Although we all love Halloween for the candy, there’s so much more to the holiday. From witches, to spiders, to pumpkins, there’s so much you can do to celebrate Halloween with your kids.
Kids are also way more inclined to participate in developmentally supportive activities, when they are FUN! These 5 Halloween activities are some of my favorite ways to help advance their skills during the month of October.
1. Play Quidditch
This one is for my Harry Potter fans. Have your child mount a broom, and fly around the room. This is a quick and easy way to involve them in physical activity inside. Then, work on having them catch the ball and throw it at a target to earn points. You can even hide a golden snitch around the house for them to find. This helps improve your child’s hand-eye coordination, and overall body strength.
2. Have a candy hunt
Ever wonder what you’re going to do with all that leftover Halloween candy? Use it to promote movement and physical activity with your kids! Hide them all around the house, and have you child search to find them. Categorize the types of candy, and then pair it with an associated exercise movement, like jumping jacks. Depending on which exercises you choose, you can work on balance, bilateral coordination (both sides of the body), or even core strength.
3. Halloween themed-sensory bins
By now you’re probably familiar with sensory bins. These are one of the best ways to help kids be introduced to new textures in a fun way. Although these are most commonly seen as rice bins, you can also try using pumpkin, or something sticky to work on more challenging textures! Down the road, this helps children be comfortable with tactile input or the feel of touch.
4. Make a spider web on the floor
Need a quick activity to entertain your child? Grab some painters tape and make a spider web on the floor. See if they can walk around the web without losing their balance. For level two, challenge them to jump to different parts of the web without stepping on the floor.
5. Halloween neighborhood bingo
Checking out the neighborhood decorations is always so much fun. Encourage your child to be active by playing a family game of Halloween bingo. Walk around the neighborhood and see how many decorations you can cross off your board! For a free board, check out @DrSamGoldman on Instagram.
Who says that Halloween only has to be one day? Celebrate all month by doing just one of these activities a week! You kids will love the extra time to celebrate the holiday.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only, and cannot and does not contain medical or therapy advice. Any medical or therapy information is provided as my/our personal experiences is not a substitute for professional advice. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals.
Dr. Samantha Goldman is an occupational therapist who helps parents solve picky eating without the frustration or fighting!
