OUTPATIENT SERVICES OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY DEPARTMENT REGULATING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES FOR SUMMER

There are countless benefits of working on cognitive, motor, social-emotional, sensory processing, and life skill development in a child’s natural environment. Natural environments for children include any place they go throughout their day to participate in age-appropriate and meaningful occupations. This could include but is not limited to their home, school, playgrounds, and the outdoors. What better time to explore your child’s natural environments through play to build or maintain skills while the Summer is still here. This also creates a positive, bonding opportunity for you and your child that feels more like making space for play and quality time rather than for highly structured, skill building.

The following suggested activities are specific to the outdoors because spending time in nature provides increased opportunity for calming and regulating sensory input, a chance to practice adapting to changes in a somewhat unpredictable environment, problemsolving, creativity and imagination, and sustained attention without the use of technology. It also provides an environment that organically challenges a child’s gross motor skills, fine motor skills, and core strength and stability. A few “take-home” ideas for how to intentionally engage your child in regulating activities include:

Gross Motor:

Animal Walks:

Bunny hops

Bear crawls

1-footed hop like a flamingo

Crab walks

Obstacle Courses:

Stepping across rocks

Climbing rocks

Stone toss

Log balance beam

Rolling down a hill

Fine Motor:

Bring Everyday

Household Items to Pick

Up and Collect Outdoor Treasures:

Tweezers

Kitchen tongs

Large serving spoons