Is your church planning to host a Fall Festival or Trunk-or-Treat? As you make those plans, it's important to think about how to make the environment as accessible as possible for individuals with disabilities. After all, these are often great community outreach opportunities!

Today we will walk through a few ways to create a sensory-friendly event to welcome friends of all abilities.

CREATING A SENSORY-FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT

Kids with disabilities, especially those with autism, can be sensitive to sensory input like loud noises, flashing lights, or overwhelming decorations.

Designate a sensory-friendly time or area where the environment is quieter and less chaotic. I know of several churches that open their trunk-or-treat or fall festival an hour early specifically for a “sensory-friendly” time for families with special needs. This small act demonstrates to families in your community that they are seen, valued, and welcome at your church!

Offer reserved parking for families with special needs and have volunteers available to greet families when they park in those spaces. Offering an alternative line or path for reduced wait times could greatly benefit students who may struggle to wait in line if it is a larger event.

Consider a drive-through experience. A church in my area hosts a drive-through trunk-or-treat for friends with disabilities in the community and it is a huge hit! It's almost like a trunk-or-treat parade!

Create a sensory space for use during the event. This could be a “calm tent” or an indoor room where families could come and allow their children to de-compress if the environment becomes too overwhelming. Fidgets, noise-canceling headphones, low-lighting, and low-stimulation activities would be a great way to equip this space.

Feel free to use these signs to alert friends and family to the sensory spaces!

Offer alternative treats/prizes

Not all kids (with or without disabilities) can enjoy candy due to allergies, sensitivities, or feeding challenges. To accommodate, make plans for alternative treats or prizes.

Provide allergy-friendly candy such as Smarties, Dum Dums, or other allergy-friendly snacks. At our church, I like to ensure we offer candy choices at each trunk that are top 8 allergen friendly. You can find ideas for allergy-friendly choices here.

Click on the image below to download a FREE sign for Allergy-Friendly Treats!

Provide non-food items like stickers, temporary tattoos, small toys, or sensory-friendly prizes such as fidget spinners or stress balls.

Consider setting up a "Teal Pumpkin Project" option, where children with food allergies or sensitivities can find non-food treats. This initiative is increasingly popular and helps promote inclusion. You could purchase teal pumpkin containers to place at each trunk and fill each container with non-food treats and allergy-friendly candy options. you could also have a bag at each trunk labeled with “allergy-friendly treats."