With summer here and weather improving, schedules are starting to thin out and children are requesting to play outside. In a time like this, going outside provides another transition opportunity.
Has your child played outside and was asked to come inside and play? What did they do? Did they come in and not know what to play?
Here is what we can do:
1. Provide Reminders.
When outside, provide reminders of how long they will be outside for and what is expected of them when inside. When ten seconds are left provide a countdown. For example, “You have ten minutes then it is time to go inside and play.”
2. Use A Timer.
Use a timer to provide a prompt that it is time to go in. Once the timer goes off walk with your child inside.
How can I get my child to play inside once he/she comes in from outside?
There are many ways to encourage your child to play inside.
3. Use An Indoor Visual Schedule.
Provide an indoor visual schedule of activities your child could do such as art, independent activity, and or dramatic play. This is a list of visual pictures of the activity your child can do in a systematic order.
4. Incorporate An Independent Activity Schedule.
An independent activity schedule is a picture schedule or bin of activities for a child to follow in order. The activities for the child to complete would be independent. A child will learn to look at his/her schedule, review the first activity, find and complete the activity, clean up and then return back to the schedule and continue on to the next activity. Upon completion your child will inform an adult they have completed the task. This activity can be implemented when a parent is busy and needs to provide attention to other needs.
5. Let Your Child Choose.
A choice board is a table of multiple activities that your child can choose from. When your child is presented with a choice board, they can choose what they would like to play then they would have access to the chosen activity.
Do not forget to praise your child for completing any tasks, for trying new activities and following a schedule.
Sarah Bernard is the Supervisor of Sunny Days Sunshine Center Brick location. She graduated from Kutztown University with a Special Education Degree and earned her master’s at Ball State University in Applied Behavior Analyst. Sarah has been working with The Sunshine Center since 2015 starting as an ABA Therapist, then earned the role of Team Leader prior to becoming Supervisor.