A perfect sensory activity for Halloween.

Halloween is right around the corner and we are having a blast playing with our goop filled Halloween sensory bin. It’s wet, squishy, gooey and with the addition of a few spiders, it makes a perfect Halloween sensory play activity.  We had so much fun creating our Fall Centerpiece that we had to find another fun use for our squishy pulp!  I am so glad we did.

The kids loved scooping the goop with Halloween baskets and mini pumpkin buckets.

 As you can see, the texture of the pulp was so intriguing to the kids.  They dove right in up to their elbows with out hesitating.

 Kitchen strainers work great for scooping and draining the water.

 The kids had so much fun just simply transferring the wet mixture into buckets and then pouring it out.  I love letting the kids discover and play through fun sensory activities.  You might be surprised to learn that when I first had kids, I banded play-dough from our house.  Gasp!  Yep you read right.  I am so thankful that I let go as a parent and now embrace the joys of messy play.

The kids loved watching the pulp cling to the basket as the water dripped off.

The kids discovered that if they squished all the water out of the pulp, they could create an intriguing spider egg sack.  Super cool.  According to my daughter, Spiders rock.  Ha!  I may not have her love of spiders but I do love this simple spider web that we created.

Halloween Pulp Sensory Bin:

• Scraps of orange paper ~ we used construction paper and off cuts of scrapbooking paper.  We raided our scrap paper bin of all the orange paper we could find.
• Hot Water
• Blender

Since essentially the bin is filled with wet paper, it is non toxic and totally safe for kiddos (All our paper was ink free).

Start by shredding your paper.  We cheated and used the paper shredder, but you could rip or cut your paper into tiny bits.  My kids love any chance they get to use the paper shredder, so this was the perfect excuse.

Once all the paper is cut into tiny pieces, place it in a heat safe container and pour boiling water over it.  You will only need to add just enough to cover the paper (please be careful with this step).  The hot water helps to break down the fibers in the paper making the next step easier.  Let this mixture sit for at least a few hours (ours was left over night).

Now you are ready to start blending the paper into a pulp.  We just used our regular kitchen blender and washed it out really well after we were done.  It is easiest to blend in small batches.  You may need to add more water to the blender.

Tips:

• Once you created your pulp, you can place it into the fridge for a surprisingly cool sensory experience.
• Add plastic baskets, cups and strainers to sift and pour with.
• This mixture can last up to a week if stored in the fridge.
• Since the mixture is just paper and water the clean-up is a breeze.

Had we no where to be, the kids would have played and squished in this simple mixture all day.  I love how easy it was to make, and the best part is…it was free!  I love finding new uses for our paper scraps!

We love creating seasonal activities.  Check our our latest fall and Halloween posts for more inspiration.