For any parent, encouraging an appreciation for the outdoors helps keep children active and curious. However, it becomes especially important for families that have children with autism, as playing outdoors not only promotes physical fitness but also helps children learn skills across multiple environments.
Learning activities can take countless forms and fit especially well within the warmer months when a wider array of outdoor options are available.
By choosing outdoor activities that align with a child’s therapy goals, parents can promote positive behaviors and discourage problematic ones in their children. Over time, these activities lead to a strong foundation of skills that result in healthy development into adulthood.
Set out on a Scavenger Hunt
Children love adventure, and creating a custom one in the form of a scavenger hunt will keep them thrilled as they build important problem-solving skills.
While creating outdoor activities like a scavenger hunt requires a little time to properly prepare, it boils down to a few simple points. Settle upon a theme your child enjoys (these can range anywhere from pirates to astronauts) and then create a list of smaller activities adapted to relate to it. Award prizes after the completion of each activity that relate to one another and ultimately culminate in the “grand prize”.
While your child is having fun on this search, they are also learning key skills along the way, as the segmentation of the process helps develop abstract thinking and reasoning ability. Depending on the activities chosen at each station, these lessons can also include everything from navigating new environments, classifying and sorting objects, and memory retention.
Play a few rounds of Hide and Seek
The outdoor world has plenty of nooks and crannies, and whether it’s a backyard or park, there’s nothing like a classic game of Hide and Seek to explore it all with friends and family alike.
If your child has never played before, it’s best to begin with a brief explanation of the rules and a few practice rounds before going into a full game. Set physical limits as to where participants are allowed to go and then take turns as both the “seeker” and the “hider”, as this teaches a child patience and the social queues required to play group games.
A game of Hide and Seek is a clever way for parents to build both communication and social skills in their children with autism.
Cool Off with Water Games
In the heat of summer, sometimes being outside doing anything can be energetically draining for parents and children alike. Finding and incorporating water into outdoor activities cools everyone down while also teaching children valuable lessons.
A balloon toss on the lawn is a classic outdoor game, one where children can learn small skills like catching from increasing distances and effectively communicating with their partners. Regardless of the result, children will learn teamwork and concentration along the way.
If a pool is accessible, then swimming with adult supervision is another way to get active while developing gross motor skills. Once children have built some familiarity with swimming, then all sorts of games from diving for rings to throwing splash toys become accessible.
Aquatic-based activities help children with autism develop their sensory processing skills and build confidence when encountering a new situation. Water games are a classic way to engage and enrich a child’s time outdoors while bringing some relief to long summer days.
Craft a Few Outdoor Art Projects
There are endless opportunities to be creative outdoors, and the extra space allows children to experiment without the worry of making a mess inside the house.
Chalk art on the sidewalk is a classic canvas upon which the imagination can run wild. Creating sand castles and other sculptures, along with other tactile-based art forms like finger painting are fun and visually stimulating activities. While all these are engaging on a pure entertainment level, these activities all incorporate a new sensory experience between the chalk, sand, and paint for the children to feel and mold.
Spending a day or two on each activity will keep children engaged and can pique further curiosity about the natural world. Crafting a few outdoor art projects can be an effective way for children with autism to experiment, grow, and express themselves.
Go for a Classic Nature Hike
Sometimes, children do not require all the bells and whistles of designed games and activities. A simple hike with their family through an engaging natural environment can prove to be plenty rewarding in itself.
It’s best to start with a short route with a clear goal, ideally a visually stimulating one such as a river, overlook, or unique natural feature. Before you set out, be sure to tell your child what trail markers to look for along the way. This gives your child miniature goals to track along the way and also will ensure the group continues on the right path.
When the end goal is reached, take a few moments to celebrate the success with your child. This positive reinforcement builds self-esteem and the skills learned from a hike directly translate into valuable tools that can be later applied for travel or navigating any new environment.
Effective Therapy That Feels Like Play
Regardless of what activity you choose to do with your child, spending time on outdoor activities reinforces key skills without feeling like a chore to perform.
By successfully blending fun activities with learning opportunities, children with autism are far more likely to complete the tasks and internalize successful skills and habits that can then be applied elsewhere in the world. Encouraging this habit early matters, as studies show that kids who learn to appreciate and play outside as children are far more likely to do so as an adult.
Parents who help their children understand new challenges and environments early in life can rest assured that their children will become capable, active participants in the outdoor world as they grow older.
