In this BLOG post I will teach you how to incorporate sensory play, crafts. motor activities and more into your home, classroom or therapy space this Halloween season!
Materials:
Ice cube tray or bowl
Googly eyes
Sensory tray or bowl
Tools to rescue the objects
Step 1: grab a plastic or metal bowl, an ice cube tray, a silicone ice cube mold or a cake/baking pan.
Step 2: Add in your favorite googly eyes & add water. Food coloring is optional, a few drops go a long way.
Step 3: Freeze for a few hours (length will depend on size and shape that you use.)
Step 4: When frozen, place in a sensory tray or bowl, add medicine droppers, pipettes, squirt bottles or wooden mallets. Also add a few cups or a bowl or warm water.
Step 5: Rescue your treasures!! Squirt, squeeze & bang away until they are free of the ice!
Materials:
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/4 cup salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
5-10 drops food coloring (optional)
5-8 drops essential oil (optional)
Step 1: Pour all ingredients (except essential oil, if using) into a pan.
Step 2: Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently.
Step 3: When it forms a ball, remove from pan.
Step 4: After it cools, knead well (add essential oils now, if using).
Step 5: Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months!
Materials:
(2) part Water
(1) part Tear-free bath soap
Food coloring (optional)
Blender or hand mixer
Mixing bowl
Sensory tray or bowl
Step 1: Measure the water and soap and pour them into a sensory tray or bowl. If you are using a blender, add ingredients in there now!
Step 2: If you are using food coloring, add now. Blend all of the ingredients together until it becomes very foamy, this can take several minutes.
Step 3: If you are making multiple colors, repeat the above steps.
Step 4: Pour the mixture into a sensory tray or bowl and PLAY!
Step 5: If you want to extend your play once the bubbles dissolve, blend it back up again.
Materials:
Spaghetti
Food coloring (optional)
Vegetable oil
Mixing bowl
Pot
Sensory tray or bowl
Step 1: Bring water to a boil. Add pasta and cut according to the directions on the package.
Step 2: Drain the pasta and split into the amount of colors you are making. You can split them into a mixing bowl or Ziploc bag,
Step 3: Add 5-10 drops of food coloring (add more or less depending on how much you make) and mix well, assuring that the colors are fully incorporated. Add a teaspoon or so of vegetable oil, for every one cup of pasta. You want just enough to coat the pasta and keep it from sticking together! You do not want it to be saturated in oil, so start slow and add more if needed!
Step 4: Pour the spaghetti onto a baking sheet or sensory tray and let it dry for about 30 minutes.
Step 5: Drop it on your sensory tray or bowl and PLAY!!!
Materials:
Plastic disposable gloves
Trinkets that can be frozen
Glitter (optional)
Food coloring (Optional)
Sensory tray or bowl
Tools to rescue the objects
Step 1: Gather all of your materials and make a little space in your freezer!
Step 2: Add your favorite Halloween trinkets (or just food coloring/glitter) into the glove & add water. You want to leave enough space at the top so that you can tie the glove closed like a balloon!
Step 3: Freeze for a few hours (length will depend on the size of the glove/how full they are).
Step 4: Once frozen solid, use a pair of scissors to carefully cut open the glove and peel it off. You can run it quicky under water first to loosen in. Sometimes the fingers break and that's OK, throw them in the sensory bin all together! Also add a few cups or a bowl or warm water.
Step 5: PLAY! Squirt, squeeze & bang away until they are free of the ice!
Materials:
1/2 cup of white Elmers liquid glue
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1 tablespoon of contact lenses solution
3 cups shaving cream
Glitter (optional)
Food coloring (optional)
Mixing bowl
Mixing cup/spoon
Sensory tray or bowl
The type of contact lenses solution matters! This serves as your activator and what turns your slime into the stretchy, smooth texture that it is! Be sure to look at the ingredients; it needs to contain boric acid!
Step 1: Pour the glue into the bowl.
Step 2: Add the baking soda, food coloring and glitter (if using) and mix well.
Step 3: Add the shaving cream. Slowly add the contact lenses solution and stir. As you continue to stir, you will see the slime begin to take shape. Once it is formed into a ball, pulling away from the sides of the bowl, it is ready!
Step 4: Grab the slime and knead it well. This will assure that all of the materials are incorporated well.
Step 5: Drop it on your sensory tray or bowl and PLAY!!!
Materials:
(2) cups Cornstarch
(1) cup Water
Sensory bin or bowls
Spoon
Googly eyes or other Halloween trinkets
Step 1: Pour corn starch and water in a tub or tray and mix well.
Step 2: Add in your favorite scoops or bowls and PLAY!!
Make observations as you play:
How does it smell?
How does it feel?
What happens when you add more water to the Oobleck bin?
What does it look like as it dries?
How many googly eyes did you pick up in your hand?
APFL TIP: If you let Oobleck completely dry out and harden, you can store it in an airtight container. The next time you want to use it, simply add water to reactivate!
Spooky Slime:
Materials:
5 ounces of clear, liquid glue
1/2 tablespoon of baking soda
1 tablespoon of contact lenses solution
Glitter (optional)
Food coloring (optional)
Mixing bowl
Mixing cup/spoon
Sensory tray or bowl
The type of contact lenses solution matters! This serves as your activator and what turns your slime into the stretchy, smooth texture that it is! Be sure to look at the ingredients; it needs to contain boric acid!
