Outdoor Activities for Kids with ADHD and Autism – Physical Activity for a Balanced Brain

Contributed by Dr. Robert Melillo

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 11 percent of school-age children have received a medical diagnosis of ADHD and one in every 44 kids has an autism spectrum disorder.

Instead of staying indoors, the warmer months provide families with the opportunity to do outdoor physical activities that are simultaneously skill-building and enjoyable. To help children build skills without feeling like they are doing work, the following are some examples of outdoor activities we recommend to parents in our Brain Balance Achievement Centers.

Build things together

Summertime is a great opportunity for families to work together in building something, such as a tree house. Working on physical projects is great for children with behavioral and learning disabilities because it helps develop cooperation and social engagement. Painting and playing with clay is great because it strengthens the abstract element of the right brain that needs developing.

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Center for Disease Control and Prevention