We don’t pack much. Just things we already know.
For us, a small calm kit is simply a few familiar things in one bag so we do not have to improvise if our child needs a quieter moment. Most of it is ordinary stuff we might take on any busy outing.
What we would take
Water
Simple, but useful. Trick-or-treating can involve much more walking and talking than expected, especially under a warm costume.
A familiar snack
There will be sweets around, but that does not necessarily mean there will be something our child wants when he is hungry.
A fidget
We would choose something small and familiar rather than introducing a brand-new sensory toy on an already unusual evening.
Ear protection
If ear defenders or other ear protection already help your child in busy places, it can be useful to have them available rather than insisting they wear them from the start.
Something familiar
It might be a small soft toy, a familiar object or nothing at all. The point is having a little bit of normal in an evening full of unusual things.
A reminder that we can stop
For us, it is about saying before we leave: we can take a break, skip a house or go home. Our child does not have to become completely overwhelmed first.
Nothing complicated. Just a few familiar things that might help.
It isn’t meant to be a shopping list
A calm kit does not need six special products. We would start with whatever our child already uses at home or on other busy days. Familiarity is more useful to us than filling a bag with things simply because they are labelled as sensory or calming.
This is our family’s experience rather than medical advice, and every child is different. We share what has helped us in the hope that it gives other families a few useful ideas.