I have to say that Halloween is one of my favorite holidays!

Although it’s usually still pretty hot and sticky here in Miami, I always enjoy singing songs about pumpkins, ghosts, and goblins.

Last year I shared two videos of special Halloween singable stories: “Big Pumpkin” and “Nightsong” (these were a little different than my usual singable stories, but the children were completely enthralled!)

Check out the videos and see if you could put these into practice in your sessions….especially for those of you running sessions at libraries!

Today I want to share some Halloween session ideas that I use with my “sensory-based” classes (those that include children with severe/profound intellectual disability and those with autism spectrum disorder).

– The singable stories listed above! They are great for sensory stimulation and you can incorporate lots of different instruments to go along with the stories.

Flying Ghosts: I have little ghost decorations that I use for visual tracking with these clients. I sing my original “Ghost” song (with the keyboard ‘voice’ set to organ to add a spooky feel!) and ask the teachers or assistants to make the little ghosts fly slowly back and forth in front of the child’s face. The idea is to encourage visual tracking.

Light Up Pumpkins: I have a pumpkin from Target that has a light inside. So I dim (or turn off) the lights and turn on the pumpkin light so it glows from inside. I sing my original  “Glowing Pumpkin” song and instruct the children to pass the pumpkin around the circle. You could also use this activity to work on visual tracking again!

Feel Inside the Pumpkin: I purchased a pumpkin typically used for trick-or-treating (because it has an open top). I stuff it with cotton to act as “cobwebs” and place all kinds of spooky Halloween things inside (little plastic spiders, etc.) I sing my original “Feel the Cobwebs” song and instruct the children to pass the pumpkin around the circle. Each one has the opportunity to reach their hand in (if they’re brave enough!) and feel the items inside.

What are YOUR favorite sensory Halloween Activities? Leave a comment below to let us know!

Looking for more creative sensory based ideas for your session? Look no further!

Sensational Songs & Activities