Halloween Sensory Exploration Table

If Trick or Treating is way too overwhelming for your little one, or you are looking to keep the Halloween festivities going at home by creating a spread for sensory exploration, try a sensory table. Get them dressed up, put on some sensory music and create a mix of preferred textures with just a few not so preferred. I used to use this activity in collaboration with the OT and PT when I was in the school setting. Every year we would borrow a classroom, and transform it into a fun, Halloween themed sensory experience for the entire unit. We had a goop table, bean bag toss, a parachute/spooky music center, an obstacle course that went through cobwebs, swamps and graveyards ( we used tablecloths with swamp/graveyard scenery ) and of course the sensory table!!! As is the case with any activity, remember you can incorporate picture symbols, visual countdowns or a timer to help them comprehend what is expected of them. You can also model the actions first and then provide the prompts and cues they need.

Below I'm giving you the most economical food based sensory bowls we would create. All of these can be made for less than 5 dollars each. Mix & match materials, or substitute as needed for your child.

cold, sticky spaghetti with plastic spiders

pudding cup topped with cookie crumbles and pretzel rods to stir

Scoop some chocolate pudding in a cup topped with crunchy cookie crumbles that they can mix with pretzel rods for a chance to interact with both smooth and hard, crunchy, crumbly textures. How about a bowl of plain sticky spaghetti with plastic spiders sprinkled throughout. If they love counting but they hate the sticky texture of plain spaghetti, encourage them to pick out the plastic spiders and count how many they found. If they particularly love letters and numbers, throw a few those in. You can use the fridge magnets we all grew up with, or pieces from a familiar puzzle that are easy to clean. In the picture below I have orange jello animal cutouts with whip cream. If they tolerate the texture of whip cream but hate the cold wet jiggly texture of jello, ask them to spread the whip cream around and cover up the orange.

TIP: If they dislike getting their hands dirty I like to keep a pre dampened textured washcloth, on hand to 1) clean their hands of course, 2) show them it's not a big deal; wipe your hands and that material is poof! Gone! and 3) the texture of the washcloth will provide some sensory input to further work on desensitization.

orange washcloth to quickly wipe hands during the activity

By mixing and matching textures you are

using a tolerated textured to expose and desensitize them to non preferred textures. With any cooking activity, I incorporate music based scripting to build comfort, and familiarity with words, phrases, and directions. Studies have shown that using music can help improve receptive, expressive vocabulary and motor memory (Pino,2023; Zhang, 2024). So work in that scripting they are familiar with. Whether it's " Mix, Mix, Mix the pudding", " Count, Count, Count the spiders", or "Spread, Spread, Spread the whip cream", using the same, familiar tune can help keep them at ease while you're challenging them. Expose them to new vocabulary and review what you have been working on. Be mindful of how much they can handle. If this activity is already pushing their tolerance for novel activities, simply modeling new phrases without expectation of imitation, and incorporating opportunities for them to finish familiar scripts may be the way to go. For example, you've been working on 2-4 word phrases, spatial concepts, colors, and numbers. You've been using the short phrase " Pick up, put in" to target using spatial concepts and they have it down.

orange jello with whip cream

If you start off the phrase, they will quickly complete it. You say " Pick up"... and the child says "put in!" You have also been working combining numbers and colors but they still benefit from frequent prompting and modeling. In an activity where their tolerance for textures is challenged, I would use the phrase as well as create opportunities for them to use "Pick up, put in" and then I would model "number + color" (1 orange,2 orange). You can expand to model 3 words ( 1 orange hippo, 2 orange hippos...,Etc). If they use those concepts in one word utterances, I may use sabotage to shift their attention away from discomfort with textures and towards concepts they are familiar with. So if we are using that bowl of orange jello, I would say or sing something along the lines of " Let's Mix, Mix, Mix purple jello. Mix purple jello in the bowl!" The child may then correct me themselves, by saying "Orange!". I can use it as a chance to act silly and say "Are you sure, that's orange? It's not green?" Again, all in an attempt to bring levity and fun for THEM! Why? It of course depends on the child, but a few things can happen if you push them too much. They are so overwhelmed by the textures in front of them, they aren't really processing any questions, prompts, or cues you're giving them. Your words are meaningless. Your voice is noise in the background. In this moment, your priority is to bring them back to a zone of comfort, using music, utensils to create distance between them and the material, and using simple, familiar phrases. You have to read the cues they are putting out. If you challenge them too much, you run the risk of creating a negative association with the activity and the materials, which means the next time they are presented with it, they may run away, they may scream and cry, etc. You don't want that. You want to develop comfort with the activity and materials. So if your child is easily overstimulated, create a calm relaxed environment, use a soft voice, no loud cheers and expressions. If your child loves high fives, cheering, and silly sounds...guess what you're going to do. Cheer, clap, give high fives, and sprinkle in "Whoosh!","Splat!", "Smoosh!",etc.

If you can deal with the mess, create space on the table for some fun whip cream finger painting activities. Spread out a table cloth that is on its way out, or tape down newspaper/salepaper pages on the table, around the table area and under the table.Use food coloring, or natural food coloring powder to create several different color options. Tip: rub some coconut oil on their hands before getting started, so the food coloring doesn't stain their hands and washes off more easily. Please use your judgement, if your child is allergic to coconut oil, use one safe for their hands and that they are not allergic too. If they have a tendency to put their hands in their mouths use one that is food safe. If not, baby oil works well too. Once you're ready, mix those colors, and smear all over the tablecloth/paper. Take some plastic farm animals, the plastic spiders I mentioned above and make footprints across the different colors. Practice writing letters, their names, drawing shapes, incorporate any fine motor practice they need.

As I have said in previous posts, adapt activities and provide the supports they need to bring them into the mix. It is difficult for both you and your child when they are so easily overwhelmed by typical activities, festivals, and party atmospheres. That being said, you don't have to lock yourselves at home and stick to what you do on a daily basis. Change is ok, and exposing them to novel activities will help them learn how to deal with deviations from their normal routines. As long as you know the supports they need, you can adapt any activity to meet them where they are, and adjust the environment, materials, prompts and cues to encourage them to participate and learn new things. In this case, if they need tools, keep those on hand, tongs, a long handled spoon, even a simple fork an be used to create just enough distance between the large chunk of material that is too much for them to interact with. After using the tool/utensil, they only have a tiny amount to get through to remove the spider, the magnet letter/number, or the whip cream they enjoy swirling their fingers in. Know your child's needs, and of course, keep the activity simple, and add in elements that are fun for THEM!

Happy Halloween!!!

References:

Pino, M. C., Giancola, M., & D'Amico, S. (2023). The Association between Music and Language in Children: A State-of-the-Art Review. Children (Basel, Switzerland), 10(5), 801. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10050801

Zhang Yinan, & Paul Louie Serrano. (2024). The Impact of Early Childhood Music on the Physical and Mental Development of Young Children. International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, 12(1), 96–99. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10589408