With everyone indoors for most of the day, there are still many activities that families can do in their own backyards, outdoor common areas or driveways. It is very important that our children spend some time outdoors everyday and enjoy the sun, especially with summer around the corner. Participating in creative outdoor activities with your children can provide a good change of routine. While still observing social distancing, families can spend quality time enjoying the outdoors.

1. Gardening

This is a great opportunity to begin gardening with your kids. You don’t need a garden or space to begin growing. All you need is some soil, pots and seeds. You can grow plants in pots right outside your home. You can also regrow plants from scraps.

2. Background Camping

 You can set up a tent in your backyard. Families can spend time telling stories. You may have boxes laying around from ordering things. Instead of recycling these boxes, we can save them and make cardboard forts with our children.

3. Getting physical

You can build obstacle course with your children using different toys and household items. Making an obstacle course will help channel your child’s creative side while also providing a fun activity for when the course is complete. Families can also do outdoor yoga or dance.

4. Playing games during walks

 When taking a walk around your home, you can also have your children participate in a scavenger hunt and find things that they may have not noticed before. You can also play a game of spy or you can have your children find treasure hidden that you hid ahead of time.

5. Water games

With summer around the corner here is some greatest water activity that you can doo in your own backyard. Water balloon toss, water sensory table mini pools, watering plants with water guns and sprinkler red light green light.

6. Arts and Crafts

Families can find rocks and wood pieces to paint, chalk sideways, play with shaving cream, sensory bags with house hold items such as hair gel, paint, water beads etc. leaf art and pine cone art.

COLOR HUNT IN NATURE

I have never seen the children with autism being bored in nature. Wonder outdoors never stops. Open-ended play always evolves. Imagination gains vivid and intense colours. Nature conveys peace into child’s heart and mind leaving no room for worry. Color hunt in nature activity uses natural environment to teach early learning concepts and encourage natural wonder, curiosity, and knowledge of the outside world we live in. It is done by extending indoor activities into the outdoor setting. Just like during the Montessori cycle, outdoor learning is primarily child-driven. Give your child the right tools and give a task guide allowing her/him to take control and lead further.

Tools we used:

• magnifying glass

• clipboard

• pencil

• paper

Begin the outdoor nature color hunt by brainstorming possible colours you might find along the way and make a chart. One of the precious skills that get developed through this exercise is the ability to observe and explore freely.