Fun and Friendly Sensitive Activities for Halloween
Halloween offers a great opportunity to bring out some fun activities to do with the kids. Unlike most kids, creating a fun Halloween activity for children under the spectrum can be quite challenging because they can be hypo or hypersensitive. Fortunately, several sensory activities are suitable for children with sensory sensitivity. Below are the sensory-friendly activities that can eliminate the chances of meltdowns to ensure a fun and productive Halloween.
Make your Slime
To make your slime, pour 2 (5 oz) bottles of clear school glue in a container then add 10 oz water. Add 1/4 cup glitter and 1/4 cup Halloween spider confetti in the container, then gradually add the 8 oz liquid starch while stirring. Keep stirring and continue adding the starch until it becomes gooey or too thick to stir. With your hands, knead the slime to get rid of the excess water and you will have your final product. If your child participates in making the slime, this will require joint attention between you and your child which makes it a great bonding activity. Use this to allow your child to follow instructions by creating lines and shapes using slime. With the slime, you can also form or spell out words to increase your child's vocabulary.
T-Shirt Decorating
Nothing is more rewarding than wearing a Halloween costume that you have invented or decorated on your own. Allow your child to decide on the theme then assist in decorating a T-shirt or jersey using fabric glue. Instead of purchasing a costume from the shop, the children will have the rewarding experience of using their creativity in creating a personalized Halloween costume that will help boost their self-esteem.
Pumpkin Carving
Pumpkin carving is a fun Halloween activity that children with autism can partake in. It helps develop their motor and sensory processing skills by holding the pumpkin and manipulating tools. Using a cookie-cutter, they can carve their own pumpkin to create a jack-o-lantern face and scoop out the goo inside to feel its texture. Another option is for the children to draw the jack-o-lantern face with the use of writing implements.
Monster Sand
To make monster sand, pour 3 cups flour, 2 tablespoons of baby oil, and 1 teaspoon of orange food coloring in a large container then mix all the ingredients thoroughly. It is a fun Halloween activity that offers a rich sensory experience to children under the spectrum in the most calming way possible. You can add some googly eyes, blocks, beads, or other materials so that you and your child can create monster sand that you can use later as a creepy Halloween prop.
Halloween Sensory Bin
Sensory bins offer a plethora of sensory play opportunities while introducing different concepts that will enhance your child's imagination. Before you start filling the bin, get a few clear disposable plastic gloves and stuff them with water, Halloween-themed objects, and food coloring then place them in the freezer. Once you have the frozen gloves, start filling the bin with beads, spiders, googly eyes, and other Halloween-themed objects then place the frozen gloves on top.