Here are some Activities for Autistic Children that are fun, engaging & don’t require a lot of effort to set up. They’ll learn, play & enjoy simultaneously!

What’s common between climate activist Greta Thunberg, physicist Isaac Newton, author Hans Christian Andersen and Academy Award-winning actor Anthony Hopkins?

They’re all immensely gifted people who also have autism!

With April being Autism Acceptance Month, we’re taking a look at this condition that’s subject to multiple controversies. Despite the term Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) having the word ‘disorder’ in it, a person with autism isn’t considered ‘defective’ in any way, and they don’t need to be fixed.

Instead, autism is a part of their identity; this is also why they prefer being referred to as an ‘autistic person’, rather than as a ‘person with autism’. That’s also why this post is titled activities for ‘autistic kids’!

Autistic kids face challenges when it comes to learning and reading social cues, which can affect their overall academic and social development. Help them out with some structured activities, where there is a clear path to follow, with explicit instructions. Here are some of the most practical and helpful activities for autistic children to try out at home.

10 Fun Activities for Autistic Children

1. Emotion Cards

One of the biggest challenges autistic children face is interpreting common social cues and responding appropriately. A fun activity to encourage children is the use of emotion cards. You can either buy a set of emotion cards or make your own using plain flash cards and some markers. Explain each card as you go through the deck, and ask them questions about it. Don’t forget to give examples for each emotion, so kids understand the situations that can give rise to such feelings.

2. Fidget Toys

If you’re looking for self-regulation activities for autistic children, you’re sure to find fidget toys a great choice. A fidget toy helps children focus their attention and helps to calm them down. You can make your own fidget toy out of things lying around the house, or buy an affordable version. Popular fidget toys include fidget spinners, worry stones, pop-it toys and stress balls.

3. Sensory Bins

Sensory bins are amazing for neurotypical kids, but they’re more useful for autistic children. The best part about them is that you can customize the bin according to your child’s interests and development, and you can easily make it at home. Check out Little Bins for Little Hands for ideas, get yourself a large plastic bin and get started.

4. Slime and Playdough

One of the most fun activities for autistic children is messy play, like playdough and slime. It’s a calming activity and a fine motor exercise all in one. You can use playdough mats to turn it into a learning activity too. You can make slime at home in seasonal themes, and find fun tools to play around with modeling clay.

5. Puzzles

With puzzles, autistic children can improve their critical thinking and analytical skills. Some children may get frustrated when two pieces don’t fit together perfectly, so it’s recommended to start small. Choose simple puzzles with just 4-6 pieces and as your child gets better at it, you can go with more complex puzzles.

6. Sorting

Sorting is one of those activities for autistic children that also lay the groundwork for life skills later in life. Ask children to sort toys by color or type. This is an activity that can be practiced right from a young age. As kids get older, you can ask them to sort by size, numbers or letters. This will prove helpful when they’re maintaining their own space and belongings.

7. Coloring

Coloring has become a popular hobby for stressed adults, but it also works well with autistic kids. For children with autism, coloring is not just a relaxing activity; it also strengthens fine motor muscles while improving focus and concentration. It can also encourage them to seek out other hobbies related to arts and crafts, so it’s a good idea to have a few coloring books on hand.

8. Books about Autistic Characters

Autistic kids often find it hard to relate to popular characters in the media, so it is encouraging for them to read books that feature autistic characters. These books are also good for neurotypical kids to understand their autistic peers better. Here are a few recommendations:

• I See Things Differently: A First Look at Autism by Pat Thomas
• Pablo Picks His Shoes by Andrew Brenner and Sumita Majumdar
• The Girl Who Thought in Pictures by Julia Finley Mosca
• A Different Sort of Normal by Abigail Balfe
• Frankie’s World by Aoife Dooley

9. Fine Motor Activities

Among the fine motor activities for autistic children, our favorites are threading and lacing games. You can start out with a colander and some pipe cleaners, which kids can poke through the holes in the colander. For older kids, use a card with punched-out holes, and let the kids thread some string through it. You can also encourage kids to pick up objects with tongs, and then move on to tweezers.

10. Exercise Videos

Autistic kids often have trouble with PT classes in school, owing to their difficulty blending in with the group. While they learn to be part of a team, you can get them moving at home with exercise videos. Our recommendation is Joe Wicks, who has several workout videos on YouTube. You can choose one according to what your child likes. If you want something more gentle and mindful, check out the videos from Cosmic Kids Yoga.

Tips for Activities for Autistic Children

1. Consider your child’s interests when deciding on an activity or gathering supplies
2. Try a few activities at once, and go with the one your child seems to enjoy
3. Always consider your child’s developmental stage when choosing activities for autistic children
4. Let your child go at their own pace; don’t force them
5. Watch out for them getting stuck in repetitive patterns, or for any frustration
6. Use a gradual approach, starting light and easy, and increasing the complexity as you go on
7. If the activity has multiple steps, make a little chart visually depicting each step

Remember, always consider your child’s interests and developmental stage when choosing an activity – don’t let their actual age stop you from trying something different. As your child tries out more activities, you will start to observe what keeps them occupied for longer.

With time, your child’s focus and concentration will improve, as will their social and problem-solving skills. With the right support and lots of love, kids will learn that autism is a part of their identity, and it doesn’t have to stop them from achieving great things.

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 Prerna is the founder, editor and owner of ‘Maa of All Blogs’, one of India’s Top Parenting Blogs. Besides being a certified Ashtanga Yoga instructor, she is also a fashion designer and economics graduate.

When she’s not busy running her home and business, she ensures she stays active – whether it’s running the half marathon, completing the Oxfam walk or climbing to the Everest base camp. Prerna enjoys wearing all her hats, and she does so in style!

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