Halloween parties are filled with fun and excitement! There are costumes, decorations, games, and candy! Teachers try to pack as much fun as possible into parties, but all of that excitement can be too much for some kiddos! It can be extremely loud and busy, especially for children with sensory issues! One way to avoid meltdowns and guarantee smiles is to create a Mad Science Sensory Center.
The Mad Science Sensory Center is a place where children can engage in sensory activities to calm their bodies. This center is ideal for children with special needs, but EVERY child will want to participate in these activities! This center is an authentic part of the party so children who participate don't feel like they are missing out!
To transform the center into a laboratory, I hung the Design-A-Room Mad Scientist Wall Backdrop behind the table.
I love how it instantly makes the wall look like it's made of old stones! The Chalkboard Bulletin Board Letters pop off the stones and define the space. Everyone will want to come over to the Mad Science Sensory Center once they see it! I covered our "lab table" with a Lime Green Plastic Table Cloth so any messes could be quickly wiped up. A piece of Fadeless Weathered Wood Paper placed on top makes the table look like it's from a laboratory. The Science Party Treat Stand looks fantastic, and it holds test tubes for some sensory activities! All of the sensory supplies are tucked inside Clear Candy Buckets. Using the supplies as decorations made setting up easy, and it kept the space from becoming too overstimulating.
I stocked my center with toys that provide different sensory experiences and would make easy favors to send home! The Halloween Porcupine Characters feel rough and bumpy. They are fun to roll in your hands or toss with a partner. Little ones enjoy sorting, counting, or making patterns with these colorful characters as well.
My kids could not resist the Alien Test Tubes of Slime! The slime inside can be pulled, rolled, and stretched. There is even a little alien inside each tube! I really liked how easy it was to put the slime back into the tubes at clean up time, and the slime never left any marks or stains on our table. Water beads are always a favorite at sensory centers. We used the water beads to fill up Science Party Test Tube Favor Containers. Kiddos can fill up the tubes and dump them again and again. You could add different scoops or spoons for this activity, but we just used our fingers. 
All of the children at the party can also be invited to make their own sensory bottles. You could keep these bottles in your classroom to use in the future or send them home at the end of the party. There is no exact recipe for sensory bottles so kiddos can choose what to put inside their Wavy Sand Art Bottles. We filled our bottles with vegetable oil, water, and green food coloring. You could also use clear glue or corn syrup instead of oil if you want to keep objects suspended longer.
The Halloween Faceted Beads and Halloween Seed Beads add a bright pop of color to the sensory bottles. You can add a lot of beads or just a few! We also sprinkled in some iridescent glitter to make the whole bottle sparkly! Just twist on the top of the bottle and you're set! You can tip, turn, and twist your bottle again and again. It's fun and relaxing to watch the beads tumble and the glitter swirl through the bottle.
Meeting the needs of all the little ones at your Halloween party doesn't have to be challenging. The Mad Science Sensory Center is an ideal way give kiddos a place to relax and have fun too! Even teachers might want to visit this center once the party is over!
