Cute Raccoon Washing a Ghost Coloring Page

The scientific name for raccoons includes the word lotor, which is Latin for washer, because of their habit of wetting objects before handling them.

Raccoons do not actually wash things for cleanliness; water increases the tactile sensitivity of their front paws, helping them examine objects.

A typical raccoon tail displays anywhere from four to ten dark rings.

Count the alternating dark and light rings on the raccoon's fluffy tail together.

Discuss why real raccoons like to handle items in water and how their paws function like hands.

Encourage children to invent a short story about how the ghost got dirty and why the raccoon decided to help.

Use a bright, contrasting color such as violet, pumpkin orange, or lime green for the witch hat.

Add a touch of light sky blue around the bubbly rim of the washbasin to represent soapy water.

Use a black or dark charcoal pencil on the eye patches and tail stripes while leaving the muzzle area lighter.

Glue small bits of cotton batting onto the soap suds in the basin for a tactile 3D effect.

Cut out the finished raccoon and ghost to make a cute Halloween greeting card or door decoration.

Frame the finished page in a wooden hoop or clip it to a seasonal bulletin board.