Ghost hunting birthday parties

Spooky ghost stories are fine at sleepovers but what if your child wants a bit more zing to their fling? Armed with flashlights, digital recorders and cameras, a ghost hunting birthday party for your child puts a spin on traditional celebrations. Get the party started with episodes from their favorite ghost hunting television show or Scooby Doo then go over the basics:

• No one goes into an area alone
• Everyone stays within shouting distance of each other
• An adult will be present at all times
• Remember to leave a place as you found it - no garbage, damage or leftover birthday cake

Discover haunted places to explore via favorite books or The Shadowlands online (as well as other directories) before the party and call ahead to make sure it's an appropriate place for children to climb around as well as permission from the property owner if needed.

Arm them with their own ghost hunting kits:

• Notebooks
• Pencils
• Disposable camera
• Stopwatch or watch
• Flashlight
• Compass for EMF recordings
• Digital voice recorder for teams to share
• A copy of the Girls' Ghost Hunting Guide. Packed with tips, party games, decoration ideas, recipes, plus an excellent guide to learning to investigate the paranormal by deductive reasoning and FUN! Visit the Girls' Ghost Hunting Guide website today!

Start off the investigation by dividing the party into teams (if a large party) and assign partners. Make sure there is an adult with each group. As the kids explore the area, have them ask questions as the voice recorder runs, pausing between questions to hopefully capture an answer back. If the sugar rush from the cake has worn off, have them sit for ten minutes at a time and observe the area. Have them write down in their notebooks any changes in temperature, smells, sounds, etc, so they can share later with their friends and interpret what they experienced.

At the end of the party, have them create a group ghost story using the location you just visited with themselves as the investigators. Their notes may be used to fill in blank spots in the story, and share the voice recording- writing down anything that may come across as ghostly. Make a CD of the recordings to send home with each guest in their ghost hunting kit and a copy of the ghost story to share with their family.

Download your own Phantom Party Packet from the Girls' Ghost Hunting Guide as a PDF! Games, quizzes, decorations and food ideas for your next ghost adventure!

Have fun!




Image credit: stellarbaby.com

Getting started

Welcome to Wee Ghosties! I'm Stacey, I've been investigating the spookier side of "life" for nearly 20 years and have picked up a load of tips. I'm happy to answer questions, please write me at infoATweeghosties.com! Please replace AT with @ -- eh, you know the drill...

Getting started in ghost hunting is as simple as walking outside with a notepad and pencil. The only real requirements are the ability to do research, a healthy dose of common sense so you're not chasing wild geese and an open mind. There are some in this field that believe anything that seems even half-way plausible has to be spirit activity, please don't confuse a raccoon under a house with a ghost (it's happened before and will happen again)!

You do not need a certificate to start investigating ghosts or buy a bunch of equipment, I still use primarily paper, pen, a watch and a tape recorder. The rest just helps you to pinpoint activity but it's not necessary. Trust your instincts and use them to help you find what you're looking for, you don't need a $100 thermometer to tell you it got colder in one area of the room than another. ;)

Ok, let's get busy.