Written by Fiona Peaco*ck
Published on February 6, 2024
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- There are lots of fun activities you can try to keep your child entertained indoors. Some activities may need to be modified to ensure your child is comfortable and happy while taking part.
- Trying out new activities will keep your child entertained, teach them new skills, and allow you to find more ways to enjoy spending time together.
- Virtual technology and online meetups have made social interactions easier than ever. You can help your child connect with their peers without having to leave the comfort of your own home.
There are so many different ways you can spend time indoors, from reading books to playing board games, building with Lego, and playing with slime. Indoor activities include active games, sensory stimulation, imaginative play, and educational activities.
When it comes to indoor activities for kids with disabilities, you can never have too many ideas. A Pinterest board filled with potential activities is perfect for a rainy day. Doing the same activity repeatedly can grow tiring, but simple modifications can freshen up the activity and make it feel brand new.
Including educational indoor activities as part of your child’s daily routine gives your child plenty of opportunity for play and learning. Your child’s comfort is key, so ensure you make any necessary modifications to keep your child comfortable.
Sensory Activities
Sensory activities are a brilliant way to kill time indoors. If you have a sensory-seeking child, these activities might be your go-to on a rainy day. If your child is sensory-avoidant, you may want to make modifications to make the activity suitable for your child.
Tactile Activities
- Finger painting: Finger paint is a fantastic, albeit messy, indoor activity for children with disabilities. All you need is some blank paper (or canvas or cardboard box), finger paints, and to accept that things are about to get messy. Opt for non-toxic finger paints to ensure a stress-free playtime (or finger paint with pudding if your child tends to put things in their mouths). Follow this activity with a bath, and you have another sensory play experience in the bag.
- Foil blanket play mat: Set up a foil emergency blanket on the floor and situate your child’s favorite toys on the blanket. The feel and sound of the blanket will provide a sensory experience. Include toys with a mix of different textures to increase the sensory stimulation provided by this activity.
Auditory Activities
Auditory activities can be a good way of letting off energy or calming down, depending on the chosen activity.
- Body Percussion: Teach your child to use their body as an instrument and see how many sounds they can come up with. Clapping, finger clicking, stamping, and whistling are all fun ways to make noise with your body. See if you can create a tune together using your bodies as instruments.
- Interactive storytelling: Sharing a story is a lovely bonding activity, and it’s perfect for calming down at the end of the day. Add relevant props, silly sound effects, and theatrical flair to your performance to make your story more interactive. A good story box can also be a fun and calming activity.
Educational Activities
All play counts as educational, and you can engage your child with plenty of educational activities at home.
Interactive Learning Games
- Educational apps: There are many educational apps specifically designed for children with disabilities. Crazy Gears is an award-winning educational app to aid your child’s critical thinking skills. The app has a special mode for children with Cortical Visual Impairment with easy-to-see color schemes.
- Board games: Card games and board games are a wholesome way to spend time indoors, and many are suitable for children with disabilities. You must consider which board games will be best for your child. Pop The Pig is a fun game for teaching numbers, colors, counting, and turn-taking. Thought Spot’s Play & Learn is a fun game to learn colors, numbers, emotions, letters, and language skills.
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Creative Writing
- Storytelling: Writing stories is a fun way to engage the mind, unleash creativity, and wile away the hours. Story Cubes are a great story prompt for kickstarting the imagination. There are many options for assistive technology for writing, such as slant boards, pen grips, and digital aids. Storywriting is a great way to develop many skills, including vocabulary development, letter formation, imaginative thinking, and fine motor skills.
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Physical Activities
When you think of exercise, you’re likely imagining an outdoor sport, but it’s absolutely possible to exercise indoors. Exercise is good for developing gross motor skills, burning off energy, improving balance, and helping with hand-eye coordination.
Gentle Indoor Exercise
Movement can be an ideal sensory break for children with sensory processing issues. For special needs children, physical activity can relieve stress, release feel-good hormones, and boost energy.
- Exercise videos: There are many exercise workout videos for children with disabilities on YouTube. This seated workout for kids is excellent for wheelchair users and children with other mobility issues. Adaptive yoga is another fun way to move your body at home; this informative video teaches some adapted poses to ensure yoga is accessible to all.
- Kitchen disco: A kitchen disco is an easy, silly way to move your body and burn off some energy with disabled children. Simply stick your child’s favorite song on and join them in a kitchen boogie. Why not come up with a dance routine together?
Modified Movement Games
You can play many modified movement games with children with special needs, but most will probably require more space than you have in your home. There are, however, some small-scale modified movement games you can try at home.
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- Indoor bowling: Indoor bowling with lightweight pins is a fun activity for children with special needs to try at home. If your child struggles to hit the pins, use a bigger ball. A ball that makes sound when it rolls is ideal for kids who are visually impaired.
- Balloon volleyball: Play bat the balloon with your child. See how long you can keep it in the air. Play indoor volleyball by batting the balloons across the room to each other. Why not use couch pillows as a net to make it feel like a real volleyball game?
