Halloween Activities for Families (That Aren’t Trick-or-Treating)
Planning a Halloween celebration can be challenging for families who have members with sensory processing challenges. However, with some creativity, you can create a fun and sensory-friendly Halloween experience that everyone can enjoy.
Here are several sensory-friendly Halloween activities:
1. Pumpkin Sensory Play - Carve or decorate pumpkins with different textures, such as glitter, feathers, and stickers. This activity provides an opportunity for tactile exploration and creativity.
2. Halloween Sensory Bins - Fill a bin or container with Halloween-themed items such as fake spiders, eyeballs, and slime. You can explore the different textures and materials, and can sometimes be used as a calming activity.
3. Halloween Scavenger Hunt - Create a scavenger hunt with Halloween-themed items, such as orange and black objects or hidden treats. This activity promotes problem-solving and exploration.
4. Sensory-Friendly Costume Parade - Encourage everyone to dress up and participate in a costume parade. For those who are sensitive to costume fabrics, offer alternatives such as face painting or masks made of soft materials.
5. Halloween Story Time - Read Halloween-themed stories with interactive elements such as props or puppets. This activity promotes language development and engagement.
6. Visit the Pumpkin Patch at a quiet time- This will allow you to take in the experience without being overwhelmed by all the noise and groups of people.
7. Have a family movie night with special treats- Create a cozy atmosphere and show your family that the holiday does not revolve around going door-to-door to get candy.
8. Hand out candy from home- If they do not want to participate in trick-or-treating themselves, this is a fun way to witness the action and engage with members of your community while staying at home in a familiar space.
The holiday can be just as enjoyable as a family by creating your own traditions to celebrate! Embrace the positives of forming new ways to celebrate old traditions. Candy, family, and fun are the goal of Halloween!