Fall is the beginning of my favorite time of year! I love all things Halloween and autumn-related, the festivals, activities, and all the different ways to experience nature during this beautiful time of year. Here are a few ideas and activities to do with your child.
1. Apple picking
Georgia has SO MANY places to go apple picking in the fall. Ellijay, Georgia is known for its orchards and most of these places are family and kid friendly offering petting zoos and pick your own apples. This is a fantastic way to expose your child to all sorts of sensory stimulation while making this super fun! For the most part, apple picking would be wheelchair accessible, and depending on how tall the trees are your child should be able to pick their pwn apples right from the tree. With this, you’re getting some fine motor grasping and pulling the apples requires motor control and strength while placing them into a basket would be replicating a “put in” activity they may be working on in therapy. For children who are visually impaired have them feel the apple with hand over hand help and verbally describe the look and feel of the apple, and let them taste and smell it.
Most orchards have a petting zoo of some sort. Assist your child with touching and feeling the different textures of the animals while taking in the sounds and even the smells to help make this true sensory experience. A lot of children who become overwhelmed easily do well with animals and become calm in their presence.
With the apples you bring home you can do apple painting by cutting an apple in half and using it as a stamp to paint.
You can make apple pie or applesauce for our kiddos on a specific diet or specific food consistency. Let them help you as much as possible mixing ingredients, following directions, and tast testing.
2. Leaf collecting
Go on a walk in your backyard or at a local park collecting some fun colored leaves. Asking your child to find certain colored leaves would work on visual scanning and following directions as well as the “Put in” skill mentioned earlier. Once your leaves are collected lay them out and have your child either rip them into tiny pieces (fine motor) or have them cut the leaves into pieces (scissor skills) then glue them onto a fall leaf picture to hang on the fridge.
3. Pumpkins
Of course, as we get closer to Halloween I’ll cover pumpkin carving ideas but until then you can buy a few smaller pumpkins that are different textures. The classic orange, the white pumpkins, the green ones that are lumpier. Let your child help decorate the porch while feeling and moving these pumpkins around while describing the differences. You can also have them roll these pumpkins in play dough as a fun activity!
Kids learn best by experiencing and that’s no different for our kiddos with special needs. Sometimes figuring out how to make a situation work for them is simpler than you think! Be creative and put yourself in their shoes and at their level, what would work for you and what assistance would you need. Then make it fun!
