Summer break brings longer days, family adventures, and a well-deserved change of pace. It also brings a shift in routine that can make returning to school in the fall more challenging for some children, especially those with sensory or motor differences. While kids deserve plenty of downtime, including fun movement and sensory experiences in their summer can help them maintain important skills and make the transition back to school easier for everyone. This is where our friends from Kaufman Children’s Center come in!
Sensory and motor skills are the foundation for many school tasks. Children rely on them to sit upright in their chairs, pay attention during lessons, hold pencils, cut with scissors, navigate the playground, and regulate their bodies throughout the day. During the summer months, less structure and fewer opportunities for movement can sometimes lead to a loss of endurance, coordination, or sensory regulation. Keeping these skills active through play can help kids feel more confident and ready when school begins again.
The good news? Many favorite childhood activities naturally support the sensory and motor skills kids use every day in the classroom. We’ve rounded up tons of ideas from occupational therapists at Kaufman Children’s Center for Speech, Language, Sensory-Motor and Autism Treatment that don’t actually feel like therapy.
Head Outside for Big Movement
Their first trip? Get outside! Outdoor play provides some of the best opportunities for developing strength, coordination, and body awareness. Some examples include:
- Bike riding: This favorite summer activity helps kids develop balance, core strength, bilateral coordination, visual attention, and motor planning, all of which support success in the classroom.
- Obstacle courses: These fun challenges help improve balance, coordination, motor planning, and body awareness. Courses are versatile and can be set up indoors or outdoors, making them a fun way to keep kids moving no matter the weather.
- Playground time: Equipment in your own backyard or local park benefits kids in lots of different ways. Climbing helps strengthen arms and core muscles, while swinging can provide calming sensory input for many children. Slides help kids build core and upper body strength, balance, coordination, motor planning, and body awareness.
Try including these events in outdoor play: hopping over pool noodles, crawling under chairs, balancing on a line, tossing beanbags into buckets, and jumping from one spot to another.
Get Wet + Messy
Summer is the perfect time to embrace sensory play. Warm weather and outdoor adventures provide endless opportunities for children to explore different textures, sounds, and movements while having fun. Some examples include:
- Sand play: Digging, scooping, and building with sand strengthens little hands and encourages creativity. Hide small toys or shells in the sand to add an extra sensory challenge.
- Sidewalk chalk: Drawing with chalk encourages grasping skills and upper-body strength. Hopscotch and chalk obstacle courses add movement and coordination to the fun!
- Water play: Sprinklers, water tables, kiddie pools, and squirt bottles provide wonderful sensory experiences while encouraging hand strength and coordination. Filling cups, pouring water, and squeezing toys all help develop fine motor skills.
Encourage Heavy Work
“Heavy work” includes pushing, pulling, lifting, and carrying. These activities provide proprioceptive input, the sensory information that helps children understand where their bodies are in space. Heavy work can be especially calming and organizing for many kids and makes them feel accomplished while giving their bodies input they crave. Try activities like:
- Building with large blocks
- Carrying groceries
- Helping move patio cushions
- Pulling a wagon
- Pushing a toy lawn mower
- Watering plants with a watering can
Build Fine Motor Skills Through Play
Fine motor skills are essential for handwriting, cutting, and managing school supplies. Examples of ways to build fine motor skills through play include:
- Arts and crafts: Finger painting, coloring, bead stringing, cutting, and making friendship bracelets strengthen the small muscles of the hands while encouraging creativity.
- Cooking together: Stirring batter, using cookie cutters, peeling fruit, and spreading toppings on sandwiches all build coordination and independence.
- Exploring nature: Nature walks are full of sensory opportunities. Encourage children to notice birds singing, different textures of leaves, scents of flowers, sounds of insects, and all the colors and shapes around them.
- Gardening: Planting flowers or vegetables offers opportunities for digging, picking up tiny seeds, and watering plants. Kids often enjoy watching their hard work grow over the summer.
- Play dough fun: Rolling, pinching, squeezing, and hiding small objects in the dough provides excellent hand strengthening activities.
- Scavenger hunt: Create a scavenger hunt and help your child look for things that are rough, smooth, soft, or bumpy. These experiences strengthen observation skills and encourage kids to engage with their environment.
Practice Balance + Coordination
Classic outdoor childhood games can improve motor planning, balance, coordination, reaction time, and body control, while also providing tons of fun. Introduce these to your kids:
- Balloon volleyball
- Catch with a beach ball
- Hopscotch
- Jump rope
- Red Light, Green Light
- Simon Says
Don’t Forget Downtime!
Summer should still include opportunities for relaxation. Calming sensory experiences can help children regulate and recharge. Balancing active play with quiet moments allows them to develop self-regulation skills that are important in the classroom.
Consider these activities:
- Building with blocks or LEGOs
- Coloring
- Listening to calming music
- Reading in a hammock
- Snuggling under a blanket for story time
Small Moments Add Up
You don’t need a packed schedule or expensive equipment to support sensory and motor development in the summer. Everyday activities provide meaningful opportunities for growth. Most importantly, keep it fun. Kids learn best through play, and those playful summer moments can help them head back to school feeling stronger, more confident, and ready for a successful year ahead.
And remember: you don’t have to navigate summer challenges alone. Sometimes a little support can make all the difference. If you have questions about your child’s development or would like ideas for helping them continue growing over the summer, Kaufman Children’s Center can help. Their experienced team can help create individualized strategies and activities that fit naturally into your family’s routine, helping your child build confidence, maintain important skills, and start the next school year ready to succeed.