Artistic Activities
Art is a top-tier rainy-day activity, perfect for staying indoors for long periods. There are so many artistic mediums to explore and different artists to feel inspired by that you’re unlikely to run out of art projects.
Painting and Drawing
- Adaptive arts and crafts: There are many adaptive art tools to ensure everybody can express themselves through art. From adaptive pencil grips to wheelchair painting, you can modify the art activity so your child can participate. It may take a while to figure out which adaptive tools work best for your child, so don’t be afraid to experiment and try new techniques. Art activities are a fun way to develop fine motor skills.
Music and Rhythm Activities
- Adaptive instruments: If your child uses a switch, there are adaptive musical instruments that can connect to your child’s switch. Your child can play the instrument, make music, and have fun with an adaptive musical instrument.
- Digital music creation apps: If your child is tech-savvy, why not introduce them to a digital music-making app? There are lots to choose from, though Garage Band is probably one of the better-known apps. With an app, your child can compose their own music and create songs.
Social Interaction and Team Activities
Socializing Online
- Virtual playdates: Online groups are a fantastic way to give your child social experiences without leaving the house. Reach out to local organizations and online support groups to see if there are any virtual activities that may work for your child.
- Online group activities: It may help to have activities or games to enjoy together during the video call. For example, the children could all make the same Lego set or work on an art piece during the chat. Sometimes, a distraction to keep everybody occupied can help a virtual meetup run smoothly.
Collaborative Projects and Team-building Exercises
Being at home doesn’t have to mean being cut off from society. Thanks to advancing technologies, children can participate in virtual collaboration projects and meet-ups.
- Group art projects: Group art projects are always fun, so why not organize a virtual one? Choose a theme and have each participant work on their piece. Once everybody is finished, hold a virtual meet-up so participants can showcase and explain their work to the rest of the team. An easy art project is a word banner where each child decorates a letter and then mails it to you so you can put the banner together.
- Team puzzle-solving activities: Escape rooms are growing in popularity, and it’s not hard to see why. Why not organize a virtual escape room for your child and their friends? Collaborate with the other parents to ensure each child has physical clues to engage with, though ensure the children work collaboratively to solve the puzzle. The social and communication skills necessary for this will benefit your child’s adaptive skills for independent living.
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert and enthusiast, I have personal experiences or emotions, but I can provide you with information on the concepts mentioned in this article. Here's a breakdown of the different concepts and activities discussed:
Indoor Activities for Kids:
The article suggests various indoor activities to keep children entertained and engaged. These activities include reading books, playing board games, building with Lego, playing with slime, and engaging in imaginative play. The article also emphasizes the importance of including educational activities as part of a child's daily routine.
Sensory Activities:
Sensory activities are mentioned as a way to engage children indoors. These activities can be tailored to suit children with different sensory preferences. The article suggests finger painting as a tactile activity and setting up a foil blanket play mat for a sensory experience.
Auditory Activities:
The article suggests auditory activities as a way to let off energy or calm down. Body percussion, such as clapping, finger clicking, stamping, and whistling, is mentioned as a fun way to make noise with the body. Interactive storytelling with props and sound effects is also recommended.
Educational Activities:
The article highlights that all play can be educational and suggests engaging children with educational activities at home. It mentions educational apps designed for children with disabilities, such as Crazy Gears, which aids critical thinking skills. Board games, such as Pop The Pig and Thought Spot's Play & Learn, are also recommended for learning colors, numbers, emotions, letters, and language skills.
Creative Writing:
The article suggests storytelling and creative writing as activities to engage the mind and unleash creativity. Story Cubes are mentioned as a great story prompt for imaginative thinking. Assistive technology for writing, such as slant boards, pen grips, and digital aids, is also mentioned.
Physical Activities:
The article emphasizes that exercise can be done indoors and is beneficial for developing gross motor skills, burning off energy, improving balance, and enhancing hand-eye coordination. It suggests exercise videos for children with disabilities on YouTube and adaptive yoga as fun ways to engage in physical activity at home. Kitchen disco, where children can dance in the kitchen, is also mentioned as a way to move the body and burn off energy.
Artistic Activities:
Art is recommended as a rainy-day activity that can be enjoyed indoors for long periods. The article suggests painting and drawing as artistic mediums to explore. It also mentions adaptive arts and crafts, which use adaptive tools to ensure children with disabilities can participate in art activities. Music and rhythm activities, such as playing adaptive instruments or using digital music creation apps, are also mentioned.
Social Interaction and Team Activities:
The article highlights the importance of social interaction and suggests virtual playdates and online group activities as ways for children to connect with others. It also mentions collaborative projects and team-building exercises, such as group art projects and virtual escape rooms, as opportunities for children to engage in teamwork and develop social and communication skills.
Please note that the information provided above is based on the concepts mentioned in this article.
