Some people think of Halloween as just another commercial holiday! Okay, maybe that's partially true. But, Halloween is also one of the best holidays to explore sensory-based activities with kids. From carving pumpkins to chewing candy, Halloween is full of opportunities to expose little ones to festive senses.
This has hands down become my favorite sensory bin and is one the top favorites amongst the kids I babysit. Keep reading to find out how you can recreate this easy Halloween sensory bin for your little one in no time!
Why Not Dye Rice Halloween Themed Colors?
In the past, I've dyed rice purple and orange, mixed in small Halloween themed toys, and through it all in a sensory bin- kids loved it! Months later, we ultimately ended up mixing the Halloween batch of rice with other batches of dyed rice in order to make rainbow rice.
This year, I simply didn’t feel like investing the time to dye a new batch of Halloween rice. As cool as dyed rice is, I dread the process of actually dyeing it, even though it doesn't take very long. As a busy parent or caregiver, your time is precious. I'll bet you don't want to spend nap time dyeing rice if it's the only down time you get all day!
While wondering the grocery store, I discovered an alternative to dyeing rice this Halloween. The best part? There's absolutely no prep required, which means you won't have to spend nap time prepping a toddler activity! Plus, the supplies are super affordable!
If you're more of a visual learner or don't have time to read this full article, feel free to scroll to the end to watch a quick video of the setup process.
Supply List
Black Beans- $1.39 Price-Rite
Red Lentil Beans- $1.29 Price-Rite
Candy Erasers- $1
Small Buckets- $5 Party City
Squishy Accessories- $2.99 Walgreens (I got them half off in-store)
Extra Accessories- price varies (Wegmans, Amazon, Party City, Dollar General)
*Note: I've tried this activity with kids ranging from ages 2-6. Keep a careful eye on 2 yr olds because items used can be choking hazards if ingested.*
Step 1: Add Candy Erasers
Target is notorious for selling these seasonal tiny erasers in the dollar section. Tip: You have to catch them at the very beginning of the season because I've noticed that once they sell out, they do not restock! I have no clue what the purpose of these tiny erasers actually is other than for sensory play... they make terrible erasers.
Remember trying to use one of these things in elementary school and panicking because you ended up with a yucky dark smudge on your paper? That was the worst.
I wouldn't recommend anyone pass these out for trick-or-treaters, because young children could easily mistaken them for edible candy.
Target also sells packs of these erasers that are in the form of small pumpkins. I’ve found that toddlers prefer the candy shapes the most because it really brings to life the concept of trick-or-treating.
Step 2: Add in Squishy Halloween Toys
Kids seemed to truly engage with these squishy and stretchy toys. Some kids refer to the purple and blue figures as worms and some called them caterpillars. With that said, I have no clue why they have bear faces, but they are a hit!
Toddlers love a variety of tactile toys in sensory bins- after all, it's kinda what sensory bins are all about!
Step 3: Add Additional Spooky Accessory Toys
Next, you're going to want to add in a bunch of random Halloween tinker toys. I bought the pom-poms from Dollar General during the previous year's post-Halloween clearance sale.
The plastic spiders, bats, and finger puppets were in a pack that I found at Wegmans. I'm sure you can find something similar at Party City. If you can find a pack with little finger puppets, they are nice to have. I've watched kids place them on their fingers and make narrate story lines with them (read: they keep kids busy longer).
Step 4: Pour in Halloween Color Themed Beans
Did you know that red lentil beans appear orange uncooked? Personally, I was mind-blown to discover this out and stoked because it meant I landed on the perfect ingredient to mix in with black beans. One pack of red lentil beans and one pack of black beans is enough to fill one personal sensory bin.
Now you're ready to rip open those black and "red" lentil beans and dramatically pour in the beans, covering all the toys. Depending on the age of your kiddo, they might be perplexed at where the toys went.
Two-year-olds usually say, “where the toys go?” I respond, “they disappeared. Maybe they’re under the beans, can you find a [insert name of toy]?"
They then spend 5 min sorting through the beans to find the object. Often, they forget what they're suppose to be looking for and get lost in their own play.
Step 5: Add Mini Trick-or-Treat Buckets
These buckets are optional but I like to offer them as an option for kids to collect the toys they find along the way.
Challenge: Practice Counting the Treats
If your child has been working on counting, you can challenge them to collect a specific number of candy erasers in each bucket. For more advanced toddlers, try asking them to collect specific amounts of each candy- example: 10 “candy corn pieces“, 5 “smarties”, and 11 “peppermints” or whatever your kid identifies the pieces as!
Please let me know if you try this activity with your kiddo and what they think of it!
Sincerely, Briesh
P.S. Stay Conscious + Curious
