There's a Ghost in this House: questions to ask and activities to try
A girl lives in a big old house that might be haunted, but she has never seen a ghost. Turn the see-through pages and you'll spot them everywhere. A playful Halloween book from Oliver Jeffers.
What age is There's a Ghost in this House for?
There's a Ghost in this House is best for ages 3–7.
There's a Ghost in this House (Oliver Jeffers)
- Age
- 3-7
- Best for
- Gentle spooky fun, and noticing what others miss
Only 50pThere’s a Ghost in this House activity sheet3 printable pages: questions to talk about, a drawing and writing page, and notes for the grown-up. Instant PDF.
Just want the questions? Get the free question card ↓
Let your child turn the see-through pages slowly. Enjoy that they can see the ghosts when the girl can’t, and talk about how it feels to be in on a secret.
Is this book right for your child?
- Age
- 3–7 (nursery to Year 2)
- What they'll enjoy
- A girl lives in a big old house that might be haunted, but she has never seen a ghost. Turn the see-through pages and you'll spot them everywhere. A playful Halloween book from Oliver Jeffers.
- Helps with
- Gentle spooky fun, and noticing what others miss
- Buy or borrow?
- Borrow it from the library first if you can. If your child asks for it again and again, it’s one worth owning, and the questions and activities on this page work best with the book open next to you.
What it helps with
- Feeling brave about spooky things
- Noticing details
- Seeing things from another view
- Halloween
Comprehension and discussion questions for There's a Ghost in this House
Pick two or three, not all of them. “I don’t know” is a fine answer, and you can always come back to it another day.
- “What was the girl looking for?”
- “Could she see the ghosts? Could you?”
- “Where were the ghosts hiding?”
- “Were the ghosts scary or friendly?”
- “Is there a part of your home that feels a bit spooky?”
- “Why do you think the girl never saw them?”
For the full list of questions and more, download the PDF below.
Print these questions: free question card for There's a Ghost in this House
All 6 questions for There's a Ghost in this House on one printable page, each marked with the reading skill it practises. Enter your email and download it straight away.
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5-minute activities to try together
See-through ghosts
Draw a room on paper, then draw ghosts on baking paper or tracing paper and lay it on top. Lift it to make them vanish.
Spot the ghost
Hide a small paper ghost somewhere in a room. Give clues like warmer and colder until your child finds it.
There's a Ghost in this House activity sheet: printable worksheet and questions
All the questions and activities above on a ready-to-print activity sheet: questions tagged by reading skill with space to answer, a drawing and writing page with a self-check, and notes for the adult with curriculum links and a 20-minute session plan. Pay by card, PayPal or Payhip and download straight away.
- Page 1, talk about it: questions about the story, each tagged with the reading skill it practises, with space to answer or tick
- Page 2, my favourite part: a drawing box, a sentence starter and a “how did I do?” self-check
- Page 3, notes for the adult: curriculum links, a 20-minute session plan, extension activities, and support and challenge ideas
- Read it togetherEnjoy the story first.
- Ask 2 or 3 questionsFrom the list above, while everyone is calm.
- Print the activity sheetAn activity sheet with questions, a drawing page and notes for you.
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Use it as a lesson plan
Children can listen to There's a Ghost in this House, answer questions about it and give a reason for their ideas, and talk about feeling brave about spooky things.
A 20-minute session for ages 3–7 (nursery to Year 2), for a class, a small group or one child at home.
- Warm up (2 minutes). Show the cover and read the title. Ask: “What do you think this story will be about?”
- Read aloud (6 minutes). Read it all the way through. Tip: Let your child turn the see-through pages slowly. Enjoy that they can see the ghosts when the girl can’t, and talk about how it feels to be in on a secret.
- Talk about it (4 minutes). Pick two or three of the comprehension and discussion questions above. “What was the girl looking for?” works well to start.
- Activity (6 minutes). Do See-through ghosts. Draw a room on paper, then draw ghosts on baking paper or tracing paper and lay it on top. Lift it to make them vanish. Children who finish early can try Spot the ghost.
- Wrap up (2 minutes). Ask each child for one thing they will remember from the story, and why.
Want to go further? The There's a Ghost in this House activity sheet has these questions with space to answer, a drawing and writing page, and notes for the adult.
If your child liked this, try
Funnybones (Janet and Allan Ahlberg)
- Best for
- A funny-not-scary classic about skeletons
- Age
- 3-7
A Dark, Dark Tale (Ruth Brown)
- Best for
- A spooky story with a gentle surprise
- Age
- 3-6
The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark (Jill Tomlinson)
- Best for
- A baby owl who's afraid of the dark
- Age
- 4-8
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By the Growing Wise team · Last reviewed: 29 October 2026
Growing Wise offers educational ideas for parents and carers. It is not a substitute for professional medical, developmental or mental-health advice. As an Amazon Associate, Growing Wise earns from qualifying purchases.