School is out, and summer is here! This is an excellent time for children to reset and rest for a few months before the school year begins again. However, this time off from school and routines can be challenging for parents of children on the autism spectrum because a lack of structure can be harder for them to manage.
You can fill your days with many exciting and educational activities to help keep your child engaged, entertained, and occupied. Here’s a short list of fun activities for kids with autism to do this summer.
Make Homemade Ice Cream
Ice cream is a summer staple for those scorching days. Have you ever thought about making homemade ice cream in a bag? You can create unique flavors by adding crumbled cookies, brownies, sprinkles, and other tasty treats. Making homemade ice cream will be the event of the summer!
Plan a Playdate With Friends
Social skills are essential for everyday life. You can help your child with autism practice social skills in formal or informal ways throughout the summer. Although ABA therapy has various benefits and is successful, it’s still important to encourage their child with autism to participate in less structured social interactions, such as playdates with neighbors, cousins, or classmates.
However, you should not push your child too much into making friends and fitting in with the crowd. Allow them to explore and be themselves while interacting with other children.
Play I-Spy While Hanging Out
When you’re hanging out with your child, you can play a game of I-Spy! This classic game involves one person giving a clue about an object they see around them and having the other person guess what that object is.
Playing I-Spy is a great way to help encourage receptive language skills by supporting a child’s ability to listen to the clues and use complex thinking skills to figure out the targeted object.
Go on a Scavenger Hunt in Your Backyard
Explore your backyard and host a scavenger hunt to help fill in time on slower days. You can add instructions like, “find something green,” “find something round,” or “find something you can draw with” to ensure your child is using the skills they learned in applied behavioral analysis therapy.
Reward your child when they complete their scavenger hunt! This reward could be a decorative trophy, a sweet treat, or an extra hour on their video game.
Set up a Summer Themed Arts and Crafts Station
Set up an arts and crafts station with paint, glitter, glue, stickers, and anything else your child may need to create a masterpiece. Sit with your child and create artwork with them! This is a great way to foster art appreciation and participation. Create colorful sand art or draw pictures of a dream vacation.
Time passes when you’re having fun, so try to relax and enjoy these moments together before the school year starts again. With a bit of planning and creativity, you can enjoy these fun summer activities for kids with autism and help reinforce positive behavior while your child explores their creative side.