For parents of children with autism and intellectual disabilities (I/DD), the cold winter months can be challenging. Sometimes children with autism can have trouble regulating body temperature, making venturing outside too dangerous on frigid days. They may also find it difficult to tolerate wearing heavy clothing such as winter coats, socks, gloves, and hats. That’s why it’s helpful to have a handful of indoor activities ready to keep your children engaged and entertained.
[Looking for fun snow day ideas? Here are Bancroft’s top 5 sensory snow day activities for your child with autism.]
To help you conquer the chill, here are 10 fun indoor activities for children with autism and other special needs:
1. Sensory Bins
Sensory bins are a win-win for parents and their children. A calming, quiet activity, they provide sensory exploration, develop fine motor skills, and foster creativity. Wondering what to fill them with? The possibilities are endless! Popular items include cereal, pasta, rice, beans, kinetic sand, shredded paper, and water. (If you use rice, try coloring it first with food dye to add visual stimulation to your bin.) You can also bury small objects and toys for your children to find and discover as they play.
2. Carpet Picnic
Turn lunch into something fun that the whole family will enjoy! Build a campsite in your living room and have a “camp out” carpet picnic. You can use a tent, create a fort with blankets and sheets, or use cardboard boxes. Let your imagination run wild! After the picnic, your child can continue his/her fun with the indoor campsite by playing games or listening to music inside.
3. Scavenger Hunt
There are virtually no limits to what you can do with indoor scavenger hunts. You can hide objects and toys around the house, challenge your child to find things in your home that are a certain color, or have them go looking for things in your kitchen that are sweet, cold, or wet. You can make it as easy or as difficult as you need to keep your child engaged.
4. Finger Painting
Finger painting is a tactile, engaging, and creative activity. Don’t want the mess? Try using latex or non-latex gloves. If your child does not like the feel of paint on their fingers or resists the gloves, use paint brushes, sponges, or vegetables instead! Painting stimulates creativity, improves fine motor skills, and encourages imagination.
5. Baking
Baking is a wonderful activity to do with your kids when you’re stuck inside. It teaches children how to follow directions, develops fine motor skills, and provides valuable life skills. It’s a great bonding experience, too, creating memories to last a lifetime. Plus, you’ll both get to enjoy a delicious treat when you’re done!
6. Homemade Slime
Homemade slime is a fun and educational sensory activity that promotes creativity and motor development for children with autism. There are tons of homemade slime recipes on the internet that you can try. There are recipes that make the slime fluffier or more buttery, translucent or opaque, or even themed for various holidays. Add to the fun by placing different objects in the slime for your little one to discover.
7. Playing with Clay
Whether it’s Silly Putty, Play-Doh, or any other kind of clay, kids love the sensation of pulling and squishing it in their hands. Working with clay develops their imagination and strengthens their motor skills. Have a blast molding fun shapes together or let your child unleash their creativity and come up with their own awesome creations!
8. Shaving Cream Fun
Shaving cream can be a little messy, but it holds a myriad of possibilities for indoor fun. For example, you can spray it on a window and let your child ‘window paint’ by drawing letters or shapes in the shaving cream. They can also play social skill building games like tic-tac-toe or hangman. Add watercolor paint to the shaving cream and turn it into a sensory art project.
9. DIY Light Table
To make the light table, use a large, clear storage bin and place a long string of white Christmas lights inside to light it up. With this fun blank canvas, your child can experiment with drawing on the light table (use white paper that allows light to shine through), making a multi-colored collage with contact paper, or experimenting with how it lights up leaves, flowers and other nature items. You can also turn it into a multi-sensory activity by using water beads, marbles, or magnetic shapes.
10. Get Moving
To get your kids moving when they’re stuck inside, try Simon Says, yoga, or a fun dance party. Exercise is important for all children and these activities can be tailored to fit the physical needs of your child. Plus, they’re fun! If you opt for the dance party, you can play games like freeze dance or follow the leader.
Being indoors doesn’t have to be boring. With a little imagination and planning, you can create fun and engaging experiences for your children. These carefully curated activities offer opportunities for sensory exploration, social interaction and creative expression. Even more, they foster bonding and connection, becoming the building blocks for enduring relationships and lasting memories.
