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Sensory Play, Pretend Play, and Role Play Ideas for Children with Autism

 

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder are typically encouraged to engage in three primary ways to play; sensory play, role play, and pretend play. Sensory play comes the easiest since many of these children are innately sensory seeking. Role play and pretend play often needs to be learned and practiced but can be a fun and playful way for caregivers and children to practice co-regulation! And playing in a tactile way that activates the senses can be very calming and fun for your child. All of these play ideas can be used with children with and without special needs. Play is a universal way a child can explore their world in a way that makes sense to them and cultivate imagination, creativity, and fun!

 

 

Play Musical Instruments

 

Let’s activate those senses with some sound! Music can be very soothing for many children and children love to explore different sounds various instruments make. So grab some play musical items like a mini piano, maracas, drums, tambourines, harmonica, triangle, symbols, or even a ukulele! If you don’t own any of these, grab some items around your home to make your own instruments like using a spatula and a plastic bowl for drums! Some children may be sensitive to sound and too much noise can be over stimulating and dysregulating, so stay in tune to your child’s behavior and if it becomes too much, stop and try some joint compression or another calming sensory activity.

 

 

Water and Sand Play

 

This is a crowd favorite! Water and sand play are my go-to sensory play activities for children of all ages! Playing with water and sand are soothing to the touch and activates the sensory system on multiple levels. I suggest getting a mini pool and filling it with a small amount of water and some toys of various textures and having your child play in it while touching and exploring all of the toys! Don’t forget items like a funnel and or a cup to see the water go in and out like a waterfall! If your child prefers to stay indoors, you can set up something similar in a bathroom sink! Fill the sink about half-way and add some bubbles and toys of various textures and play away! Sand play is similar to water play and I suggest buying some play sand and filling up a small plastic bin or even a large plastic bowl with some sand and some toys. You can even add some water to make some of the sand wet and keep some of the sand dry. Shovels, sifters, and scoops are also fun in the sand!

 

 

Sensory Bin Play

 

There are endless ways to play with a sensory bin! The more varying textures you have in your bin the better! And you can even make them themed based on your child’s favorite interests like cars, insects, or dinosaurs! Fill the bin with dried rice, dried beans, dried pasta, dried oats, unpopped popcorn, or water beads and then different items like cotton balls, pom pom balls, glitter, buttons, feathers, magnetic letters, puzzle pieces, action figures, toys, foam blocks, clothespins, shells, and other small toys! Then add small cups, funnels, tongs, spoons, empty toilet paper rolls, empty paper towel rolls, and or even an ice cube tray!

 

 

Slime and Sensory Dough

 

Let’s make some sensory dough from scratch! This is a great way to play and engage with your child! All you need is a cup of corn starch and a cup of hair conditioner! Mix them together until they have a dough like consistency. You can even add food coloring to make different dough colors! Store the dough in a plastic sandwich bag and it should last up to a week or more! Making slime is also super fun and you can make glow in the dark slime, color changing slime, slime with glitter, and or slime with sensory objects in it like pom poms, beads, buttons, or even take yellow glue and dried macaroni to make a mock macaroni and cheese slime! Get as creative as you’d like with this sensory activity!

 

 

Stuffed Animal Play

 

There are two fun ways to play with stuffed animals that will help activate the senses and also help regulate your child. First, set up a mini zoo for your child. Grab a few preferred stuffed animals and have your child sit or lay down in a safe, comfortable spot. Once they are still, take one stuffed animal and gently push it down to apply light pressure on different parts of their body – primarily their arms, legs, tummy, and or side of their face. This will help calm your child and receive sensory input in a fun playful way using touch and tactile stimulation. If your child is in more of an active phase and needs some extra sensory output, put a group of stuffed animals on the floor and have your child jump off the couch into the pile of stuffed animals. This will also help them feel grounded and regulated in a fun playful way!

 

 

Food Play

 

Introducing foods of varying textures is very important to the sensory system. Often, we can see, smell, touch, taste, and even sometimes hear food crunching, which stimulates different senses all at once. Use an ice cube tray or a bento box and put various types of food in the different compartments like hummus, ranch dressing, yogurt, carrots, snap peas, raisins, cheese, pickles, fruit, crackers, etc. You can pair preferred foods with some less preferred foods, the key is to have variety! Children will have fun exploring and playing with the different foods and textures and hopefully try some new ones along the way! Another way to use food is to make something like pizza or muffins from scratch! It is a great way to co-regulate and have fun playing and experimenting with different ingredients and then playing with and tasting their creation when it’s done!

