Halloween is the perfect time to engage kids in sensory play that combines fun and learning with a spooky twist! Here’s a Halloween-themed sensory bin setup that is sure to spark excitement and creativity in young minds. Sensory bins not only help kids develop fine motor skills but also encourage imaginative play.
Materials:
Resin Bats & Ghosts from @LittleOctoberHouse
Flower pedal potion tray from @kinderspiel_nc
Witches brew recipe cards from @goodnightfox
Bin 1: Potion Play
In our first bin, kids can create their own bubbling potions! Using food coloring, water, and edible glitter, they’ll have fun mixing ingredients like plastic spiders, toy bones, and skeletons. To make it extra magical, add an Alka-seltzer tablets to see their concoctions fizz and bubble. This sensory activity is both visually and tactilely stimulating and offers a fun science experiment twist. We used the Lovevery beaker set, which is perfect for pouring and mixing, allowing little ones to explore concepts like cause and effect.
Bin 2: Glow-in-the-Dark Witches’ Brew
Our second bin takes sensory fun to a new level with Glow-in-the-dark Pluffle! Kids will love hiding and finding recipe cards for their witches’ brew setup. This tactile activity is great for nighttime play, offering a sensory experience in the dark. As children search for the hidden cards, they’ll practice fine motor skills while engaging in imaginative role play as little witches or wizards. You can extend the theme by adding other glow-in-the-dark items like mini ghosts or glow-in-the-dark spiders.
Bin 3: Witches’ Brew with Recipe Cards
In this final bin, we created a witches’ brew sensory experience with printables from GoodnightFox. We used cut-out ingredients like bones, skeleton heads, witch hats, and ghosts. Small trinkets like googly eyes and plastic spiders were added to enhance the spooky feel. All the ingredients were arranged in a flower pedal tray from @kinderspiel_nc, making it easy for kids to add them to their brew following the instructions on the ingredient cards. This bin encourages pretend play while also incorporating an element of instruction-following, perfect for group play or solo fun!
Bin 4: PLay DOH PLAY
What could be more fun than sticking all of our favorite witches brew ingredients into som glittery amazing play doh from Capptivating play! If you’re looking for the all time best play doh, you have to check out this shop.
Why Sensory Play for Halloween?
Sensory bins are incredibly versatile, providing opportunities for kids to explore different textures and engage multiple senses. For Halloween, sensory play is a wonderful way to incorporate the spooky fun of the holiday while supporting children’s cognitive development. Activities like potion making or creating witches’ brew tap into imaginative play, allowing kids to experiment with materials, explore cause and effect, and engage in role play.
By using these sensory bins, you’ll create a Halloween experience that’s both spooky and beneficial to young learners. Happy Halloween, and let the sensory play begin!