ashford, Kent.

Each group member was dealt the 'trump' cards of the Creepy House characters and they had to come up with a line for their particular characters, resulting in quite a spooky, atmospheric poem!!" They also made fun craft animals including bats.

In the Creepy House, Wolf Kid howls at the moon, Twilight Tim has to hide from the sun, Granny Hyde creeps scarily around the town, Headless Harry is slowly unscrewing his head, Monsieur Ghoulash is cooking up some rotten food and witches stew, The Skeleton Family Robinson are shaking their bones loudly, The Hothouse Horror is drinking poisonous water, Wurzel Wendy is so scary, she would terrify a giant! Bunny Boy is the weirdest rabbit in the world, And Spookitty and Frankenmouse are scaring the dogs away.....!

By Ben, Seb and Laura. Contact Karin.backlog@kent.gov.uk