How To Help Kids Stay Comfortable During The Busy Summer Schedule
Summer has arrived. Everyone is excited for the summer season to kick off. Whether your child likes water, arts and crafts, or to cuddle up with a good book, summer is a great time to provide sensory activities that are more accessible than during the typical school year. In this short article, we look at some tips to help make sure the season is a huge success and even those summer holidays go to plan.
Let’s start with some activities that will help during those long summer days.
Eye-Hand Playful Activities
Go ahead. Grab a ball, play with a parachute or bounce on a hopper ball and head outside at the first sight of good weather. It’s a great time to work on catching skills, eye-hand coordination and target tossing. Eye hand coordination provides opportunities for crossing midline (crucial for reading), mastering timing and upper bodywork. Ball playing can be done at the backyard, pool or even the beach. Try different sized and weighted balls & textures to integrate them into a play activity.
Sensory Corners
Create a sensory corner this summer with some weighted blankets, crash pads and cool lighting. You can even add a sensory swing to use year round. A sensory corner is the perfect place to relax and unwind, especially with no homework to do. This sensory oasis can also provide a great spot to snuggle up with a good book from that summer reading list.
Water Water Everywhere
Head for the beach, the pool or a river for summer sensations. You may even be able to find a natural water hole near where you live. A hike to a waterfall can be breathtaking and also provide a plethora of natural sensations. If the water is too far away, why not bring water to your own backyard? Water (and sand) provide great hand therapy as well as sensory integration, and the summer weather allows you to make a mess outside. If it’s a rainy day, you can let your kids play near the waterspout or water hose or just walk barefoot with an umbrella. You can also create your own sand table with a small outdoor table and some dish bins. Now dump in your sand and you’re good to go!
Get Active & Mobile
Scooters, bikes and trikes are a necessary part of any summer vacation. Most cities now have beautiful greenways for biking, hiking or walking. For toddlers and kids with autism and special needs, movement is therapeutic and encourages balanced reactions and sensory processing skills. Learning to ride a bike for the first time? Take off the pedals and make sure your child’s feet can reach the ground flat footed. Once they can handle balancing the bike in motion, you can put the pedals back.
Pack A Picnic As An Extra Treat
When was your last picnic? Honestly I don’t remember one since my kids were little, but grab a blanket and some snacks or an entire meal and head outdoors to a local park or amphitheatre to enjoy the fresh air and good music. Toss in some of your favourite crunchy foods for a mouthful of sensory integration and oral motor workout while hanging out under your favourite tree. If a park is too far away, take your picnic right outside your own front door.
Explore With Activities
Summer is great for outdoor swinging, climbing and jumping! Whether you have a tree swing or an outdoor swing set, summer allows your kids to play all day while getting vestibular and sensory integration therapy. Swing, climb and jump in the playground until the kids are dirty and ready to come in. And then send them right back out again!
Even a rainy day in the summer can provide a new sensory experience. As you look outdoors and indoors, you’ll discover great moments for sensory exploration and new adventures in learning! Don’t forget to pack these neat travel tools to help you get there and back. For many kids, summer vacation holds the promise of months of school-free fun. But for children with sensory processing issues, summer can be a challenging time.
An unfamiliar playground, a visit to an amusement park, a messy ice cream cone: all involve sensory surprises that can be overwhelming or upsetting if a child is unusually sensitive to light, noise, and tactile sensations. But with some preparation and planning parents can help kids with sensory issues get the most out of summertime.
Study Your Child’s Specific Needs
The first step to helping a child with sensory processing issues enjoy summertime is having a strong understanding of his/her specific needs. Sensory processing issues come in many shapes and sizes, and no two kids are exactly the same. An activity like going to the beach might be a huge treat for one child and miserable for another, depending on their individual sensitivities.
The best way to avoid a meltdown at the beach is to tune into what your child’s behaviour tells you. Did they refuse to go in the water at the waterpark last summer? Do they have trouble with sticky food like cotton candy? Looking back at what kinds of activities your child has enjoyed—and which have led to meltdowns—is a great way to get a sense of what she’ll enjoy in the future, and what tools you can use to help potentially difficult activities become less stressful. Every parent knows what works best.
