School holidays can feel liberating but long, especially if your child finds change tricky, struggles with transitions or thrives on the structure and routine of school. We know that neurodivergent children often need low-pressure, sensory-friendly ways to stay engaged and connected during the summer.
We also know that not every family has the time, energy or budget for big days out all of the time so we’ve compiled an ideas bank of 50 fun, free or nearly free activities, specially put together for children with SEND.
Creative & Crafty Ideas
- Nature Collage
Collect leaves, petals, and twigs from your walk and glue them to cardboard to make a sensory collage.
- Chalk Mural
Decorate your pavement or patio with giant chalk art. Draw hopscotch, obstacle courses or funny family portraits.
- DIY Comic Strip
Fold a piece of paper into squares and help your child draw a mini comic, stick figures welcome!
- Sensory Paint with Feet
Line a path with paper and let them “walk paint” with washable paints for some fun proprioceptive input.
- Make a Texture Book
Glue rough, soft, bumpy or squishy materials into a little homemade sensory book.
- Pasta Jewellery
Use dry pasta and string to create necklaces or medals for bravery, creativity or kindness.
- Cardboard City
Be a city planner. Turn boxes into buildings, tunnels, shops, houses and garages.
- Toilet Roll Binoculars
Decorate, tape together, then go on a garden or park safari.
- Shadow Drawing
Use toys and a torch (or the sun) to trace their shadows on paper.
- Make Your Own Board Game
Draw a game board, add rules and characters, then play it with siblings or grown-ups.
Quiet but Clever Activities
- Frozen Toy Rescue
Freeze small toys in a tub of water and give your child salt, warm water, spoons or pipettes to melt the ice.
- Sorting Challenge
Sort LEGO, buttons or toys by colour, size, or type. Very satisfying for detail-oriented kids.
- Mystery Bag Guessing Game
Put objects in a pillowcase. Use touch only to guess what’s inside.
- Build a Word or Letter Treasure Hunt
Hide foam letters or magnetic letters around the house or garden and have your child spell out a word once they’re all found.
- Audiobook Hour
Choose a relaxing audiobook and set up a chill zone with low lighting, weighted toys, blankets cushions and snacks.
- Alphabet Walk
Look for things starting with each letter of the alphabet on a walk or car journey.
- Memory Tray
Put 6 objects on a tray. Let your child look, then cover and take one away and see if they can they remember what’s missing.
- Animal Fact Time
Choose an animal each day, watch a short video or read a fact, then draw it or create a habitat.
- Pattern Detective
Look for patterns in nature, houses, clothes. Create your own on paper.
- Make a Mini Zine
Fold a single sheet of paper into a DIY booklet and fill it with jokes, doodles or fun stories.
Outdoor Energy Burners
- Mud Kitchen
All you need is a few old pans, spoons and soil. Add leaves, flowers, water and mix up potions or pies.
- Nature Scavenger Hunt
Use a simple checklist (with images for younger children): e.g., something smooth, something yellow, something soft.
- Obstacle Course
Use garden furniture, chalk, tape, string, you can make it sensory-friendly with crawling, spinning, balancing.
- Paint with Water
Give them a paintbrush and water to “paint” the fence or patio.
- DIY Zip Line for Toys
Use string and a hanger or basket to let toys zoom across the garden.
- Make a Bug Hotel
Pile twigs, leaves, and pine cones in a quiet garden spot and wait for guests.
- Footprint Trail
Wet their feet and make a trail on the pavement or with washable paint on paper.
- Barefoot Texture Walk
Create a sensory trail with towels, bubble wrap, soil, water and grass.
- Sun Prints
Place objects on dark paper in the sun and watch them leave shadows over time.
- Mini Olympics
Beanbags, egg-and-spoon, slow bike races, hula hoop challenges, skipping, hopping, anything goes (see above for how to create pasta medals for individual events).
Connection and Emotional Regulation
- Teddy Bear Picnic
Lay a blanket, bring soft toys and snacks. Practice conversation, care and sharing.
- Calm Down Bottle Making
Fill a bottle with water, glitter, food colouring, and a little soap. Shake and watch to relax.
- Bubble Breathing
Blow bubbles slowly and mindfully, ideal for practicing deep breaths and calming the nervous system.
- Yoga Freeze Dance
Play music, dance around then pause the music and strike a yoga pose. Silly and regulating.
- “I Spy Feelings” Walk
Talk about how different places or colours make you feel. “This tree makes me feel safe,” etc.
- Create a ‘Yes Day’
Let your child choose all the activities (within reason!). Helps to empower choice and control.
- Postcards to Future Self
Draw or write a message to “future me” about what they hope, feel or love.
- Gratitude Walk
Name three things you like about where you live or your own home/garden while walking.
- Mood Colouring
Assign colours to feelings, then scribble out your mood with crayons.
- Make a Calm Corner or Den
Use blankets, cushions, fairy lights, fidget toys. A safe retreat for sensory overload days.
Best Free or Classic Board & Group Games
- Snakes and Ladders
Simple, visual and low-demand, good for turn-taking.
- Dobble
Fantastic for visual processing and attention skills.
- UNO
Use colour and number cards to make it more accessible, good for regulation and matching.
- Connect 4
Tactile, quick, and great for strategic thinking.
- Frustration
Has a satisfying popper in the middle and simple rules for family play.
- Jenga
Slow, steady movements and concentration, ideal for co-regulation.
- Guess Who
Encourages question formulation, visual scanning and descriptive language.
- Ludo
Classic family game that supports counting, waiting and social thinking.
- Charades (Picture Version)
Use cards with actions or objects if verbal communication is a challenge.
- Treasure Hunt Board Game (DIY)
Make your own version with a map and markers. Children can “travel” to locations collecting objects or doing silly challenges.
Every activity in this list can be adapted to suit your child’s sensory profile, needs and energy level. If a day of calm is needed, stick to quiet, low-demand ideas like audio stories or water painting. If they’re full of beans, roll out the obstacle course and get moving.
Summer is a time for fun but also relaxation and nervous system repair. Remember that it’s ok to do a LOT less. The goal is to build connection, experience joyful moments and fill their cups (and yours) because September will be here before we know it!
For more ideas on supporting and educating children with SEND, follow our socials or visit our website.
