Making Halloween Accessible for all Children
OCTOBER 14, 2025
Spooky season is here as we get ready for Halloween! Halloween can be an exciting time for both adults and children—deciding what costume to wear, walking around the neighbourhood with friends, and counting all the candy from the night.
While it’s easy to get lost in the fun to be had, we often forget how it can also be a time of unpredictability for individuals with disabilities like autism or different sensory and mobility needs.
To help make sure Halloween is enjoyable for all, we spoke with Amy, an Occupational Therapist at Surrey Place, and a mom whose goal is to make Halloween accessible and fun for her child. Here are her 5 tips on how you can make the holiday more accessible:
1. Look for accessible costumes
Halloween is one of the few times you can dress up (or down!) as expressively as you want! There are a ton of costumes, fabrics, and accessories to choose from. As a caregiver to a child with disabilities like autism, how can you ensure you’re balancing creativity and accessibility? The most important thing to remember is adapting your child’s costume to suit their needs. Consider:
Comfortable, sensory-friendly fabrics for your child’s costumes. Avoid restricting or itchy materials.
Use clothing items and fabrics your child is familiar with.
Adapt costumes for mobility devices (wheelchairs, walkers, prosthetics).
Inclusivity in your costume of choice by considering someone’s lived experience.
2. Making your environment accessible
For those with different mobility or sensory needs, Halloween can pose some potential stressors for activities like trick-or-treating. As you set up your house for visits throughout the day, consider how others will interact with your environment by minimizing barriers.
- Make sure paths are well-lit.
- Set up a candy table at the end of driveways to avoid stairs or long pathways.
- Create a welcoming environment, minimal loud noises, calm lights etc.
- Try trick-or-treating in the afternoon to better suit your child’s needs.
3. Provide multiple options to suit everyone
Halloween is the day to splurge on sweet treats for adults and children alike! With a few thoughtful choices, you can create a safe space for children with allergies or dietary restrictions. Small adjustments can help to make sure that everyone can be involved in the fun, like keeping allergy-friendly items in a separate bowl or even offering non-food treats (like stickers, glow-sticks or tattoos).
Amy believes the key to creating a fun Halloween is to focus on what works best for your child and your family. Fun isn’t fun if there are barriers to participation. Considering different ways to be inclusive ensures that everyone can participate in the way that suits them best.
Accessibility can benefit multiple members of your community, access supports our clients, children and even their parents.
4. Creating sensory-safe spaces
Whether at school, in stores, or in the neighbourhood, Halloween decorations will be everywhere. From ghost sounds, skeleton displays, to spider web lights, it can feel like sensory overload. By making small adjustments to your celebrations, you can help create a more inclusive and enjoyable experience for everyone. Consider:
- Quiet zones or sensory breaks during community events.
- Avoid jump scares, strobe lights, or loud sound effects where possible.
- Use visual supports (pictures, digital examples) to help children prepare for trick-ortreating.
- Finding a quieter neighbourhood or one that includes less walking to trick-or-treat in.
5. Leaning on those around you
Halloween is meant to be enjoyed with others, no matter what you do. This can look different for everyone, and creating a welcoming and inclusive Halloween experience for your child starts with building strong connections in your community. By engaging with neighbours and organizing accessible events, you can help foster an environment where your child feels safe, supported, and celebrated.
- Organize accessible community events to create an environment where your child can thrive.
- Consider letting others know your house is accessible with a printed sign from TreatAccessibility and learn other ways to showcase accessibility.
- Look into local centres that host sensory-friendly Halloween events.
Halloween doesn’t have to look or be done in one way! Consider what your child enjoys so you can help them take part in the fun in their own way. Whether they want to dress up or just get a few treats, lean into the piece that excites them to not overwhelm the process.
With these considerations, Halloween can be a more seamless and enjoyable experience for children and their caregivers. Not everyone’s experiences will look the same, but we can try to make sure each experience is positive.
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