School holiday strategies for kids

This does not mean that holidays should not be spontaneous and fun, but for some children, the unpredictability of holidays can be challenging. 

A visual schedule helps children to know what is coming up and is easily made using pictures, cardboard or even purpose built apps that can be loaded onto your iPhone or iPad. (ICommunicate and iPrompt are particularly helpful for this)

The beach provides a great opportunity to give your kids’ muscles a work out that keeps their sensory and behavioural reactions regulated. When you walk on the sand with your kids, help them to carry heavy buckets of water and playfully encourage them to do it over and over again, you are giving them many opporunities to use their bodies in ways that are calming and purposeful. And don’t forget, the fun they have when they run and jump into a pool they’ve dug or a sandcastle they’ve built is a great energy release too.

How many times have you suffered through a child’s meltdown at the beach because they didn’t want to put sunscreen on? For some kids with sensory difficulties, the smell, texture and ‘feel’ of you rubbing their skin is overwhelming. Coloured sunscreen has a novelty factor that’s hard to beat  (and you can see what spots they’ve missed!)  Giving some control to kids is a good way to get their compliance, even with tasks they’d rather not complete. We know that 'Slip, Slop, Slap is mandatory in the hot Aussie sun, so why not pop some coloured zinc into your child's Christmas stocking this year and see what happens?

Make use of your local park these holidays by taking your children there as many times each day as you can. Kids are used to getting up early for school and pre-school, so early morning park visits are great because it’s usually cooler and less crowded then. You may even meet up with other families who have the same idea and develop some positive holiday friendships. Activities like swinging, climbing and running should be encouraged. Imaginative games where favourite toys are hidden on top of jungle gyms and ladders can be great fun as kids go on an adventure to 'rescue' them. Similarly, the area under slides and cubbyhouses make a great place for games of ‘shops’ – which in addition to physical skills also encourage the development of language and social skills

One great way is to create a Holiday scrapbook. During the holidays, collect items of interest and stick them all in a scrapbook, write a simple holiday diary or even create a blog with older children. As you collect holiday momentoes, chat about your child’s choices and favourite things to do. You will have created a book or blog full of happy memories that your child can read again and again. It’s likely that your child’s teacher will also enjoy sharing this book or blog with the class when the new term begins