Looking for a fun and spooky science activity for kids? These Ghost Tea Bags are perfect for Halloween! With just a few simple supplies, you can create a floating ghost that amazes kids while teaching them a little science along the way.

Floating ghosts instantly grab kids’ attention-they’re mysterious, a little spooky, and full of fun! That’s why this Ghost Tea Bag craft makes such a perfect Halloween activity. With just a tea bag, a marker, and a little help from an adult, kids can turn something ordinary into a flying ghost!

The set-up is quick and simple, but the excitement is huge. Kids love designing their own ghostly faces and then watching in awe as the tea bag rises up into the air. It feels like magic, but it’s really a clever science trick wrapped in Halloween fun.

This craft is more than just making something to look at, as it’s an experience! It sparks imagination, teaches a little science, and brings lots of laugh with hands-on fun!

Safety First

Before we start this activity, I can’t stress enough how important safety is! Under NO circumstances should this activity be done without supervision by a watchful adult. Fire is unpredictable and can quickly cause damage or get out of control, so keep a fire extinguisher on hand.

Supplies Needed

• Flat tea bags
• Black permanent markers
• Lighter
• Non-flammable surface

How to Make

1. Cut the top from the tea bag, creating a straight edge.

2. Unfold the tea bag and empty the contents.

3. Draw a face towards the bottom of the tea bag.

4. Shape the tea bag into a cylinder and stand it on the non-flammable surface in a draft-free location.

5. Light the top of the tea bag on fire.

6. As the tea bag burns, the air density on the inside of the tea bag will change, resulting in a lift of the final pieces. Be aware that some tea bags lift higher and faster than others. Some may burn all the way down before blowing. The humidity in the air may also change the flight of the tea bag.

Helpful Tips

Make sure you’re working in a completely draft-free area. Something as small as a ceiling fan or an open window can cause the tea bag ghost to tip over instead of floating! A calm, still space helps the tea bag burn evenly, creating the rising effect that makes your ghost appear to lift into the air.

Science Principles Taught

This Halloween science experiment is a demonstration of heat, air density and convection – the same principle that makes hot air balloons float!

When the tea bag ghost is lit, the flame heats the thin, lightweight paper. As it burns, the rising hot air creates a convection current—the warm air is less dense than the cooler air around it, so it quickly moves upward.

Once the bag is light enough (because most of it has burned away), the upward push of the hot air lifts the ghost into the air. In short: it’s a fun demonstration of heat, air density, and convection—the same principle that makes hot air balloons float!

Why Kids Love This Project

• It looks like magic when the ghost floats into the air, surprising everyone watching.
• Perfect for Halloween, with silly or scary ghost faces, they can design themselves.
• Kids get to cut, draw, and set up their own ghost before the science takes over.
• The experiment takes only a minute or two from start to finish.
• Once they see it work, kids will want to repeat it with new designs and faces.

More Halloween Crafts

Looking for more fun Halloween themed ideas? Check out the following:

• Halloween Craft: Make an Egg Carton and Tissue Paper Ghost
• Halloween Paper Plate Crafts
• Monster Gourd Halloween Craft Project
• Halloween Craft Fun: Make a Paper Plate Spiderweb