Helping Children Meet Their Full Potential Faster
As the summer descends upon us and the mercury rises, parents are looking out for fun and engaging activities to keep their child busy and informed. Please find below our suggestions for summer activities for kids that might just tick the right boxes with the parents and their kids.
Here is a suggested list of summer activities for kids with autism:
Enjoy seasonal summer fruits and vegetables. If taking the child to a local farmer’s market or organic bazaar is too overwhelming, then just go and shop on your own. Bring them home; let the child help you wash them well and help you in the kitchen to cook something new, healthy, and special. Let the child help you in a guided manner that is easy for them to follow and helpful to you as well.
Sand boxes in summer are a welcome delight. Create one using a small plastic pool or a large rectangular plastic/steel container. Fill it with sand and other sensory items for them to spend quality time and relish the sensory experience. Sand gets hot fast so it’s imperative to keep the sandbox in a cool/shaded part of the home/yard / estate.
Swimming is an excellent way to beat the heat and enjoy the summer. You could request a friend/neighbor if you could use their pool. This way the child can be slowly eased into the whole wading/swi process. Swimming is known to help with body awareness and tactile inputs. So it is a recommended activity if the options are within easy reach. However, the whole process has to be monitored by an adult the whole time to avoid any accidents.
Learning cycling with the help of a set of trainer wheels is a good idea to enjoy the summer months. It's relaxing and a fun form of exercise. Parental supervision is advised. Cycling is a suggestion and may not be everyone’s cup of tea in the long run.
A light hike in the woods is a good way to get the kid to explore auditory, visual, tactile, smell, and spiritual senses. Light hikes are best done in the morning or evening because of heat. Choose a quiet location and hike as long as the child is comfortable. The child can be exposed to the magic of nature during such hikes.
Visit your local beach for a fun day with sun, sand, and surf. Beaches offer many sights, sounds, and smells. Head for the beach adequately prepared to ensure everything is present to handle all types of situations.
Family fun time with simple board games. It’s hot to go out and have fun, no worries, just bring out simple board games for everyone to play together. Let the family and other loved ones bond over games and snacks. They are also ideal for pre or post-dinner family time.
Create DIY (do it yourself) sensory games for kids. Such games feature textures, colors, smells and sounds that provide children with novel sensory experiences and enhance motor skills.
