🎃 Enjoying Autumn and Halloween with Fragile X

Autumn brings so many seasonal joys – from crisp walks through fallen leaves to cosy evenings at home. For families living with Fragile X Syndrome, the excitement of Halloween can sometimes feel overwhelming, but there are plenty of ways to enjoy the season without pressure.

Here are some ideas to make autumn fun, flexible, and family-friendly:

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🍁 Seasonal Activities to Try

• Nature walks – collect colourful leaves, pinecones, and conkers. Back home, sort them by colour, make leaf rubbings, enjoy the sensory textures or try creating a picture:

• Autumn scavenger hunt – create a checklist of things to spot outside (red leaf, squirrel, acorn, spider web). A gentle way to keep walks engaging. (see the end of this blog for a template you can use).

• Pumpkin fun – painting, sticking on googly eyes, or decorating with stickers instead of carving. Or use playdough to make mini pumpkins.

• Baking together – simple recipes like biscuits or fairy cakes. Decorating can be as fun as the eating!

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🎨 Creative & Sensory Play

• Autumn crafts – make paper bats, ghosts from tissue paper, or create collages with orange and black card.

• Mess-free play – fill a box with dried pasta or rice and hide small Halloween toys inside for a treasure hunt.

• Glow fun – swap loud fireworks for glow sticks, torches, or pumpkin lanterns in a darkened room for a gentle sensory experience.

• Themed story time – choose light-hearted Halloween or autumn books to enjoy together. Here’s some of our favourites:

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👻 Trick-or-Treating (if you want to)

Trick-or-treating can be exciting but isn’t for everyone. If you’d like to give it a go:

• Visit just a couple of familiar houses or friends.

• Try handing out sweets at home instead of going out.

• Having visual aids available to show might help reduce any pressure.

• Or keep it simple with a Halloween tea at home with a few favourite snacks.

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🧡 Keeping it Calm and Positive

• Create a safe space – a cosy corner with favourite toys, headphones, or a weighted blanket if things get too much.

• Make your own traditions – from an annual pumpkin photo to a family film night with popcorn, your way of celebrating is just as special.

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✨ Final Thought

Halloween doesn’t have to be noisy, busy, or overwhelming. It can be about enjoying the colours, smells, and tastes of autumn, spending time together, and finding small ways to bring seasonal magic into your child’s world. However you celebrate, we hope this autumn brings your family moments of joy and togetherness. 🍂