🎉 Explore The Kinected OT's "Summer Bucket List!"
A list of fun, real-life activities to build your child’s confidence, independence, and executive function.
You know your child best. These are general suggestions, and not every activity will be right for every child. Please use your own judgment based on your child’s:
– Cognitive abilities
– Emotional maturity
– Judgment skills
– And the environment in which the activity takes place (e.g., safety of your neighborhood or comfort with certain social settings)
When in doubt, start small.
Ages 6–8: Building Social Bravery & Following Through
· • Buy something small at a gas station
· • Knock on a neighbor’s door to ask a friend to play
· • Attend a day camp (STEM, sports, farm, art, music, science, dance, VBS, etc.)
· • Order food at restaurant (with you nearby)
· • Ask a question to a store clerk or camp counselor
· • Try a class without knowing anyone there (yoga, soccer, Lego robotics, etc.)
· • Pack their own lunch and bag for camp
· • Ask a new child to play at the park
· • Leave you to attend a drop-off birthday party
· • Try a 'yes day' for low-stakes choices
· • Choose and pay for a treat from an ice cream truck
· • Stay at friend’s house without parent for a few hours (where you feel comfortable with supervising adult)
· • Attend music lessons and learn a new instrument (then perform for others)
· • Start a summer project (rock collection, treehouse)
· • Sell lemonade in the neighborhood with a friend (with adults supervising)
· • Help lead a family walk or scavenger hunt
· • Go camping—even just in the backyard
· • Learn to cook a simple meal- such as scrambled eggs
· • Write own short grocery list- retrieve items in their own basket and checkout with their own cash (with you alongside doing your own shopping)