Halloween Games for Special Needs Children

Anyone who has a child with autism can understand how difficult it can be to get them to participate in family activities and games that don't involve numbers and letters. I have several games for teenagers that a family and even a family who has someone diagnosed with autism can enjoy together. You can find detailed instructions for the first three games on my list in my "Fun Halloween Party Games" article. Here's the link.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2089903/halloween_games_for_teens.html?singlepage=true&cat=25

1. The Eye Ball Race - This game has very inexpensive materials which are mainly boiled eggs and plastic spoons. I do get my son to participate in this game, maybe not for as long as it entertains the other kids, but any participation is better than none.

2. Pumpkin Bowling - This is another one of my son's favorite Halloween games. He giggles when the pumpkin rolls in different directions.We do have to guide him though, because he has a tendency to want to throw the pumpkin instead of just rolling it . It can get very messy without guidance.

3. Mr. Pumpkin Head - This is a fun game for children with autism, except if your child is like mine, they won't want to wear the blindfold and that's okay. Let them have fun participating without it.

4. Halloween Spells - This is one game you won't find in my other article. I made this up especially for my little boy. Younger children without special needs who are just learning to spell will have fun playing this game too. Basically you will need lots of letters. I had a couple of the spelling Leap Frog magnet sets and only three participants, so it was easy. However you can make several cards making sure there are lots of vowels and common consonants to spell words. Then, using a chalk board, poster board, dry erase board, etc., draw several pictures of Halloween stuff. For example, start out with simple drawings of a cat, a moon, and a bat. Then you have the participants, spell out each picture. The one who finishes spelling all three items correctly first wins the game or round. You can continue to have as many rounds as you think your special child can handle without getting frustrated or losing interest in the game. The next round you might want to draw a pumpkin, a ghost, and a witch. If you are playing rounds, it's best to save the longer words for the last, making each round a bit more challenging than the one before. Words you can use in the final round for example are vampire, werewolf, graveyard, and so forth.

SPECIAL NOTE - If you are one of those people who says you can't even draw a stick figure, don't worry. You can always print out Halloween Pumpkin Carving pages from your computer. I have a list of websites where you can print them out for free at the following link.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2090229/free_easy_pumpkin_carving_stencils.html?cat=74

5. Halloween Spells II - For a different version for those who aren't up to spelling yet, but can draw, you can also write the words on the board or say them orally and have the participants draw the pictures. for this version you would only really need paper and crayons. There are so many ways you can play Halloween Spells. Use what works best with your special child. You might even come up with your own version.

My son with autism and our family have enjoyed playing these games for 3 years now and I hope that your special little one will enjoy them too. Be sure to look for my next article "How To Prepare Your Special Needs Child For Halloween". It will have helpful tips for costumes, trick or treating, and safety.