Things we love: Going to the park

We find taking our kids to the park to be a very valuable experience. It gives my ASD son (and his brother) a chance to practice his social skills with the other kids in a fairly relaxed environment.

There were a few sensory issues to overcome first. My son doesn’t like long grass on his legs, he doesn’t like the feeling of sand or dirt on his feet. First, we had to get him comfortable going to the park. We did this by bringing a folding chair, so he didn’t have to sit on the ground. We brought lots of snacks so he would have something to keep him occupied. We let him wear his socks in the sandbox and splash pad, so he didn’t have to worry about his feet. He also prefers to wear long sleeves and pants even on the hottest day. We had him wear a sun shirt so he looked less out of place.

Next, we needed things to attract the other kids to come and play. We brought a lot of sand toys and the largest bubbles we could find. Some other great ideas for toys include large colourful balls and a baseball bat. This one kid had a toy where you jump on an air bladder and it sends a rocket in the air. That is a sure way to attract other kids. In the splash pad, we brought balls and toy figures and would put them in the water jets. This would shoot the toys up in the air which attracted some attention.

Gradually, my son became less concerned about the sensory issues and he began playing with other kids. He started having some conversations with them in the sandbox. I facilitated a game of baseball (really just taking turns trying to hit a large beach ball) which was a big hit. The day another child brought an air rocket toys was also a big success.

Parks can also lead to new experiences such as going for a walk through the forest. Again, my son was against doing this at first as it was overwhelming from a sensory perspective, but now he quite enjoys it. Overall, we have had some great experiences going to parks this summer. With fall coming the weather will be cooler, and there will be less bus. It’s a great time.