The nights are getting longer, the days are getting shorter, and spooky vibes are in the air.  With Halloween quickly approaching, it’s the perfect opportunity to participate in some fun, fall themed sensory activities with your child! 

Here are a few ideas for making your Halloween season a festive sensory experience.

Pumpkin Play:

Decorating pumpkins is a great way to provide your child with an interesting tactile experience. Cut open the top of the pumpkin and let your little one scoop out the pumpkin guts with their hands or a spoon. Try decorating your pumpkin with finger paints to make the cutest or silliest pumpkin in town.

Halloween Gross Guessing Game:

Make a silly, spooky Halloween game by having your child close their eyes and try to guess what goopy gross thing is in the bowl in front of them. You can try peeled grapes for eyeballs, cold spaghetti noodles for worms, and pudding for slug slime.  

Halloween Themed Yoga:

Try a Halloween themed yoga session with your child.  Turn crab walks into spider walks and legs up the wall inversions into “bat pose.” Pretend to be pumpkins during child’s pose and falling autumn leaves for forward fold. Turn on some Halloween tunes in the background, like “Monster Mash,” to increase the spooky autumn vibes.

Experiment with Different Fall Aromas and Flavors:

Now that pumpkin spice season is upon us, it’s a great time to introduce your child to the flavors and scents of fall. Try lighting a warm cinnamon-scented candle. Sample some yummy fall snacks, like pomegranate seeds, pumpkin flavored treats (like pumpkin smoothies or pumpkin pudding), or different varieties of squash.

Be Sensory Smart for Sensitive Kids:

Although Halloween is a fun, exciting time, it can be a sensory overload for sensitive kids and children with sensory processing difficulties. The flashing lights, unexpected noises, and abundance of scary costumes and decorations can be overstimulating or frightening, and uncomfortable or itchy costumes can turn into a miserable experience for your child. Try to be on the lookout for signs that your child is becoming overwhelmed so that you can tailor the night to meet their needs.

Have a happy, safe, and spooky Halloween season!