 

Role Play

 

There are so many fun ways to role play! Two of my favorite ways are to pretend you are a horse and have your child ride around the house or in the backyard on your back! Another fun role play is to pretend your child is a fire fighter and they can take the outside hose and water it down like a firefighter would! The goal of role playing is to activate creativity and imagination.

 

Pretend Play

 

A fun way to ignite pretend play is to make a pizza outside using dirt, rocks, sticks, grass, and leaves. The items represent different pizza toppings and a fun way to think outside the box when you play! Another way to pretend play is to take two stuffed animals, puppets, or action figures and have them engage in a playful way with each other. Come up with a story and have the characters play out a scene from a favorite movie or make up your own story!

 

 

There are so many other ways children can explore their sensory system through play but I hope these initial ideas awaken a new and fun way for you to play with your child and have them play in a tactile, fun way! See what your child responds to and build on your play ideas from there!

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Hello! I am Dr. Kim and I am The Parentologist! I am first and foremost a wife and a mom. I am also a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Registered Play Therapist. I hope through my professional and personal experience we can collaborate with each other on how to better ourselves and our relationships with our families and our children.

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TODAY.com Parenting Team Parenting Contributor

About Dr. Kim

Hello! I am Dr. Kim and I am The Parentologist! I am first and foremost a wife and a mom. I am also a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Registered Play Therapist. I hope through my professional and personal experience we can collaborate with each other on how to better ourselves and our relationships with our families and our children. Read More…

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🇺🇸 What a monumental day in history we had t 🇺🇸 What a monumental day in history we had today! 🇺🇸

As soon as we woke up I started educating my children, specifically my daughter, on what the inauguration meant and why today was such a special day in history. We both were glued to the television as we watched @kamalaharris be sworn in as the first Black South Asian woman Vice President and @joebiden be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. We also were powerfully moved hearing @amandascgorman - the youngest inaugural poet in history recite “The Hill We Climb.” 

My daughter was so excited to participate and recite the Pledge of Allegiance with the rest of the county and she was so proud to see and be a part of history in the making. I haven’t been to Washington D.C. in about 8 years but I promised I would take her one day when the pandemic is over. 

In the meantime, I have a fun fact for you! Did you know that President Joe Biden and I both graduated from the same university? Yep! We both went to @syracuseu 🍊 And in fact, @joebiden is the first @syracuseu alumnus to become President of the United States! 

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This time of year is notorious for dry air, allerg This time of year is notorious for dry air, allergies, and sinus trouble. #ad 

And since I work from home, it can get quite noisy and distracting with my husband and two children here, so sometimes I get my best work done in the comfort of my own bed. And the best part is that I can have my new @crane_usa “4 in 1” cool mist humidifier on at all times with essential oils to help with overall wellness and since it comes with a sound machine I can block out the other noises in the house! 

And at night, it helps my sinuses as I sleep, especially when the dry air of the heater is on, and it has a nightlight so my kids can see where they are going in the middle of the night when they inevitably need water or a hug! 

This is our 6th #cranehumidifier style and it’s my favorite one yet! Check out my stories for a closer look! 👀 #happyhealthyhumidity 

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{New Blog Post} “How to Teach Children Gratitude {New Blog Post} “How to Teach Children Gratitude” 🌱✨🌸

Throwing it back to one of the first mommy and me photos I ever posted on my feed because I’ve been teaching my daughter about gratitude since she was this little, possibly even younger (she is two here for reference)! 

Gratitude is such an important virtue and must have trait to build a child’s character. It also shows therapeutic benefits when you show gratitude to others, so why wouldn’t you want to make it a priority to teach and instill in your children? 

In this blog, I have suggestions for how to teach children gratitude broken down by ages and stages from infancy to teenage years, while also including some conversation prompts, and links to my favorite gratitude journals for busy families that we use here at home! 

Find the direct link to read in my bio and stories! I also published similar articles on @todayparents and @redtricycle if you follow me there! #drkimblog
DOUBLE TAP if you agree!! 🙋🏼‍♀️ I am DOUBLE TAP if you agree!! 🙋🏼‍♀️

I am that mom who wants to do it all and when I get overwhelmed or start suffering from a major case of burnout, I feel guilty if I take a break instead of giving my body and mind permission to slow down or even stop. 

