Blog Post: Halloween-Themed Art Activity Using AAC

Halloween is a fantastic time to get creative with spooky arts and crafts while incorporating Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). With colorful materials and spooky designs, it’s an enjoyable way to celebrate the holiday and develop language skills. This fun Halloween art activity encourages self-expression, choice-making, and communication while making festive decorations!

Materials:

  • AAC device

  • Halloween-themed art supplies:

    • Black, orange, and purple construction paper

    • Markers, crayons, glue sticks, and scissors

    • Googly eyes, glitter, stickers (pumpkins, bats, ghosts)

    • Cotton balls (for ghosts or spider webs)

    • Cutouts of pumpkins, bats, witches, or haunted houses

Before You Begin:

  • Set up the AAC system with Halloween-themed art vocabulary. Some suggested words:

    • “Cut,” “Glue,” “Color,” “Draw,” “Stick”

    • “Pumpkin,” “Ghost,” “Spider,” “Witch,” “Bat”

    • “Scary,” “Spooky,” “Fun,”

    • “I like,” “I don’t like,” “I want to add”

    • Colors: “Orange,” “Black,” “Purple,” etc.

Ensure all relevant vocabulary is easily accessible for the child to use during the activity.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Choose a Halloween Art Project:

  • Present the child with a few Halloween-themed craft options, such as creating a ghost,

    decorating a pumpkin cutout, or making a spooky bat.

2. Select Art Supplies:

  • Lay out the art supplies and encourage the child to pick what they want to use. Ask,

    “What color do you want?” or “Do you want googly eyes?” As they work, prompt them

    to use phrases like “I need glue” or “more”

3. Create the Art:

  • Let the child start creating their Halloween art. Help guide the child through different prompts such as :

    • What color paper do you want?

    • How many eyes?

    • Do you want the pumpkin to be happy or sad?

    • What shape for the pumpkins nose?

4. Describe the Art:

  • Once the artwork is done, encourage the child to talk about their creation. Let them use descriptive words to describe their art work such as spooky, funny, silly, happy, excited, etc.

  • Let them express whether they liked the activity: “I like” or “not”

Why This Activity Works with AAC:

  • Choice Making: The child has opportunities to make choices about what to create and which materials to use, fostering independence.

  • Vocabulary Expansion: Halloween-themed words related to art are introduced in a fun, hands-on way.

  • Expressive Communication: The child practices describing their actions, preferences, and feelings during the art-making process.

  • Creativity and Fun: The activity encourages creativity while promoting communication skills in a playful, pressure-free environment.

Tip: Use visuals, like pictures of finished crafts, to help the child understand the project options. You can also model using the AAC device to talk about the art-making steps.