Many families, and even teachers, worry that their children and learners will lose skills over the summer. Whether there is time embedded throughout the day for homework or structured activities throughout the summer weeks, there are many activities that can be engaging and fun. Within this post, I will share some easy activities that can be implemented even with busy summer schedules! No matter where a learner is developing, many activities can help with maintenance of skills if not learning opportunities in both a natural and structured environment. These are all activities that I have done with my family and have had great reviews after recommending them to learner’s families!

Cognitive:

 

• Use painter’s tape on a deck for a “road” for toy cars
• Use saran wrap and different foam shaped stickers and shine a flashlight through it to make different shadows
• Freeze small toys in ice and smash them once frozen
• Make playdough monsters with googly eyes and match the quantity of googly eyes to the written numeral
• Use painters’ tape and make large shapes. Go around the house and find and sort items by their different shapes.
• The autism helper file folders
• Errorless matching books
• The Autism Helper curriculum
• Sort toys by feature, function, or class
• Sort the mail
• Boom cards
• The autism helper summer work task mega pack
• Summer edition wh- question pack

Communication:

 

• Make a craft based on the learner’s favorite book
• Make puppets based on a favorite book
• Watch a move and talk about the setting, character, problem, and solution
• Car ride scavenger hunt
• The autism helper communication-based work tasks

Social:

 

• Go to the park!
• Have a dance party. You can even turn off the lights and use glowsticks!
• Make a box fort
• Make an obstacle course with chalk
• Build a tower out of playing cards
• Make a volcano with vinegar and baking soda
• Make your own board game
• Indoor scavenger hunt
• Go for a walk

Life skills:

 

• Grocery store
• Department stores
• Try cooking a new dish
• Decorate cookies
• Pick a room to clean and get it done
• Make a list of items found in nature and go on a scavenger hunt. Make a collage of the items that you found.
• Help separate laundry
• Help put the dishes away
• Look for rainbows after a storm
• Read books and keep a reading log! If you get to a certain number of books, learner can receive a special treat
• Set the table
• Feed the birds
• Water plants
• Plant a garden
• How to wait in line
• The autism helper summer treats and snacks

Motor:

• • Stringing cereal
  • Sorting stickers by size, shape, or color
  • Color, cut, glue activities
  • Color sorting sensory bag with hair gel and colored buttons
  • Puzzles
  • Water colors
  • Light bright
  • Copying dance moves
  • Animal walk
  • The floor is lava
  • Imitation of objects with toys
  • Motor imitation