Crafting together as a family is a great way to bond and get creative, but it can be even more rewarding when you tailor activities for children with sensory needs. Sensory-friendly crafts provide opportunities for kids to explore different textures, sounds, and sights while developing fine motor skills, emotional regulation, and creativity. Below are some simple, sensory-friendly DIY crafts perfect for families, with ideas on how to enhance them for sensory needs.

1. Putty Monsters for Halloween

Turn sensory putty into a fun, creative Halloween craft! This is great for building fine motor skills and sensory awareness while also preparing for spooky festivities.

What You’ll Need:

• Sensory putty (various colours)
• Googly eyes
• Pipe cleaners
• Small beads, buttons, and other craft accessories

Instructions:

1. Roll and mold the putty into fun monster shapes.
2. Add googly eyes, pipe cleaner arms, and other accessories to create a unique monster.
3. Use this as a Halloween decoration, or squash them down and start over for endless creativity!

Sensory Tip: If your child prefers more resistance, try using firmer putty. For those who enjoy softer textures, a lighter, more malleable putty will work best.

2. Pumpkin Carving with Sensory Alternatives

Traditional pumpkin carving can be difficult for little hands or those sensitive to strong smells and textures. Here’s a sensory-friendly alternative!

What You’ll Need:

• Mini pumpkins or foam craft pumpkins
• Craft paint or markers
• Stickers, buttons, and decorative items
• Sensory putty (to mold and create shapes to decorate)

Instructions:

1. Instead of carving, let kids paint or decorate the surface of a pumpkin.
2. Encourage them to add accessories like googly eyes, stickers, or buttons.
3. Use sensory putty to create noses, mouths, and other features to decorate the pumpkin with ease.

Sensory Tip: Avoid strong-smelling or slimy substances if your child is sensitive to certain textures or scents. Foam pumpkins work great if they dislike the feel of real pumpkin guts.

3.Monster Eyeball Cupcakes

These are a great ghoulish treat for the Halloween season, crafting monster eyeball designs are fun for the whole family. It is also a great way for the children to get creative.

What You'll Need:

• Cupcakes (shop bought or homemade)
• White frosting
• Gummy Eyeballs or candy eyes
• red gel icing
• chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Frost the cupcakes with a layer of white frosting to resemble the white of an eye.
2. Place a gummy eyeball or candy eye in the centre of each cupcake.

3. Use red gel icing to draw squiggly lines from the candy eye to create the appearance of bloodshot veins. You can also add a chocolate chip to the centre for the pupil.

Sensory Tip: For kids with sensory needs, use a variety of frosting textures (whipped, buttercream, or fluffy) or offer different candies for decorating. Let them explore the textures of the ingredients and for added fun, they can squish the gummy eyeballs as part of the decorating process.

4.Paper Plate Monsters

Transform ordinary plates into spooky ghosts, witches, or monsters while building fine motor skills. This activity encourages creativity and sensory exploration through the use of various textures and materials!

What You'll Need:

• Paper Plates
• Paint
• Googly Eyes
• Construction Paper
• Glue
• Markers
• Pipe Cleaners
• Glitter
• Pom Poms

Instructions:

1. Turn the paper plates into spooky characters like witches, ghosts and even pumpkins firstly by painting or colouring them the desired colour.
2. Add googly eyes, cut construction paper into shapes for mouths, hats or spooky features.
3. Use pipe cleaners for arms or hair.
4. Kids can also glue on felt pieces or pom poms for extra texture and dimension.

Sensory Tip:

Offer a variety of textured materials like bumpy pipe cleaners, soft felt and rough glitter. This allows children to explore different sensations while enhancing their fine motor skills as they cut, glue and decorate.

Crafting together not only encourages creativity but also provides essential sensory experiences that help children grow and develop. These DIY projects are simple enough to be done at home and can be easily adapted to suit the sensory needs of your family. Happy crafting!