FIVE Craft and Sensory Stations for a Halloween-themed Party

In this BLOG post I will teach you five fun and engaging sensory stations that you can do for a Halloween-themed party.

If you are hosting a playdate, a class party or just looking for a few new ideas, this blog post is for you!

The activities are fun, engaging and lend themselves perfectly to the Halloween season. They will keep kids creating, crafting and collaborating!

But first, how cute is this sign that my daughters and I made?! We used butcher paper and acrylic paint, then outlined it with a sharpie. It added an extra layer or festive fun to our party!

We had over twenty first grade friends at our house and these stations worked out great.

Pumpkin Painting

This is such a simple and fun station, and it was a HIT! These small pumpkins were just the right size and made creating and crafting accessible to all of the kids. They were $1 at Trader Joes, but you can probably find them at your local grocery store or farmers market.

I put the pumpkins in a bowl and set out washable paint, paintbrushes and little paint palettes. You could also squirt the paint in an empty egg carton or paper plate!

In case anyone was sensory-sensitize, I also put out a bowl of stickers for them to use instead, or in addition to the paint.

Don't forget a sharpie so they can write their name on the bottom of the pumpkin, and of course wipes to clean up any spills or messy hands.

Witches Hat Decorating:

KIDS LOVE THIS. It is soo simple, but they are drawn to it every single time! I put out a combination of gem stickers and foam stickers and a stack of witch hats.

That's it! That's how simple this is!

10/10 recommend.

Also recommend a small bowl/basket for the sticker wrappers so they don't fly all around your space.

Slime

Slime is a hit every single time. Kids are obsessed with slime (families not always so much haha) and it is so easy to differentiate for seasons, holidays and interests. We were sticking with a Halloween theme so our tray included:

• Pom Poms

• Halloween glitters

• Halloween erasers

• Spiders

• Googly eyes

You can also add food coloring to add an extra layer of sensory goodness!

This is our typical slime recipe and it's amazing (HERE) but today because we had a crowd, we tried a new activator from Amazon.

It didn't come with measurements, so we went with 1/2 cup of glue and one teaspoon of activator, but to be honest, the kids just went to town and ultimately created their own recipe. They happily mixed and poured and squeezed and stretched away!

APFL Tips:

This is messy but so much fun! Try these quick tips to contain the mess:

• Use craft sticks as mixers so you don't have to use a spoon.

• Put down a disposable tablecloth, old sheet or shower curtain to catch the spills.

• Keep wipes/paper towels and a trashcan close for easy clean up.

Noodle Necklaces

If ever there was a classic activity, this is it. Did you even go to kindergarten in the 80's/early 90's if you didn't make one of these?!

This activity engages all ages, strengthens fine motor skills and is so much fun!

You can even add in academic skills as you play!

You can work on:

• Identifying and repeating patterns

• Color identification

• Sorting

• Counting

• Simple addition and subtraction

I colored the pasta with acrylic paint, but you can leave it as is. We went with classic Halloween colors: orange, black, purpe and green.

If you do want to color it, toss the uncooked pasta in a Ziploc bag, squirt in the paint (you want enough to color all of the pasta, but not make it soupy!) and shake it all around.

I always start slow: if you need more paint, it is easy to add more in!

Once all of the pasta is covered, pour it on a baking sheet or sensory tray lined with parchment paper (or foil). Stir it a few times and let it dry completely.

Add string and scissors and you have yourself a noodle necklace station!

Pony Beads and Pipe Cleaners

This classic combo can be differentiated in so many ways.

Make a necklace.

Make a pumpkin.

Make a spider.

Make a bubble wand, a wishing wand or a reading pointer.

The possibilities for learning and play are endless! While the kids string the beads on the pipe cleaners, they are strengthening their fine motor skills. They are also working on problem solving, patience and hand-eye-coordination.

Make a pattern, sort the beads or just string them on however you wish!

In order to keep the beads from falling off, fold the end of the pipe cleaner over the last bead and twist it around to secure!

A quick moment for the cute snacks!!

Green grapes in plastic cups: we used a sharpie to draw a Frankenstein face on them!

Donuts from a local bakery: we added plastic monster teeth that was a not-so-spooky surprise!

We also put out some sensory bins for the kids to explore.

1. Potion water: a bucket of water with a squirt of metallic paint (check out the magic HERE)

2. Black beans and plastic spiders

3. Instant snow (one bowl dyed orange and one left white)

4. Purple rice and Zombie fingers

You can download the FREE table directions cards (they are very basic but they helped a ton!) HERE.