As moms we often feel guilty if we take a break or believe we are perceived as weak if we ask for help. I have learned that the more I ask for help and the more time I take for myself, the better I am for my children. 

Guilt is an emotional response to something you perceived you did wrong, but when you experience unnecessary guilt, it’s counterproductive to healing and helping you with what you need most. So give it a try and let me know how you are going to take a break and not feel guilty about it this week below in the comments! ⤵️ #drkimparentingtips #theparentologist #drkimparentingadvice
DOUBLE TAP if you used to love Hello Kitty when yo DOUBLE TAP if you used to love Hello Kitty when you were little - and still do! 🙋🏼‍♀️🐱#ad

I am so excited to have all of these new items from the @erincondren Hello Kitty collection that launched today to keep work fun, playful, and reminiscent of childhood - something all adults need a little more of, am I right? 

The collection is all about organization, kindness, and friendship. My favorite piece of the collection is the “Daily Kindness and Joy Journal” that boldly says BE KIND, BE NICE, REPEAT on the front cover but I am also pretty obsessed with the Hello Kitty x Erin Condren Pencil Case and Vegan Leather Padfolio! 

Swipe to see my business attire on top and activewear on the bottom work style! 😉 And head to my stories to see it all up close and for your convenience I have everything linked for you http://liketk.it/35XZC and make sure to follow me at THEPARENTOLOGIST @liketoknow.it  for more of my favorites!!! #liketkit #erincondren
{New Blog Post} “Sensory Play, Pretend Play, and {New Blog Post} “Sensory Play, Pretend Play, and Role Play Ideas for Children with Autism” 🧩 🧸 🚂 ⚽️ 
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For the last 3 years I have spent my career therapeutically helping families and children of all ages on the Autism Spectrum. Play has been a fundamental way for many of my clients to communicate if they are non-verbal. And some of my clients have had to be taught how to play with a toy or another person. The play ideas listed on the blog can be used with children with or without special needs. Play is a universal way a child can explore their world in a way that makes sense to them and cultivate imagination, creativity, and fun! As a Registered Play Therapist, I love the work I do and couldn’t be prouder of the progress my clients have made with play over the years! #drkimblog
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{New Blog Post} ✨🌱🧴“Ways to Take Control {New Blog Post} ✨🌱🧴“Ways to Take Control of Your Eczema” #ad 
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These winter months have been so dry and my eczema has been flaring up. Can anyone relate? For decades I have used a variety of treatment options from over-the-counter ointments and lotions to doctor prescribed steroid medication. In today’s blog, I am partnering with @mediqcme to share more of my story and struggles with atopic dermatitis as well as some new treatment options! If you or a loved one suffer from eczema or atopic dermatitis it’s a must read! 
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Plus there is a survey at the end of the blog you can fill out and opt in to be entered to win 1 of 10 VISA gift cards! 🙌🏻 Link in bio and in stories! #itchyskinhelp #drkimblog
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{New Blog Post} 🌿 “How to Utilize Play to Get {New Blog Post} 🌿 “How to Utilize Play to Get Your Kids to Do What You Want” 
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As a Registered Play Therapist, play is the foundation to the way I help children conceptualize and conquer the world. Play is second nature to children and the way they respond to many of life’s obstacles. Sometimes as parents, it is easy to get into a power match with your children, especially when you want your children to comply with a request and they won’t budge. When this happens, we need to change the way our adult mind thinks and switch it to the way a child thinks. Instead of giving them a punitive consequence, try these play recommendations that can be used with children as young as toddlerhood all the way to adolescents! #drkimblog 
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{New Blog Post} “Tips on How To Set Goals Effect {New Blog Post} “Tips on How To Set Goals Effectively in 2021” ✨ 
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It’s is usually around this time that I start thinking of the goals I want to accomplish for the year. And whether you believe in making resolutions, affirmations, or goals, it is time to be proactive!! On the blog, I outlined an organizational system I use year after year to help me accomplish my goals. And I hope they work for you!! 
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What are some of your goals you want to accomplish this year? 
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#2021 #2021goals #goals #goalsetting #goalgetter #goalsettingtips #goalsetter #goalsetting2021 #goalcrusher #momhustle #snowday #snowman #newgoals #newgoals2021 #mommyandme #letthembelittle #letthembekids #letthemplay #playoutside #playoutdoors #playoutsidethebox #familyday #familyfun #familysnowday
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