Thanksgiving is here—a time filled with delicious pumpkin aromas, family warmth… and lots of changes to your child’s routines. Yes, for parents of children with autism, this season can be split between excitement and managing sensory and social challenges.
That’s why it’s always good to remember those Thanksgiving activities for kids that we do as a family… and that always work.
At Koala ABA & Learning Centers, we’ve designed 5 Thanksgiving activities for kids with autism that are not only fun but are rooted in the principles of ABA Therapy, promoting kindness, communication, and family connection.
Are you ready to celebrate with confidence and a heart full of emotion? Keep reading!
Why is Thanksgiving Key for ABA Learning?
Holiday periods are rich in stimuli: intense kitchen smells, new visitors, and the potential disruption of the usual schedule. And of course, these changes, which are trivial to others, can be a significant source of stress for children with autism.
However, with thoughtful planning of Thanksgiving activities for kids and the use of ABA Therapy at home strategies, these dates can become a valuable environment for your child’s social and emotional learning.
Why can holidays be real opportunities for growth? Here’s a summary:
- Sensory Challenges: They allow us to identify and manage stimuli that may act as triggers in the family environment.
- Adaptable Flexibility: With the necessary support, children practice adapting to small variations in their daily routine.
- Gratitude Lessons: It’s a great time for social skills development like saying thank you and practicing empathy.
- ABA Benefits: With structured guidance, the child can benefit, reinforcing confidence and emotional regulation.
5 Thanksgiving Activities for Kids That Boost Kindness.
The main goal of these Thanksgiving activities for kids with autism is to create clear, fun structures that encourage positive interaction with their environment. Furthermore, kindness here becomes a skill we can model and reinforce at home.
Below are these five suggestions, so you can choose the ones that best suit your family environment. Choose wisely!
1. The Gratitude Tree: Reinforcing Expressive Communication.
This is one of the Thanksgiving activities for kids that connects fine motor skills with expressive language, which is fundamental in ABA Therapy. By making what they are thankful for tangible, we help the abstract emotion turn into a visible expression.
How to implement it at home for the holidays? Here’s how:
- Ideal Structure: Create a small tree using real branches in a vase, or draw the largest one possible on cardstock.
- Structured Play: Ask your child to draw or write on colored paper what they are thankful for (a toy, a walk).
- ABA Benefits: It successfully encourages your child’s expressive communication and emotional labeling.
2. Kindness Coupons: Practice Social Reciprocity within the Family.
Autism-friendly crafts are perfect for developing social skills as part of the Thanksgiving activities for kids. This specific activity introduces the concept of social reciprocity and positive reinforcement in a fun way.
The steps to develop this craft at home are:
- Creation: Help your child create “acts of kindness” cards or coupons (such as “Extra hug for Mom” or “Help set the table”).
- Exchange: Guide the exchange or delivery of these coupons to children, in a fun way, during the holiday week.
- ABA Focus: This allows practicing the “giving” and “receiving” of kind acts, which are key skills for successful social relationships.
3. Sensory Baking: Fine Motor Skills and Texture Exploration.
The Thanksgiving kitchen, with its variety of textures and aromas, can be transformed into one of the best Thanksgiving activities for kids with autism. Likewise, baking allows for the development of fine motor skills and controlled exposure to new stimuli.
Some controlled sensory activities you can put into practice are:
- Simple Recipe: Choose a recipe with few textures (like mashed potatoes or simple muffins), and give your child small, specific tasks.
- Clear Roles: Assign roles (mixing flour or pouring water) that help develop fine motor coordination.
- Exploration: Allow tactile and taste exploration, always respecting your child’s sensory preferences.
4. Story Time: Emotion Recognition and Empathy.
Stories and tales are an open window to understanding complex emotions. Gratitude lessons for kids with autism can be taught by reading a Thanksgiving story, and then pausing to talk about the characters’ feelings and their own.
Some reading strategies for these Thanksgiving activities for kids with autism are:
- Directed Questions: Read and then ask: “How did the turkey feel when it was chased?” “How did the child feel when giving thanks?”
- ABA Focus: These emotion recognition exercises help the child make the connection between situations and feelings.
5. The Family Circle: Developing Social Communication.
This activity can be the culmination of the Thanksgiving activities for kids with autism. You can create a space for structured play where each member practices turn-taking and active listening, both essential social communication skills.
Here’s how you can achieve a successful family circle:
- Visual Turns: Use an object (their favorite cushion or a toy microphone) to indicate who has the turn to speak.
- Simple Topic: The topic should be something like: “something kind I did for someone today” or “something I am grateful for today.”
- ABA Focus: This practice encourages self-awareness and listening skills within the family environment.
Consistency and Calm: Holiday Routines and ABA Therapy at Home.
The magic word for a calm Thanksgiving Day is not “perfection,” but consistency. Yes, predictability is the key to social skills development at home. Therefore, Thanksgiving activities for kids with autism should not be rigid, but they must be clear and well-communicated.
Likewise, by applying these ABA Therapy at home principles, we can significantly reduce the stress and anxiety that these changes cause your child, ensuring that we fully enjoy the celebrations.
Some strategies for achieving this predictability are:
- Visual Schedules: Prepare a visual schedule for Thanksgiving Day. Show the time for the meal, play, and visits.
- Anticipation: Discuss each event before it happens. For example: “In 5 minutes, Grandma is going to arrive.”
- Sensory Break: Find a sensory regulation space or time that the child knows they can go to when they feel overwhelmed.
Remember: the practice of gratitude is not a one-day affair. And we must be able to turn everyday moments into ABA learning opportunities that strengthen the child’s emotional growth.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Thanksgiving Activities for Kids.
1. Why are structured Thanksgiving activities for kids with autism important?
Holidays disrupt routines and increase sensory input, causing anxiety. Structured Thanksgiving activities for kids with autism provide predictability and are essential for ABA learning opportunities, aiding emotional regulation and social skills development.
2. How can I use ABA Therapy at home during Thanksgiving?
Use ABA Therapy at home strategies focusing on consistency. Implement a visual schedule, give warnings before transitions (anticipation), and designate a quiet sensory regulation area. This promotes positive reinforcement and reduces holiday stress.
3. Which activities help with fine motor skills and sensory needs?
Sensory Baking is ideal. Tasks like mixing and pouring develop fine motor skills and offer controlled exposure for sensory regulation as a therapeutic sensory activity for Thanksgiving, respecting your child’s preferences.
Connect, Learn, and Create Memories with Koala ABA & Learning Centers.
Yes, Thanksgiving is about connection, gratitude, and learning moments. And with the right strategies, these Thanksgiving activities for kids can become the best opportunity to reinforce social, emotional, and communication skills from home.
At Koala ABA & Learning Centers, we accompany families so that every celebration is a safe space where your child can learn, enjoy, and feel understood. Thanks to ABA Therapy, every expressed emotion becomes one more step toward your child’s autonomy.
With our locations in Miami Lakes, Tampa, and Doral, we are ready to support you with:
- Individualized ABA therapy in the clinic or at home.
- Total flexibility to adapt to your routines and needs.
- Close accompaniment to strengthen learning within the home.
Remember that you are an incredible parent, committed, patient, and full of love. And your child deserves an environment where they can grow, where their voice is heard, and where every small achievement is celebrated.
You are not alone… and you don’t have to guess what works.
We are here to walk with you!
Contact us today and let’s build a more serene and loving home together.
