Sensory-Friendly Easter Activities

Easter is a tradition that is loved by children almost worldwide but for those whose children suffer from sensory disorders the whole experience can be extremely overwhelming.

With large crowds expected at most organised Easter trails, overly-competitive children (and parents) and noise levels being out of your control in outdoor public spaces, the whole day can turn into meltdown city very quickly. So here at Sensory Smart we have put together some fun, sensory-friendly alternative activities to do with your child over the holidays.

Make an Easter Inspired Mask

You can either get your child to make their own masks that are cut out from card or use a printed off version like this bunny mask or flower glasses.

Depending on your Childs sensory aversions you could use colouring pencils/felt tips to decorate your mask or a variety of different media choices i.e. paint, tissue paper, fabrics, glitter/sand.

Helpful Tip: Why not get your child to understand emotions by decorating a few masks with colours to reflect different moods and they can put on a play, blue can represent sadness, yellow for happy, red for angry and so on.

Sensory-Friendly Easter Hunt 

Easter egg hunts are a popular tradition for many children but when your child has a sensory disorder it can be very overwhelming. If you can not find a sensory friendly Easter trail, make your own at home instead. Prepare the child by explaining what will happen by creating visual aids. Create a set of helpful hints or a map for them to follow as a guide to where the eggs are hidden to avoid your child getting stressed.

Helpful Tip: If there is more than one child joining in, colour code or write the Childs names on the eggs to avoid disappointment.

Make Sensory buckets

Does your child suffer from meltdowns? Help them stay calm with a sensory bucket to help provide your child with visual stimuli. Fill your buckets with either coloured rice, sand, pasta or shredded paper and hide mini eggs inside for them to find.

Make an Easter card for family

Get your child to make an Easter themed card to give to family members.

Let them choose a favourite character of theirs such as a Disney character, superhero's to cut out and stick on the cards. They could even learn about different things that we associate with Easter such as bunnies, lambs, flowers and use these images.

Get your child to use different textures such as feathers, glitter, wool to help engage their multiple senses.

Step Outside

Spending time outdoors can be invigorating for children especially with autism. Make sure they dress appropriately (especially as the weather is so unpredictable here in the UK).

Keep noise levels low if you can and go for a nature inspired scavenger hunt. Have some visual aids for them to look at and look out for around them such as flowers, colours, bugs etc.

If you take them somewhere specific like a farm include visual associated aids based on that environment such as lambs, chicks, tractor, etc.