ASMR · Halloween sensory crafts
Spooky craft recipes
Six tactile, low-stress Halloween crafts you can make from things in the cupboard. Made for quiet co-regulation — squish, stretch, pour, and breathe.
Recipe 1
Pumpkin spice play-dough
Warmly scented, soft and squishy. Perfect for rolling little pumpkins.
You'll need
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1 cup salt
- 2 tbsp cream of tartar
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1.5 cups boiling water
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice or cinnamon
- Orange food colouring (optional)
How to make it
- Mix the flour, salt, cream of tartar and pumpkin spice in a bowl.
- Stir in the oil and boiling water (adult job).
- Knead until smooth and add a drop of orange colouring if you like.
- Cool fully before play. Stores 2–3 weeks in a sealed bag.
Allergy-safe ingredient check
- Free from Milk
- Free from Nuts
- Contains Gluten
- Free from Eggs
- Free from Soya
Recipe 2
Spooky calm-down jar
Shake and watch orange and black glitter swirl like a witch's brew.
You'll need
- A clean jar with a tight lid
- Warm water
- 2–3 tbsp clear glitter glue
- Orange and black fine glitter
- 1 drop orange food colouring
- Hot glue or strong tape to seal the lid
How to make it
- Fill the jar three-quarters with warm water.
- Stir in the glitter glue until it dissolves.
- Add the glitter, a drop of orange colour, then top up with water.
- Seal the lid tightly and shake gently to test the swirl.
Allergy-safe ingredient check
- Free from Milk
- Free from Nuts
- Free from Gluten
- Free from Eggs
- Free from Soya
Recipe 3
Spider-web slime
Stretchy, stringy and full of tiny spiders. A satisfying sensory pull.
You'll need
- 1/2 cup PVA white glue
- 1/2 cup shaving foam
- 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp contact lens saline solution
- Orange food colouring
- Small plastic toy spiders
How to make it
- Squeeze the glue into a bowl and stir in the shaving foam.
- Add the bicarb and a drop of orange colour, then mix well.
- Add the saline a few drops at a time, stirring between, until it lifts off the bowl.
- Knead with your hands, then fold in the toy spiders. Store in an airtight jar.
Allergy-safe ingredient check
- Free from Milk
- Free from Nuts
- Free from Gluten
- Free from Eggs
- Free from Soya
Recipe 4
Monster cloud dough
Fluffy, mouldable and just the right amount of googly-eyed fun.
You'll need
- 8 cups plain flour
- 1 cup vegetable or baby oil
- A wide bowl or tray
- Green food colouring (optional)
- Googly eyes and small Halloween shapes
How to make it
- Tip the flour into your bowl.
- Drizzle in the oil a little at a time.
- Rub it through with your fingertips until it feels like damp sand and holds its shape.
- Add green colouring if you like, then hide googly eyes and shapes inside for discovery play.
Allergy-safe ingredient check
- Free from Milk
- Free from Nuts
- Contains Gluten
- Free from Eggs
- Free from Soya
Recipe 5
Halloween sensory rice
Colourful, pourable and brilliant for scooping and sorting.
You'll need
- 3 cups uncooked rice
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- Orange and purple food colouring
- A large tray or shallow tub
- Small plastic pumpkins, bats and spiders
- Scoops and cups
How to make it
- Split the rice into two sealable bags.
- Add 1 tbsp vinegar and a few drops of colouring to each bag, seal and shake until evenly coated.
- Spread the rice on a tray to dry fully.
- Pour into a shallow tub, add the Halloween shapes and scoops, and play.
Allergy-safe ingredient check
- Free from Milk
- Free from Nuts
- Free from Gluten
- Free from Eggs
- Free from Soya
Recipe 6
Witch's brew oobleck
A mysteriously hard-yet-liquid brew that's free from milk, nuts and gluten. Squish, squeeze and watch it melt.
You'll need
- 2 cups cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1 cup water
- Green or purple food colouring
- A shallow tray or bowl
- Small plastic spiders, bats or worms (optional)
How to make it
- Pour the cornflour into your tray.
- Add the water a little at a time, stirring with your fingers.
- Add a few drops of colouring and mix until it looks like a thick, witchy soup.
- Press it hard — it feels solid. Let it rest — it turns liquid again. Add spooky shapes for discovery play.
Allergy-safe ingredient check
- Free from Milk
- Free from Nuts
- Free from Gluten
- Free from Eggs
- Free from Soya
Allergen-free option: swap cornflour for rice flour or tapioca starch if corn is a concern. Use natural colour from turmeric, beetroot juice or spirulina instead of food colouring.
Always supervise younger children. Check for allergies to flour, scents, food colouring and PVA before starting.
Did you follow any of our recipes? Email us some pics and we will share them on our recipes page.