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October is here, which means spooky season is back! Keeping busy toddlers occupied during the holiday season can be tricky. I tried these Halloween sensory activities for our almost one-year-old and they were an easy way to create Halloween fun while keeping her occupied.

I wanted to incorporate sensory activities this Halloween since they help improve fine motor skills and increase cognitive growth. Sensory bags also have a calming effect and help regulate a busy toddler. Fun sensory activities are an all-around win for me!

These sensory bags are easy to make and your young children will love the Halloween fun. The four bags we’re making today are ghost, goblin guts, googly eyes, and pumpkin guts. They’re honestly such an easy Halloween activity for kids of all ages!

1. The Ghost Bag

This sensory bag is very easy to set up. All you’ll need is a gallon ziplock bag, a Sharpie, and some cotton balls. On the front of the bag, draw an outline of a ghost as seen in the photo below with a black sharpie. Fill the bag with cotton balls and add enough water so that the cotton balls can move around the bag. Seal and test the bag with the amount of water you have before taping it shut. I used packing tape.

When playing with the sensory bag, ask your child to move the cotton balls into the outline of the ghost to make it white. You can ask your child questions about the sensory bag, like “What letter does a ghost start with?”. If you have a busy toddler like I do, then you can help them with this by guiding their fingers to move the cotton balls. This helps to benefit fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

2. Goblin Guts Sensory Bag

For this sensory bag, you’ll need another one-gallon plastic bag, cooked spaghetti noodles, red jello, glow-in-the-dark plastic bats, and plastic spiders. The goblin guts sensory bag is easy to put together. Simply place all of the items into the bag, seal, and tape shut. I typically use 2-3 cups of jello for each bag.

Kids of all ages will love the squishy, gooey goodness of this sensory bag. My busy toddler loved picking at the bats and spiders! This sensory activity can actually be quite calming to young children as they move the jello and objects around the bag. It also glows in the dark, making it extra fun at night!

3. Googly Eyes Sensory Bag

This is another super easy sensory bag to make! All you need is a plastic bag, orange jello, and googly eyes. Place 2-3 cups of orange jelly in the bag, and insert the googly eyes into the jello so that they’re suspended in it.

Babies especially love this sensory activity! My one-year-old loved watching the eyes move around in the jello. This sensory bag helps with fine motor skills as your child moves the googly eyes around the bag.

4. Pumpkin Guts Sensory Bag

For the pumpkin guts sensory activity, you’ll need a gallon bag, sharpie, and a small pumpkin. Start by drawing a jack-o-lantern face on the plastic bag. Then, scoop the “pumpkin guts” out of the pumpkin and place them into the bag. Seal with packing tape.

This sensory bag is a little different since the texture of the pumpkin’s insides is slimy. Some young children will love this, and others may not. This is a great way to introduce your child to a new texture without the mess!

Safety and Cleanup

Of course, you’ll want to be sure that this Halloween activity is safe. Be sure to watch your child while playing with the sensory bag so that it doesn’t rip open as some of these items may be choking hazards. You can also choose to use hair gel as a substitute for jello, however, I prefer jello since it’s better to ingest should they open the bag. You can also refrigerate these bags to use throughout the month of October!

Conclusion

These fun sensory activities can be a great way for kids of all ages to learn while enjoying some Halloween fun! Whether you choose the Ghost Bag, Goblin Guts, Googly Eyes, Pumpkin Guts, or something else, be sure to take a photo of your bags and email them my way! I’d love to see what you come up with.

Looking for other fun fall activities? Check out our 50 fall bucket list ideas!