Looking for a halloween sensory bin with a little spooky fun? Think orange rice, tiny cauldrons and pumpkins with silly faces.
These ideas range from simple scooping trays to colorful pretend potion stations. You can keep things simple or go all out with a spider cave!
Choose age-appropriate supplies and known sensory recipes, check ingredients for allergies and supervise throughout.
Halloween sensory play ideas to try
pumpkin seeds and orange strands
We’re starting off with this cute pumpkin-themed tray. I love the orange strands spread through the rice, with pale seeds scattered on top.
The pumpkin diagram behind it gives you something to talk about while exploring.
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Try pointing out the seeds in the tray and matching them to the picture. The purple tongs are a bright little extra.
a spiderweb over autumn leaves
How cute is this spider hunt? White tape forms a giant web above leaves, pinecones, colorful pasta and little pumpkins. The sign asks you to find five spiders.
For your own version, count the spiders before hiding them so your search prompt matches what’s actually in the tray.
black spiders and orange rice
If you’re looking for a simple color combination, this one is for you. Black toy spiders sit across orange rice, with an orange-handled scooping tool and little black cauldrons nearby.
You could turn this into a collecting game by moving the spiders into the pots.
a colorful potion station
I am obsessed with the colors in this potion station. The yellow-green, purple and orange bottles look so cute beside the big black cauldron.
Small bowls keep the pretend ingredients separate.
Try arranging your own supplies in little bowls around one big mixing pot. Choose shatter-resistant containers for your version.
googly eyes in purple liquid
Who’s looking back from the ladle? Lots of googly eyes!
The purple liquid makes those white circles easy to spot, with different-sized eyes scattered throughout.
A ladle and measuring spoon give you two ways to scoop. Keep this loose-eye setup for children who no longer mouth objects.
orange and green tangles
Can’t choose between orange and green? This setup gives each color its own bin.
Long tangled strands surround toy bones, eyes and colorful fingers.
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The oversized bone in the green bin is my favorite detail. You could add a separate empty bowl for collecting the larger pieces.
pumpkin and witch-hat shapes
Don’t want to add spiders or eyeballs? No problem! This tray has a tan, crumbly-looking base with pumpkin, leaf and witch-hat cutters.
I love the little cups and yellow scoop tucked between the shapes. For your own setup, choose child-safe cutters with smooth edges.
red with floating eyeballs
If you like a bolder Halloween look, this bright red tray has plenty of it. White eyeballs and black spiders sit among small clear spheres.
The spheres appear to be water beads, which can cause serious harm if swallowed. I’d skip those and borrow only the red, black and white color scheme for a bead-free version.
bow-tie pasta bats
The little bow-tie shapes look like bats against the orange rice. Such a cute way to use a familiar shape!
A hand holds broad-ended tongs over the dark pasta.
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You could invite your child to pick out the pretend bats while leaving the rice behind.
a skeleton and smiling ghosts
I love this black-and-white tray. The skeleton has its arms raised, with smiling ghost shapes scattered around it on the black beans.
You don’t need bright colors for a cute Halloween setup. Try arranging the skeleton pieces in a different pose before each round of play.
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green chunks and giant eyes
There’s so much to look at in this bowl, from the purple and yellow eyeballs to the tiny black creepy-crawlies. The bright green base has a chunky, uneven surface.
Those oversized skeleton hands behind the bowl are quite the finishing touch!
build a pumpkin face
This pumpkin-face activity may just be a favorite. Black geometric pieces sit among dark beans, with orange and purple spiky balls adding little spots of color.
The pumpkin mat and face cards give the pieces a purpose. Invite your child to copy a face or choose their own eyes, nose and smile.
orange scoops and pinecones
If you want a softer-looking color palette, this muted purple base is lovely. Big spiders and a bat sit beside pinecones, a little bowl and orange scoops.
I especially like the decorated round pieces lined up along the side. Leave a clear spot like that in your own tray if you want somewhere to sort your finds.
a little spider cave
Looks like the spiders have their own hideout! A black arch makes a little cave, with purple and green spiders gathered around it.
Instead of spreading loose filler across the whole bin, this setup keeps it inside the small cauldrons. That’s a detail worth borrowing if you prefer a more open play scene.
three cauldrons for pasta bats
This is another orange rice and pasta-bat idea, but the row of three cauldrons gives it a different setup. Orange tongs and a round scooping tool sit at the front.
You could give each pot a small counting target or simply let your child choose where the pretend bats go.
a Halloween storytime tray
Last but definitely not least, we have this colorful tray beside Halloween Is a Treat! I love the fuzzy eyeballs and little orange pumpkins.
Purple and black grains sit beneath bright pasta shapes and pom-poms.
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For a storytime pairing, you could invite your child to find a color or Halloween shape in the tray that also appears on the cover.
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