Summer/Outdoor Ideas

• Spring/Summer Discovery: Go for a walk together and collect items that remind you of    spring/summer  Use declarative language throughout your walk to enhance your experience together.  When you get home, glue the things you found onto a posterboard and talk about your walk (encode episodic memory).

• Bird Feeder: Get a pine cone or cup. Cover with peanut butter and then roll in bird seed (create a regulatory pattern) "roll, roll, roll".  You could also incorporate a pattern of: "bird seed---drop".  Easy, messy and serious fun for everyone!  Attach a string and hang from a tree.  Build anticipation waiting for a bird or squirrel to eat it.  Don't forget to take pictures of the activity and spotlight episodic memory.

• Collect flowers together: Go around the yard and collect dandelions together.  This is a great way to get your weeding done!  You can also incorporate a regulatory pattern, "flower---pick".  Collect flowers and spotlight working together.  This is a great activity to practice declarative language if you're getting a little rusty.

• Balloon catch/toss: (only if child is not scared of balloons) Fill balloons with water and toss (water plants, create a target, etc.) or have a catch.  Spotlight the anticipation.  Also, create a regulatory pattern: "1, 2, 3...splat!"