Hike with Pals
Our open-invite event included a hike, a trail mix-making station, frog catching, fishing, swinging and lots of laughing.
If your child is feeling isolated, reach out to the school to see if they can help put you in touch with resources for creating some events to target inclusion of the other kids who are feeling the same way.
Two Quick Tips
At any outdoor event, make sure there is access to a bathroom. Bring hand sanitizer.
Also, plan ahead to make sure there are activities that everyone can enjoy. We brought pinwheels, frog catching nets and our little plastic habitats for this event, but we could have added bubbles, sidewalk chalk, music, or kites. Think about what might be fun for a wide variety of developmental levels and go for it!
Trail Mix
Trail mix is a term I use loosely. Our family made it out of any variety of small food items. Here are some ideas to include if you want to do a trail mix bar:
- Cereal
- Goldfish crackers
- Sunflower seeds
- Raisins or craisins
- m & m’s (made in facilities with peanuts, even if you get the plain ones, FYI)
- popcorn
- mini marshmallows
- nuts
- teddy grahams or the annie’s bunny graham crackers
- popcorn
- chocolate chips or peanut butter chips
- small pretzels
- pumpkin seeds
Obviously, restrict this if you have any known allergies in the group. If you’re not sure, stay away from anything with nuts and then put a warning on the invitation. Parents of kids with severe allergies will almost always bring separate food for them anyway so that they can be included safely.
If you’re doing a sign-up genius (an online sign up), also leave a slot for someone to bring Ziplock bags so each child can have their own bag of trail mix. I also created a slot for one family to bring small water bottles so the kids could have extra or in case someone forgot.
As the Organizer
I brought a trash bag, hand sanitizer, and paper towels. I also kept a big jug of water in my car so I could refill reusable water bottles as needed.
BYO
Ask each family to bring their own sunscreen, bug spray, and water bottle.
The Big Idea
Ending isolation is an incredibly powerful way we can change our children’s lives for the better. Keep it simple and give it a whirl.
Share This Post
About the Author
Erica Mauro is a mom to two teenage boys, Will who is neurotypical and Michael with Autism and cognitive delays. She holds a BA in Psychology from Colgate University and a Masters of Psychology in Education from Columbia Teacher’s College. Before staying home with her children, she worked as an elementary school teacher. For five years, she served on the Board of Directors of the Molly Ann Tango Memorial Foundation, a charity dedicated to enriching the lives of children with special needs. In partnership with her husband Dave, she aspires to parent by using daily life as an opportunity for therapeutic intervention, seizing on real experiences as opportunities to build skills and strategies for Michael in a joyful, loving home environment. On the tougher early days, she just tried to get everyone safely to bedtime and start fresh in the morning. *wink* 
Let's Connect
Subscribe to our newsletter for more updates