With October in full swing, our minds jump to one thing: Halloween! Halloween is a brilliant time to engage in elevated dress-up, play with the falling leaves, carve pumpkins and, of course, indulge in delicious seasonal treats. It is also the perfect excuse to get extra creative with sensory play with festive items like pumpkin “guts,” spider webs, slimes and more!
Why Sensory Play?
It is important to remember that everything for your little one is new and exciting! Children delight in exploring their world through their senses, which is exactly what sensory play, play that stimulates any of a child’s senses, offers! Sensory play has plenty of benefits, including enhancing cognitive skills, language development, problem-solving skills, and creativity. It is also terrific for independent play and cooperative play with siblings.
Spine-tingling Sensory Play
Before starting your Halloween-inspired sensory play, set the scene with our fantastic Trick or Treat Halloween Vegan Play Cloth! It offers endless open-ended play, you can use it as decoration, or you can let your Halloween-loving kiddo wear it as a cape.
Then, at your play table, using your sensory bucket or Wooden Tinker Tray to let loose with the following ideas:
- Make spiders: Or hand-make whatever creepy crawlies you want, with our awesome Black Licorice Glitter Dough.
- Play with pumpkin guts: Empty a pumpkin then fill it with cooked noodles or simply mash up the existing insides and its seeds and refill.
- Make monsters: Using this green Monster Glitter Dough, sculpt your own spooky monsters using toys around the house or craft or dollar store Halloween items.
- Brew witches potion: Simply add water and watch the magic unfold with our Orange Magic Potion!
- Monster bin: Gather as many different textures as you can, such as vampire teeth, feathers, and other Halloween toys into a bin for endless fun. Add interesting squishy elements with our purple Lollipop Glitter Dough.
- Playful candy corn: Using our bright orange Candy Corn Dough, add Halloween-themed items like toy ghosts or small pumpkins for different textures and colours.
- Pretend Halloween treats: Kid chefs rule! Let your kids get creative making fun, pretend treats using our Hand-Dyed Sensory Rice that comes in the perfect orange and black colour for the season!
- Bob for eyeballs: Simply fill a bucket with water and fill it with faux eyeballs (or apples) and encourage your kids to bob for them in unique ways.
- Build a haunted house: For kids that love building, use our pumpkin spice dough and toothpicks to build innovative and varied structures!
- Make spooky music: Use household items, like an empty tissue box and rubber bands (a guitar!) and pots and pans to compose spooky sounds!
- Festive beading: Beading is a great way to be creative and experience different colours, textures, and patterns. Opt for festive colours like black, purple and orange.
- Dig for bones: Make a small sandbox and fill it with plastic bones or other Halloween figurines and allow your child to sort through and find them.
- Ice cube insects: Freeze toy insects or other Halloween figures in ice cube trays and add them to warm water. Add glow sticks and food colouring for extra visual fun.
Enjoy these kid-approved Halloween-Themed Sensory Play Ideas to make the most of this spooky month!