Make A Schedule & Stick To It
When the school year ends, saying goodbye to homework is often cause for celebration, but for kids with sensory issues the loss of an orderly schedule can spell disaster.
One of the difficult things that happens during summer is the loss of structure. Kids with sensory issues thrive when there’s a predictable schedule and they can more or less tell what’s going to happen each day.
Unexpected events are jarring and disruptive for kids with sensory issues who are more sensitive to changes in environment or activity. Routine helps them feel comfortable and better prepared to handle what’s coming their way.
- Once you’ve made a schedule, try hard to stick with it. Disorder is very confusing for kids with sensory issues, so consistency is key.
- Consider enrolling kids in activities that help them maintain a schedule. Swimming, art, or other sensory-friendly classes or day camps can mimic the structure of school in a fun way.
- Work with your child to make a calendar of upcoming events. Use stickers or fun doodles to represent activities. A dolphin sticker might represent a day at the beach or a picture of roller skates could mean a visit to the park.
Avoid Surprises By Thinking Ahead
Summer is a great time to try new things but some experiences can be overwhelming for kids with sensory issues. When it comes to going out, careful planning can mean the difference between a happy summer day and a total meltdown. The more prepared they are the less likely they are to be overwhelmed, which means everyone will have a better time.
- Focus on transitions.
- Talk it out.
- Break it down
- Try a test run
- Make a sensory go-kit.
Summer Tools To Have Ready
The right tools and clothes can reduce sensory overload and help kids have a good time.
- Sunglasses
- Sun-protective hats
- Good bug spray
- Sunscreen
- The right bathing suit
- Ear protection
- Portable shelter
- Protective shoes
- Seek out sensory-friendly events
Finally, remember that the goal is to help kids have a great summer. Focus on having fun, learning new skills, and doing what’s best for your kids and yourself.
Big Summer Discounts!
Wooden Wobble Balance Board
Standing, sitting and lying in balance
This is a multifunctional balancing and game board for a variety of exercises: to train flexibility, stamina, strength and coordination. Maximum load up to 100 kg.
Balance and Coordination Package
Balance relies on big muscles and whole-body co-ordination and control. Help your little ones improve their balance & coordination with our balance and co-ordination package. These balance toys will help promote and build stronger muscles in your child.
Package Includes:
- Trampoline with supporting strap
- Pogo Jumper
- Seesaw and Balance Board
Therapy Massage Ball 75cm
The Massage Ball is designed to stimulate touch
and experience different games depending on the degree of inflating. The pimpled surface stimulates touch. The Massage Ball is suitable for rehabilitation, gymnastics, and massages. It is designed especially for children to learn how to sit and lie on the ball and strengthen their sense of balance. Sensory enhancement. Improve whole body movement and balance co-ordination. Max. load: 100 kg.
Bubble Tube
Bubble Tube with little fish included. This will be a wonderful addition to any home sensory room.
120cm LED lamp creates a subtle lighting ambience
7 colour-changing effects
Includes 6 toy fish.
All you have to do is add water, plug it in(plug included) and you have your own bubble tube.
Sensory Light Projector
The sensory light projector light can project a realistic starry night onto the walls and ceiling, creating a calming sensory environment. The sensory light projector light has a dynamic nebula built-in 1H, 2H, auto-off timer. The sensory light projector light will automatically shut off after the preset time.
- Bluetooth
- Remote Operated
- Adapter
- 21 light features
- 2XAAA Batteries Required (Not Included)
Trampoline with Supporting Strap
For anxious hoppers
Thanks to the padded supporting strap also little and anxious children have a lot of fun gaining their first jumping experience. The jumping strengthens the musculature and stimulates coordination and the sense of balance. The strap made of powder-coated steel tube is particularly stable. The jumping zone is springy by elastics, the frame is padded. Product is delivered fragmented. Resilient up to 25 kg.
Sensory Supplies Online
We have all the toys and items you’ll need this Summer. Browse our online store and or reach out to us about anything specific you have in mind. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Our team are more than happy to help.