Step 1: Pour the glue into the bowl.
Step 2: Add the baking soda, food coloring and glitter (if using) and mix well.
Step 3: Slowly add the contact lenses solution and stir. As you continue to stir, you will see the slime begin to take shape. Once it is formed into a ball, pulling away from the sides of the bowl, it is ready!
Step 4: Grab the slime and knead it well. This will assure that all of the materials are incorporated well.
Step 5: Drop it on your sensory tray or bowl and PLAY!!!
Materials:
Water
Metallic Paint
Scoops, cups, and/or bowls
Whisk or spoon
Pipette
Sensory tray or bowl
How-To:
Add a tablespoon or two of metallic paint into your sensory tray or bowl.
Fill with water and use a whisk or a spoon to stir it all together.
Add in your favorite scoops, cups and bowls and PLAY!
Materials:
(1/2) cup chia seeds
(2) cups water
Food coloring (optional)
Sensory bin or bowl
Spoon
Water
Step 1: Measure the chia seeds and pour them into a sensory bin or bowl.
Step 2: If you want to add food coloring, squirt a few drops into the water, then pour it into the chia seeds.
Step 3: Mix well. Refrigerate overnight.
Step 4: If you want multiple colors, repeat the above for each one you want!
Step 5: PLAY!!!
Materials:
Frosting
Powdered sugar
Mixing cup
Bowl
Spoon
Sensory tray or bowl
Any tools or trinkets you'd like
Step 1: Measure and pour (1) cup of frosting into the bowl.
Step 2: If your frosting is not colored and you would like to dye it, add 3-5 drops of food coloring now and mix well.
Step 3: Pour in (2 3/4) cups of powdered sugar.
Step 4: Mix all of the ingredients until fully incorporated. After you mix your dough, it may still look a bit crumbly. Here's where your hands get a workout! Take the mixture out & knead it. The more you squish & squeeze & smoosh the dough, the softer it gets! As all of the ingredients blend together, the dough becomes silky soft, easy to mold & perfect for little hands.
Step 5: Place it on your sensory tray or bowl, add in your favorite tools and trinkets and PLAY!
Materials:
Couscous
Ziploc bag or container with a lid
Food coloring OR
Paint
Baking sheet lined with parchment
Sensory tray or bowl
How-To:
Read the full blog post HERE that explains the three different methods of dying a dry sensory base!
Materials:
Cornstarch
Hair conditioner or lotion
Mixing cup
Bowl
Spoon
Sensory tray or bowl
Any tools or trinkets you'd like
Step 1: Measure and pour (1) cup of conditioner or lotion into the bowl.
Step 2: If you are adding conditioner or food coloring, mix it in now.
Step 3: Pour in (2) cups of cornstarch.
Step 4: Mix all of the ingredients until fully incorporated. After you mix your dough, it may still look a bit crumbly. Here's where your hands get a workout! Take the mixture out & knead it. The more you squish & squeeze & smoosh the dough, the softer it gets! As all of the ingredients blend together, the dough becomes silky soft, easy to mold & perfect for little hands.
Step 5: Place it on your sensory tray or bowl, add in your favorite tools and trinkets and PLAY!
Materials:
Uncooked rice
Food coloring OR
Paint
Ziploc bag OR
Container with a lid
Baking sheet lined with parchment
Measuring scoops/cups
Plastic containers
Sensory tray or bowl
How-To:
Read the full blog post HERE that explains the three different methods of dying a dry sensory base!
Materials:
Ice cream salt (also called rock salt)
Food coloring
White vinegar
Ziploc bags
Sensory tray or bowl
Baking sheet
Parchment paper
Measuring cup/spoon
Step 1: For every one cup of rock salt, add one teaspoon of white vinegar and 5-7 squirts of food coloring.
Step 2: Place ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Seal and mix well so the rock salt is evenly coated.
Step 3: Pour on to a baking sheet or sensory tray lined with parchment paper and let dry.
Step 4: Stir occasionally, to assure that the rock salt is drying on all sides. This may take 24 hours.
Step 5: Once completely dry, add your favorite scoops, bowls and trinkets and PLAY!
Materials:
Baking soda
Citric Acid
Food coloring (optional)
Glitter (optional)
Mini cauldrons or bowl
Sensory tray or baking dish
Spoon or Scop
Water
Step 1: If you are adding glitter, sprinkle it in the bottom of your cauldron or bowl.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix together equal parts baking soda and citric acid. If you are making one cup: add one cup of baking soda and one cup or citric acid.
Step 3: If you are adding food coloring, split the mixture into the number of colors you are using: for example, to make orange, purple and green, split your mixture into three. Add 8-10 drops of food coloring in and mix well. This takes a little bit of mixing to get the color fully incorporated.
Step 4: Fill your cauldrons or bowls with water. Put them on a sensory tray or bowl to catch the spills.
Step 5: Scoop the potion mixture into the water and watch as the magic happens!!
Chickpea Sensory Bin:
Materials:
Dry chickpeas
Food coloring OR
Paint
Ziploc bag OR
Container with a lid
Baking sheet lined with parchment
Measuring scoops/cups
Plastic containers
Sensory tray or bowl
How-To:
Read the full blog post HERE that explains the three different methods of dying a dry sensory base!
You get to decide what is safe and managable in your home. Always monitor children for safety.
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