Our coastal kiddos have been getting into the Halloween spirit thanks to some creative activities in occupational therapy! Q-tip skeletons, spider-web mazes, and Jack-O-Lanterns are just a few of the fun activities that our children have been participating in over the past month. What are some of your favorite Halloween activities?
Q-Tip Skeleton
Supplies needed:
Q-tips
Elmer’s craft glue
Scissors
Black construction paper
Chalk
Check out this Pinterest inspired Halloween craft! Print out the skeleton head template then cut and paste onto black construction paper. Next take a piece of chalk and practice drawing or tracing vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines to create the skeleton template. These lines are the foundational skills necessary for efficient handwriting. Once you have created your template you can cut one q-tip in half to create 2 feet, then cut both ends off of four q-tips to make the ribs and use the ends for fingers. This is a great way to work on strength and using both hands in a coordinated manner to cut (some kids may need help with this step). Once you have all your pieces cut, you can squeeze glue onto your lines, then place your Q-tips onto your skeleton design. This is a great opportunity to get a little messy for those who may have sensitivities to sticky textures. Last, you will want to find a flat surface and allow to dry overnight.
Spider Web Maze
Supplies needed:
White yarn
Command Hooks
Clothes pins and cards (optional)
Try not to get tangled up in this creepy spider web maze! This is a fun way to work on improving body awareness (awareness of one’s body in relation to space) and planning then organizing how to move your body through obstacles.
Here’s how you can set up this fun Halloween activity at home! First, you’ll need to find a room or hallway to set up your spider web challenge. Once you picked out your space, you will place command hooks in various heights on all accessible walls. After you have your command hooks secured to the wall, take your yarn and tie it to any command hook to get started. After you have your string attached to your starting command hook, begin connecting the string to other hooks across the room. Repeat this until your yarn is attached to all the hooks (tip: use more command hooks for an extra challenge!)
Optional: You can also attach cards with clothespins for some extra fine motor fun! Use ABC cards to sequence the alphabet, then practice writing the letters or words. You can even try this with sight words!
Draw-A-Face Pumpkin
Supplies needed:
Pumpkin
Dry erase marker
Paper towels
Blank sheet of paper
Squirt bottle (optional)
Before you carve into that pumpkin, try making these silly Draw-A-Face Pumpkins. This activity is great for allowing the eyes and hands to work together to make shapes. First, take a blank sheet of paper and draw a pair of eyes, nose, mouth and hair ( you can also cut these out to make cards like the picture below). Next, have your child use a dry erase marker while practicing a good pencil grip to draw the body parts on the pumpkin. When you are ready to draw a new face use a wet paper towel to wipe the marker off the pumpkin (try a squirt bottle for some extra hand strengthening). Then wipe again with a dry paper towel to make a nice dry surface to draw again. What a great way to also incorporate strength and using both hands in a coordinated manner. Happy doodling!
