How are you celebrating Halloween this year?

This year celebrating the holidays will look different. So, GTS would like to share some of our favorite seasonal activities to keep your families safe and having fun this holiday season.

These activities are a great way to continue developing skills which also combine family-oriented fun. Most of these items can be used with everyday objects found around the house or require little prep time.

Remember, keep it simple and have fun!

Scavenger Hunt

Whether you choose to explore inside, outside, or even both, scavenger hunts are a great activity to adapt for trick-or-treating. Pick up some plastic eggs or containers to hide your candy for a more interactive and engaging trick-or-treat experience. This activity is not only low risk, but it also works on great skills like visual scanning, working memory, and building problem-solving skills!

Spiderweb Art

Using marbles, white craft paint, black construction paper and a pie tin, you can create a work of art! This activity focuses on bilateral coordination, force grading (how hard or soft the hand movements are) and can be a sensory experience as well. Feel free to swap different colors or use spooky props like spiders.

Pumpkin Volcano

This is a great way to add fun into a familiar activity. Pumpkin carving is a great way to explore different textures and build tolerance and identify sensory preferences.

Have a kiddo that doesn’t like to get messy? Use a variety of kitchen tools to help make the activity less intimidating. Maybe your child loves to get messy, we do too! Try a blindfold for an added sensory challenge where the hands become the eyes.

After the pumpkin is empty, it’s time to create your volcano! Add baking soda to the inside of the pumpkin, the amount will vary depending on the size of your pumpkin but as a rule of thumb, we start with a ½ cup of baking soda. When you are ready for your eruption, add ¼ cup white vinegar to the baking soda. Feel free to add more for a larger eruption. For colored lava, add food coloring to vinegar.

Feeling extra creative? Paint your pumpkin purple or black to create a smoking witch’s cauldron.

Spiderweb Escape

You’d be surprised at the fun you can have with something as simple as party streamers or painters’ tape! Painters’ tape is preferred as the adhesive gives that extra feedback to the body if you get “stuck” getting out of the spiderweb. Find a space around the home, like a hallway or a nook under the stairs to create a spiderweb by attaching streamer/tape from one side to the next. Have your kiddo help you! If they know their grown-up is going through the web too, they will have more motivation to set up the activity.

Q-Tip Skeleton

Using construction paper, Q-Tips, and white glue you can create your very own skeleton. This activity is a fun one, because you can create other skeletons as well! Halloween Skeleton Dinosaurs anyone?

This activity is great for following directions, fine motor development and building your little one’s scissor skills!