“Halloween-themed attention & perception training exercises.”

Kind of a mouthful, isn’t it?

That’a just a fancy way of saying that we’re going to use Halloween songs to work on attention and perception skills (like listening and following directions).

Here’s an idea that can be used with clients of all ages:

Play a spooky Halloween song (either a live or recorded version) and instruct your clients to play their instrument and listen for a key word or phrase. When they hear it, they should ______________ (you fill in the blank!)

For example: Play the “Ghostbusters Theme Song” (everyone will be jamming – clients, teachers, and therapists alike!) Clients will play a rhythm instrument and listen for the word “Ghostbusters” in the song.  Every time they hear that word, they should switch instruments with the person next to them.

Another example: Play the “Monster Mash” (another favorite that will have everyone tapping their toes!) Clients will wave their scarves and listen for the phrase “monster mash” in the song. Every time they hear that phrase, they should wave their scarves up high in the air.

This gives clients the opportunity to work on:

  • Selective attention – They have to tune out everything else going on in the song and in their classroom to hear that specific word or phrase
  • Listening & direction following – There’s a lot to follow! They’ll need to remember what word or phrase they’re listening for, and what to do when they hear that word or phrase
  • Impulse control – They’ll have to wait until they hear the word or phrase before they can switch instruments or shake up high (or whatever other instructions you gave them!)

That’s a lot packed into a simple Halloween musical experience, right?

If you need more Halloween-themed interventions, click here to visit the Holidays & Seasons Session Planning Page and scroll down to October.