There are plenty of activities out there which engage special needs children. These activities help them in numerous ways to socialize more and improve their communication abilities as well as cognitive skills.
10 Activities to follow for Special Needs Children:
- Glow in the dark boxes:
Light boxes are easy to make and can be used in both classrooms and homes. It helps children with special needs, by improving their attention span and cognitive abilities. All you need is loads of colored items like colored salts and dust, bright blocks of plastic and even smooth rocks.
It will definitely help fine tune their motor skills and keep them occupied as well.
- Exercise and yoga:
This is a great indoor and outdoor activity that helps in making the child emotionally stable and also in calming them. With regular practise of yoga, the breathing and hyperactivity can be regulated.It also helps in becoming self aware. Plus, it’s a fairly harmless activity for the kids.
- Cycling:
Bike Rides can be challenging at first for children, keep encouraging and motivating them. It is an excellent activity and gives your child opportunities to explore new places and exercise at the same time. Numerous special needs bikes, trikes and tandems can be bought. They can also learn balance and other skills along with it.
- Nurture nature:
Gardening helps Special Needs Children, develop qualities that are optimistic, as well as experience the growth of nature. Children experience a therapeutic effect, when they look after flowers and vegetables in the gardens.
- Building homemade tents:
This is a great activity for giving the child a feeling of camping, without the actual dangers that come with it. With just flashlights and books, along with blankets and chairs, tents are easy to create and the child will be engrossed in it for hours.It is also safe and comfortable for the child, leaving parents stress free.
- Children’s backyard pool:
For children with low water tolerance, you can sit with them and hose different types of sprays to entertain them and keep their attention. For active children you can have different set up water rides, garden sprinklers, water tables or even splash pools.
- Snap.Shoot.Record.:
Photography classes help Special Needs Children, particularly ADHD, in viewing the world in their own perspective, in an independent manner, since not everyone sees the world in the same way. The skills of holding the camera in the right manner, photo printing, processing physical films, helps children display their skills, gain the ability to focus, as well as emerge out as confident individuals.
- Simple cooking:
This is a fun activity since it helps in building social and also cognitive skills. It also helps them focus and gives them simple cooking skills that will help them later on too. The children also learn to cook simple dishes, that can be made at home, as well as have fun at the same time.
- Drama:
Drama classes help kids express them and also improves their self confidence. They learn to work as a team, have meaningful conversation and also get creative. They also learn to make friends and relieve stress and tension in a positive and dynamic environment.
- Using technical skills:
Special Needs Children, particularly the ones suffering from ADHD, find building and construction activities, very attractive. Children can improve their grasping skills, when they work with new ideas, as well as they can also enhance their motor skills, when they work with their hands to build something, such as molding or drilling clay, under supervision.
All these activities are fun and will also keep your children safe and happy. It is better to encourage more outdoor activities since it will give them physical exercise and also exposure to outside conditions. Also, let them play with other children. This will improve their social skills and they will learn new things as well. And if you include activities that have a learning element to them, then studying can be made fun too, for the kids.