5 Sensational Outdoor Activities For Kids With Sensory-Sensitivities

Girl smiling while playing with colorful outdoor rings on green grass.

Outdoor Sensory Activities

Winter has finally let go, passing the weather reins onto spring. Thank goodness! Now, we can open our windows, clear out the cobwebs, and, most importantly, get outside.

Yes, there are wonderful activities we can do inside during the colder, blustery winter days, but it just isn’t the same as getting out in nature and enjoying warm weather and much-needed sunshine.

For those of you out there who have ‘sensational’ kids, you know how edgy they seem to get this time of year. Their little bodies seem to crave the outdoors more as the weather gets warmer.

I remember years ago, even on Jaimie’s most sensitive days, she seemed so much happier being outside.

Plus, with summer so short, we need to get out there and enjoy it as much as possible.

Four ‘Sensational’ Kids In Our House

We have four ‘sensational’ kids in our house, two whose sensitivities are more on the severe side.

So, the activities I suggest each day give each of them wiggle room to tweak them to fit their bodies’ needs at the time.

I’d love to share some of our favorite spring and early summer outdoor activities with you.

Remember that each of our kids’ needs is very different, so when trying out any of these suggestions, be sure to add whatever your little one needs at the time to gain the greatest benefits from the activity.

See what your OT or other therapist advises if you need further suggestions.

1. Water Balloons

We love balloons in our house because they can be used in so many different ways for sensory fun. In the summer, we fill them with water and play baseball, catch games or pitch them at the fence or the side of the house.

You can get balloons at the dollar store in different shapes and sizes to make it even more fun. Your kids will be getting great tactile input, muscle input, proprioception, and eye-hand coordination, to name a few.

We only have two rules: no throwing them at other people, and everyone has to help clean up the busted balloons.

2. Outside Obstacle Course

If you have a big backyard or live near a field like ours, try this one! Think of three to four activities that have your kids crawling, pulling, pushing, running, getting squeezed, crab-walking, or other body-movement activities.

We end all of our outdoor obstacle courses with a run up the big hill behind our complex and a roll back down. There is an excellent variety of input available there.

3. Gardening

Yard work and gardening offer a huge variety of sensory input opportunities. Things like raking, filling, and pushing a wheelbarrow, pulling weeds, digging holes, picking fruit and vegetables, and watering give their bodies some needed exercise and a sense of pride in helping out.

Plus, their little fingers are perfect for making seed-sized holes!

4. Water Play

Jaimie had a tremendous fear of water when she was little. It wasn’t just the feeling of the water on her skin but also temperature and pressure.

Now, of course, it’s hard to keep her out of the water.

We started with a wading pool, getting her used to the feeling and allowing her to play with her favorite toys. Then, we introduced toys that spray, squirt, and splash.

Then, we could move on to playing with the hose, sprinklers, and water-squirting toys.

I am not a fan of gun-shaped water squirters, but I found some other ones at the dollar store shaped like tubes that my kids pump to get the water out (great proprioception!).

We also found a sprinkler that shoots out water in six different intensities and shapes.

If your child can tolerate the busy environment, try a local water park (we have a free one close to us) or swim at your local indoor or outdoor pool.

Once a child gets over his initial fear, many ‘sensational’ kids find the water very calming. Keep trying!

5. Game Carnival

Now that Jaimie is at the point where she’s able to self-regulate—which I never thought she’d achieve!—she comes up with some pretty brilliant ideas to get her input.

The game carnival is where the kids come up with various games they and their friends try for prizes.

Jaimie has bean bag tosses, balance games, guess-the-cup-the-ball-is-under, races, and other activities. The most amazing part is that Jaimie creates games for different ages and abilities. Her awareness astounds me sometimes.

These are just a few of the ways we get out there and enjoy the spring and summer days. And by putting a ‘sensational’ twist on things, their summer is that much more enjoyable.

Chynna Laird is a psychology major, freelance writer, and multi-award-winning author living in Edmonton, Alberta, with her partner, Steve, and their three daughters, Jaimie, Jordan, and Sophie, and son, Xander.

More Outdoor Activities

This post originally appeared on our May/June 2012 Magazine