bad weather? indoor fun for kids

**The following article was written by guest contributor, Ellen Gardner.**

As parents of a sensory seeking kid with autism, my husband and I are always seeking advice from our Occupational Therapist, various books and online research about how to help our son meet his physical needs from a sensory perspective. We have been especially desperate during this brutal winter. Just because DC has record breaking snow or Florida has seen so many hurricanes in recent years – kids’ needs don’t go away. Recent studies report that exercise can even help prevent illnesses of the brain such as Alzheimer’s! Exercise can change the physical structure of the brain as well as help repair brain cells.

In the midst of our quest for indoor sensory input for our son we realized something. When our daughter – who does not have special needs – also performs these activities she sleeps better, plays better, focuses better and behaves better. Jackpot! Do these indoor-fun tips below promise to mess up the house a little, take some time and energy on your part and cause your kids to get excited? Absolutely!

Use the items below as suggested or feel free to get creative and throw your own spin on them. But please always monitor your kids closely with each activity below. Also, my kids are two and three so these probably work best with kids under six.

Obstacle Course (most requested in our home):
Items suggested: couch pillows, bed pillows, bean bag(s), office chair that spins, regular ball, large exercise/ab ball, puzzle, exercise weighted ball – or – 2 liter soda bottle filled with water (we decorated ours and used food coloring in the water – lid should be super glued closed) and basket.

Design different stations around a large room and have your child complete the obstacle course three, four or five times (taking turns if you have more than one child). For example, start with the spinning chair (kid has to spin around through the song Row Row Row Your Boat) > Next have him balance and walk across four couch cushions while holding his hand > Next have him jump on a cushion and then toss him into the pile of pillows/bean bag(s) (encourage him to use his abs to pull up and out of the mound of cushions) > Belly down with his body weight on the large exercise/ab ball, have him reach to complete a chunky puzzle on the floor (helps greatly with fine motor skills) > Have him stand up and toss a ball in a basket > Lastly, have him pick up a full 2-liter bottle and carry it across the room and put it up high on a counter or table. Do that five times and see how well he sleeps that night. 

Bean/Rice Bin:
Items suggested: dry, uncooked beans or rice, large Tupperware container, cups, little toys.
Fill a large Tupperware container halfway with the beans or rice. Toss in little toys for hiding and cups for pouring. It is so simple but when you submerge your hands, clean feet, arms in there – you’ll see how stimulating it is!

Active TV Time:
Our trampoline: http://tinyurl.com/yjlxhyy
During bad weather, TV comes in quite handy. When our kids watch a favorite show, we put them in a room where there aren’t any seats. Sounds weird, I know, but instead of sitting, our kids take turns jumping on the indoor trampoline (or slide) while watching their favorite shows. Without seats, they also play more with stimulating toys and are moving around a lot, instead of becoming little couch potatoes.

Scoop Fun
Items suggested: Snowball Maker (example: http://tinyurl.com/yzu2tnc), any small toys or ball, baskets—-these snowball makers are also fun with the Bean/Rice Bins, a sand table and in the bath.
Have your kids pick up the toys or balls and put them in the baskets. After they improve their motor skills with this, change it up and make it more challenging. For example, have them pick up all the red items first, then the blue and count as they drop them in the basket.

Bang and Crash Zone
Items suggested: Twin, full or queen blow up mattress —- or—- fill an old duvet cover with packing peanuts or foam pieces from a upholstery store, pillows, bean bags, stuffed animals
We have this out all year long, but you might want to offer it during bad weather. Keep a blow up mattress (or the duvet) in the play area. Pile pillows and other soft toys on top and let the kids bounce around. My husband and often read to the kids on it and wrestle (with the kids) on it.

Bath Fun
When you are at your wits end, suggest a random bath. Come up with a pretend play scenario. Introduce non-bath (but safe for the water) household items such as a colander, pots, pans, kitchen spoons, measuring cups for pretend play. It stimulates their sensory system, promotes their imagination through pretend play, kills time and it is a special treat.

Shaving Cream Fun
Items suggested: Shaving cream, food coloring (optional), bowls, plastic wrap, cookie sheet, small toy cars
Take a cookie sheet and wrap it with plastic wrap. Squirt some shaving cream in a few different bowls and lightly stir in food coloring to make things more interesting. Have the kids grab the shaving cream with their hands and play with it on the cookie sheet. They can make shapes, numbers or pictures with their fingers. They can also race play cars through it and pretend like it is a car wash. It doesn’t sound that great, but kids love it.

Ball Bounce
Items needed: One large exercise/ab ball
Super simple but fun for the kids. Put the ball in front of your legs. Make sure to bend your knees while helping the child balance/sit on the ball facing away from you. Hold them under their arms and bounce them up and down. To make it more fun, bounce the duration of one of their favorite songs. Have them sing along with you. The bouncing is stimulating by offering deep pressure to their joints and it is a workout for you!

Indoor Swing
Ours: http://tinyurl.com/yhxq6r6 The one we have also has a net swing (which is similar to a hammock). We originally got it for therapy for my son, but my daughter absolutely loves it! It has been an all around life saver! These combination sets come with a regular swing, a bar to hang from and regular swing and a net swing. They definitely need supervision but it is worth it.