04/26/2026
As the weather warms up, it’s a great time for outdoor play!
For this activity you need:
☀️Good weather
🧴Sunscreen
💧Water bottle
📦Box of inexpensive outdoor toys
🧑🧑🧒🧒Play partners (a parent in need of stress relief is best!)
Playing outdoors offers so many opportunities to grow motor, communication, and executive functioning skills while improving mental health and emotional regulation. Kids that play outdoors after dinner are better equipped to calm their bodies for nighttime routines and sleep. 😴
If your child would rather be indoors on a sunny day, set up a special box of toys specifically for outdoor use. Make a routine of taking the box outside after dinner for family play time. Items for the box can be low cost but high value! Ours includes a jump rope, bubbles, cones, a ball, sidewalk chalk, and velcro catch/throw toy. 🫧🏀🖍️
If your child has difficulty transitioning from outdoors to indoors, establish clear expectations beforehand. A time-timer that uses clock hands (rather than digital) helps a child see time passing and teaches them to anticipate the end of the activity. ⏰
After an evening of outdoor play, relax indoors with quiet, low-tech activities such as reading books together or coloring. The combination of fresh air and physical activity, followed by calming, screen-free time is an ideal setup for a good night’s sleep for all! 📚✍️
Do you visit our clinic? Look for our box of outdoor toys just inside our main door. Feel free to use the toys with a parent or a friend! 💚
