• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About me & Le Chemin ABA
  • Activities
    • Communication
    • Fine motor
    • Sensory
    • Social skills
    • Virtual Field Trips
    • Fine Motor Bundle
  • Free Printables
  • Autism 101
  • Create a Progress Nook
  • Toy Checklist
  • Adapted Sign Language
  • Autism Activities Workbook Bundle
  • Membership
  • Shop
  • Parenting
  • Travel

Special Learning House

Autism resources for exceptional families. Increase communication, learning and fun at home.

February 3, 2020

Educational water activities for Children with Autism

I love using water activities in my programs with children with autism because they are a fun and easy way to engage kids through sensory play. You these water activities to build communication, sensory, fine motor, reading, writing and interactive play skills. These water activities can be included as an option in your sensory break ideas.

water activities for kids with autism - 2 boys in the water

In this post, I am including water activities you can do inside your home or in your autism classroom, as well as water activities you could do in a pool or at the beach if your child likes going in the water in this post.

Water Activities that Build Communication Skills

Tracing over chalk letters with a wet paintbrush from Pyjama School

This activity involves water, chalk, a chalkboard and lots of giggles! It is a great sensory activity and a wonderful way to work on communication skills, the alphabet, reading and writing.

Just write some letters in chalk on a chalkboard and guide your little one to trace over them using a paintbrush dipped in water! This activity is guaranteed to be more fun than traditional writing exercises!

little girl using a paint brush to remove chalk letters from the chalkboard - water activities

Build Sensory Skills with these Water Activities for Kids with Autism

Beach sensory and small world play from Fantastic Fun & Learning

Seashells, water and mini fish all come together to make this activity really delightful for your child! On top of the really fun and exciting wwater play aspect of the activity, the shells make a beautiful noise when they clink together which adds another element of sensory fun to this activity.

little girl with hands in a bin filled with water and seashells

Use these Water Activities to Build Pretend Play Skills with Autistic Learners

Car wash play from Things to Share and Remember

I love this idea! Get all of your child’s little plastic cars out and create a car wash activity. This activity combines the sensory pleasure of water play with a fun functional activity (actually cleaning the cars!).

little boy doing a water activity with hands in a bin filled with water, soap and toy cars

Water Activities to Do at the Beach

If you are enjoying a day at the beach with your child or students, try these fun water activities.

  • Toss a ball back and forth and work on saying “ball”, “fast” and “slow”.
  • Create a treasure hunt by listing all of the items you are looking for in the water at the beach. Some ideas? Shells, crabs, stones, sand and more.
  • If your child can swim, race in the water.

Water Activities to Do in a Pool

There are lots of fun water activities you can do in the pool too!

  • Set up a water volleyball net and play.
  • Toos colored rings into the water and race to swim to get them.
  • Do water aerobics and have your child copy the exercises you are doing in the water!
  • Bring your favorite pools toys in to play.

A Word About Water Safety and Kids with Autism

All children, and particularly children with autism, must be supervised in the water at all times.

More sensory play ideas

  • 28 Autism Activities
  • Free Printable Sensory Break Cards
  • Sensory Communication Workbook
  • Autism Activities Membership

Sensory Tools for Autistic Learners

  • 10 Sensory Toys Every Child with Autism Needs at Home
  • 5 Essential Autism Chew Toys

What are your favorite fun water activities?

How do you use these water activities to build skills with children on the autism spectrum?

Pin for later!

If you loved this post, please share it!

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Autism 101, Sensory activities Tagged With: functional skills, sensory, water play

Primary Sidebar

Alix Strickland Frénoy from Special Learning House.

Hi friend! I'm Alix, the girl behind this blog and founder and director of the Le Chemin ABA Learning House for children with autism and other special needs in Paris, France. I create educational activities and spaces to help children with special needs learn and thrive!

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on LinkedInFollow Us on PinterestFollow Us on Instagram

please consider a donation to Special Angels Adoption

What are you looking for?

Increase your child’s communication with this sensory workbook!

pink, aqua and orange sensory communication workbooks for kids on the autism spectrum

Search by category

Join 12K + parents and follow my autism center on Facebook!

Join 12K + parents and follow my autism center on Facebook!

Free printable signing poster : the first 9 signs to teach your child (click on the photo)

First 9 signs to teach your child with autism or other special needs to communicate. | speciallearninghouse.com

Increase your child’s sensory play with our collection of play dough mats!

a boy playing with play dough

Your Child’s Learning Materials

Fabulous & Free Autism Resources
Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on LinkedInFollow Us on PinterestFollow Us on Instagram

My Articles for the Autism Daily Newscast

ADN

Favorite Posts

28+ Autism Activities : communication, fine motor, sensory play, playdough stamping & more!
21+ Activities for a Nonverbal Autistic Child
Early signs of autism in babies
Autism Worksheets to Help Your Child Thrive
10 Sensory Toys Every Autistic Child Needs at Home
Autism and Delayed Speech (4 Tips)
Free Printable List of 62 Social Skills to Teach Kids with Autism
3 fun light table activities for kids
How to Teach an Autistic Child to Read (12 tips)
Autism Workbooks (Printable Activities to Teach Language & More from an Autism Expert)

Footer

  • Advertise
  • Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
©2016-2019 Alix Strickland Frénoy. This site contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. For questions about content, photography, adapted programs or sponsor work, please contact hello@speciallearninghouse.com.
 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.