If you’re raising a child diagnosed with autism, you know the struggles that come with it. However, both you and your child are brave enough to face it and find ways to achieve things in life, and for that, kudos to you. In this post, we have listed several activities for children with autism so that you can involve them in fun and cool playtime moments with you or other kids.
What Is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurobiological health condition that affects normal brain development. It affects a person’s communication skills and also leads to several behavioral and social challenges (1). The ‘spectrum’ in ASD means the ASD symptoms and the severity of these symptoms may differ for each person. Some people with ASD may have exceptional learning and problem-solving abilities while others may struggle with simple learning tasks. (2) You have to involve children with autism in activities to bridge the gap between them and their surrounding environment. Below are a few indoor and outdoor games and activities you can teach your toddler and younger kids.
Fun Indoor Activities For Children With Autism
These autism games and activities can improve social skills as they help strengthen the bond between your child and people around her. You can create fun-filled and engaging activities with a little effort from your side:
1. Create A Shredded Flower Bouquet:
This creative activity involves the ripping and shredding of paper to create a beautiful composition to use as a decorative element. Children with autism who require special needs will love the sensory touch of handling paper and playing with shapes and colors. You Will Need:
Watercolor paper – 11” * 17” Flesh colored paper Bright colored construction papers Green colored construction papers – various shades Glue stick Scissors Pencil
How To Do:
2. Underwater I Spy Alphabet Bottle:
Sparkling water is one such activities for children with autism social skills to attract. Here is a great alphabet bottle activity that helps to keep your little one focused and engaged. Your kids can recognize letters in a creative manner through the shiny floating sequins. You Will Need:
Plastic soda or empty water bottle Alphabet beads Sequins Glitter Water Corn syrup Highlighter Paper sheet Glue gun
How To Do:
3. Paint With Ice:
Kids love swirling the paint on paper to create beautiful patterns. It helps them to improve their color observation and recognition skills. This is an interesting learning activity for toddlers and preschoolers with autism. You Will Need: Liquid egg tempera paint Craft sticks Ice cube tray Plastic wrap Paper How To Do:
4. Practice Paint Chip Storytelling:
Narrating a story is just like painting a picture where words are used instead of paint. Here, your little tot takes the help of paint chips and words to narrate a story. This helps to improve her narrative and imaginative abilities. You Will Need:
Color sample cards that have interesting names Pen and paper Glue Dictionary
How To Do: While your little one reads aloud the story, you can understand her creative skills, suggest new words, point out the language and discuss it so as to improve her creative skills.
5. Making Shapes:
These are beautiful matching learning activities for children with autism to introduce to the concept of puzzles. A craft stick contains only a half shape, and you need to find the other half and place them side by side to complete the shape. You Will Need:
20 craft sticks Markers of different colors
How To Do: Let your kid take up the shapes of a square, circle and triangle and whatever is easy. Help your little one understand the concept of symmetry so that she draws symmetric shapes.
6. Sculpt Clay Snowflakes:
You can have your child make sparkling snowflakes and thus experience the winter from your home. Sculpting clay is an amazing way to boost your little one’s motor skills and improve the sensory experience of pulling, kneading and squishing. You Will Need:
Air-dry white clay Glitter in opal and silver shades Clay molding tools like craft sticks, pencil erasers and a spoon Egg tempera paint Thin paint brush
How To Do: Teach your kid about the symmetry of hexagon by this activity.
7. Make Number Rubbings:
Children love crayons, and you can put this art by introducing them to rubbings. It helps to improve eye-hand coordination and works the small muscles of hands. You Will Need:
Paper Black color marker Blank paper – 10 pieces with one number on each Objects with different textures – 10, can be leaves, coins, sandpaper, etc. Pencil Safety scissors Lined paper Crayons
How To Do: It is a great fun activity for kids with autism that teaches math. It helps kids connect numbers with objects to represent the number.
8. Finding Toys:
Here is another activity that helps improve your child’s sensory skills by touching and feeling various things.
9. Finger Painting:
It is a bit messy but helps your child learn much about colors. It makes your little one feel different textures by touch and will help lower sensory issues.
Place tiny blobs of paint of various colors on paper. Then ask your kid to mix those paints using her fingers. Create words, numbers, shapes and various other patterns in the paint and keep a white paper on the top to create a stamp of finger painting.
10. Song Time:
If your child with autism cannot speak, she would have at least gifted with humming, or playing instruments like keyboards, piano or drums. Try singing a song and ask her hum or create a new tone with any instrument. It will improve her sensory simulation. No matter what activities for kids with autism you have in mind, the primary challenge lies in choosing the right activity and engaging them in it. Encourage his or her performance in every activity as these autism activities would help your kid connect and communicate with others in a better way!
Fun Games For Child With Autism
Children with autism go through various difficulties every day. They have difficulty understanding human relationships and intimacy. You can take them out, soak them in the sun, and notice a significant change in their behavior. Try the following outdoor and indoor games for children with autism of all ages.
Outdoor Games For Children With Autism
1. Obstacle Course:
Outdoors provide significant obstacle courses. You can make your little one run around a bush, jump over a stick, down the slide and hug a tree. You do not require any equipment, and it will greatly enhance your kid’s obstacle course options. Be as creative as you can.
2. Hide N’ Seek:
This game can never turn old. People love playing it indoors, but outdoor playing is great. Children giggle and laugh when they see someone hiding behind a tree. You can integrate counting, visual perception and turn-taking into the game.
3. Head To The Playground:
Who will not love a playground? It is a perfect area for children to improve their motor skills, balance, confidence, social skills and vestibular orientation. There is no need for panic or hover for their safety. Just stay close in reach and encourage them to go around different slides and swings.
4. Water Therapy:
Wait for the rains to arrive and then you can send them outside. You should not bother whether they are with raincoats or not. Just let them get soaked or handover an umbrella. Give them a broom to slosh away the water and buckets to collect it. The rains will offer a sensory integration episode.
5. Rolling Along:
Bicycles, skateboards, and scooters encourage balance, linear acceleration and motor planning, which are all essential for sensory processing. Make sure they wear pads and helmets all the time. Teach them to pedal the bike by lowering their seat for their feet to touch the ground. Once they learn walking and pushing, you can ask them to raise the seat. Caution:
Do not leave your kids unattended. Give them proper shoes Apply sunscreen all over their exposed skin
Indoor Games For Children With Autism
1. Colored Beans:
You Will Need:
Lima beans or pinto beans Tupperware or Glad ware container/bag Food color Paper towel
How To Do:
2. Rainbow Ice Excavation:
You Will Need:
A few bits and pieces in different colors or rainbow colors Large container or vase Water
How To Do:
3. Balloon Paint Stamping:
You Will Need:
Balloon Paint of any color Paper Googly eyes Button
How To Do:
