Summer Sensory Activities
Summer is in full effect and you may have found it hard to keep your child entertained and engaged. It is so important to limit screen time, especially for your sensory-sensitive children.
We’ve put together a fun list of sensory-friendly summer games and activities to add to the last weeks of summer to keep it entertaining and add an element of learning to the fun!
Colored Beans: How cool is this? A fun activity for coloring beans to use for art projects or for a fun sensory sorting activity. If you use them for a sensory bin, you get endless uses from them! Find the full activity at Mama Von Teacher.
Rainbow Ice Tower Excavation (pictured left): Up to THREE days of play time! Science meets sensory, meets cool – this is the best idea! Who knew a block of ice could be this much fun. Check out this activity on Fun at Home with Kids.
Slime, Slime, Slime!: There are so many slime recipes out there. Slime is fun, there are a lot of different texture slimes, color slimes, and it is just as fun to make as it is to play with. Check out this blog post that has a lot of different recipes listed in one place on The Chaos and The Clutter. If you are looking for an alternative slime that is safe to use for younger children, or as an introductory slime to use for children who don’t like to get their hands as dirty or who have tactile challenges, this is a perfect slime to try from The Empowered Educator.
Spider Web Walk: This is a very cool game that incorporates balance AND letter recognition all in one. You can find this game your kids will be sure to love on No Time For Flash Cards.
Rainbow Bubble Foam: You’ll want to take this activity outside. Bonus? Your kids will be super, squeaky clean after this one! 😉 Head over to Mama Papa Bubba for instructions on how to get the most out of your bubbles!
If you need more low-key indoor sensory fun to keep your child busy, try some simple activities like:
Finger Painting- Tabletop sensory boxes
- Try things like: Dry pasta, Ice Cubes, Fabric, Cooked
Spaghetti, Corn Kernels
- Try things like: Dry pasta, Ice Cubes, Fabric, Cooked
- Play Dough
- Kinetic Sand
- Sand Art
- Sponge Painting
- Tissue Paper
**Remember to use judgement on whether or not your child is ready for any items suggested above. If your child is still mouthing objects, keep smaller items from their sensory bins that can be considered a choking hazard.
If you have any activities you’ve been successful with or have any other tips you’d like to share, we’d love to hear your experience – it takes a village! Email us, or join us online: Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Local Events & Resources
Azure Family Concert: Strings of Summer
Sat, Jul 22, 2017: 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Rotary Play Garden
438 Coleman Ave. 95110 San Jose , CA
Come join us for a family day full of fun and games to welcome the summer while coming together as a Special Needs Community. There will games, entertainment, prizes, food trucks, and much more. The entire Special Needs Community, family members, and service providers are invited to attend this Summer Festival. Last year families had a great time at the festivals in Salinas and San Jose.
Learn more about this event online here
Summer Playcamp Ages 5-11
Mon, Jul 24, 2017: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
DATES: 7/24 – 7/28.
Kirk Community Center, Room 1
1601 Foxworthy Ave. San Jose, CA 95118
These days camps are designed for children with cognitive disabilities who need a higher level of staff assistance for participation including those with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Activities will include arts and crafts, games, circle time, field trips and more. Children should bring a sack lunch to camp each day. Participants must be able to function in a 1:3 staff to child ratio and be independent with personal care needs or bring an attendant with them. Attendants will need to be fingerprinted by the City of San Jose.
You can find contact info and get more information onlinehere
San Jose Earthquakes and E-Soccer Adaptive Sports and Education Day
Sat, Jul 29, 2017: 3:00 pm to 7:30 pm
Avaya Stadium
1123 Coleman Ave, San Jose, CA 95110
The San Jose Earthquakes have partnered with E-Soccer (inclusive soccer program in various locations: e-sports.org) to play at a 3pm E-Soccer Session at Avaya Training Field with E-Soccer coaches and Earthquakes Academy Staff before the 4:45 Quakes game (all kids ages 3 and up of all abilities can play. They must present their “E-Soccer Event” ticket be able to participate.
Click here to purchase tickets and for more information
Technology Spotlight
School will be here before you know it and preparing your child for the first day can can both be an exciting and daunting task. There are a lot of helpful technology-based devices out there to assist kids with various assignments and activities that may be challenging.
Certain assistive technology (AT) tools can help people who have difficulty processing and remembering spoken language. These devices can be used in many settings, and can be especially helpful in school as well!
Our Technology Spotlight is focusing on the paper-based computer pen. This type of tool may benefit people who struggle with: writing, listening, memory and reading.
This technology records and links audio to what a person writes using the pen and special paper. It enables the user to take notes while simultaneously recording someone speaking, like a teacher for instance. The user can later listen to any section of his notes by touching the pen to his corresponding handwriting or diagrams.
The Smart Pen by Livescribe is one of many pens like this on the market. You can find out how it could be helpful for your child by going to their website, here.
Ask A is for Apple
Have a question you would like answered? A story you would like to share? A testimony about your experience with A is For Apple? We would LOVE to hear from you! Email us with your questions, stories or suggestions and it could be featured in our next newsletter or blog topic!