Sensory Play:
Sensory bin category sort (beans, print outs, gardening shovels, watering can)
Sensory play:
- Playing in the dirt to build tolerance to touching various textures
- Smelling each flower/comparing smells
- Messy play with dirt, rocks, leaves, flowers
- Identifying sounds heard outside during play including birds, leaves, lawnmowers
Planting and Caring For a Plant:
The child can address sequencing steps for how to plant
a seed and take care of it.
The steps can be drawn out and discussed ahead of time to
assist with working memory and redirection for attention if needed.
Digging holes:
Motor planning is required for scooping and dumping dirt in preparation
for self-feeding and utensil use.
To make it more goal-oriented, they can scoop and
dump it into a specific target.
Grounding strategies for emotional regulation:
5, 4, 3, 2, 1 strategy, where they list
5 things they can see
4 things you can touch
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
Nature walks with or without quiet music playing
Heavy work / gross motor activities for sensory regulation:
Outdoor obstacle courses
Chalk hopscotch
Ball games – soccer, basketball, football, badminton, throwing into a target, baseball
Animal walks in the grass
Scootering, biking, running
Outdoor Scavenger Hunt:
Provided with a list of written or drawn out items, scavenger hunts can address
executive functioning including working memory, sequencing, and completing
activities.
It requires visual scanning to look around the area to identify
appropriate items
Fine Motor Skills with outdoor gardening play:
Planting seeds
Pulling weeds
Digging holes
Patting dirt
Focus on building vocabulary during outdoor play:
Prepositions: in, out, under
Descriptive words: colors, shapes, objects in nature
Following directions: step by step on planting and maintaining a garden.