The Clubhouse is the Behavioral Intervention Association's (http://www.bia4autism.org) after-school program. Once a week, children between the ages of 5 and 12, who have communication and social challenges, meet and engage in fun activities to practice different social skills. The Explorers focus on skills such as staying with the group, greetings, turn taking, participating independently in activities, and brief exchanges with peers. The Adventurers focus on skills such as initiating and maintaining conversations, perspective taking, and negotiating with peers.
Bubble Wrap Painting: We
also did some bubble wrap painting. We worked in a small group and
covered the whole table with bubble wrap. We painted the bubble wrap
with brushes and then
made imprints by pressing a piece of paper onto the bubbles.Of course,
we also had fun popping the bubbles.
Scooter Board Relay :
We partnered with a friend and first filled a cup with dyed water and
then placed it onto our
scooter board. The scooter board had a rope attached and we had to
work together to transport the filled cup from one end of the course to
to the other. The
objective was not to spill the cup (so we had to go slow rather than
race).
At the end of the course, we filled the water into a bottle. The game
continued until the bottle was filled. We later added glitter and
trinkets to the bottle and turned it into a treasure bottle.
At a first glance, this game seems to be pretty straightforward but it addresses many different skills:
- Negotiating and compromising with a peer: Who fills the cup? Who can pour the cup into the bottle first?
- Impulse control: The team needs to find the perfect pace so the cup will not fall off the board.
- Cooperative Play: Pulling the rope at the same time in the same direction, checking in with the partner.
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| SURFIN' U.S.A. |
“Surfboard Musical Chairs”:
Today, we revisited one of our favorite Clubhouse games. We spread out
surfboards that were made out of foam board (we made those many summers
ago at Clubhouse) on the floor and then put on some Beach Boys music
("Surfin' U.S.A." of course) and danced around the surfboards when the
music played. When the music stopped, we found a surfboard to stand on.
With each stoppage of the music, a surfboard was removed and we were
encouraged to share surfboards. The game continued until all surfboards
were
removed.
Sensory Project “Water Beads”:
This is the ultimate sensory fun on a hot summer day or any other day
of the year. Kids of all ages love the feel and touch of the water beads
and even adults can't stop playing with the beads. It's a colorful as
well as soothing activity and we could have played for hours.
What
are water beads? Water beads are actually meant to be used in flower
arrangements to add color and shine. They come in many different colors
and can be found in stores like Dollar Tree, Michael's or can be
ordered online. They look like very small beads at first and have to be
soaked in water (for up to 12 hours) to grow. Then they look like
marbles but are soft to the touch. They don't dissolve when popped but
then turn into something that resembles Jell-O. We made enough water
beads to fill two big bins and then added sea creatures, shells,
containers, spoons, etc. While exploring the water beads, we worked on
sharing toys and a space and to come up with different play ideas.
Here are some interactive play ideas:
- Look for small shells that are hidden in the water beads with a friend.
- Collect water beads of one specific color in a container.
- Fill a bottle with water beads.
- Add shaving cream to the water beads.
Caution: Water beads look a
little bit like jelly beans so make sure kids understand the rule of not
putting them in their mouths, especially when exploring water beads
with very young children or children who like to explore objects with
their mouths.
Scooter Board Relay :
We partnered with a friend and first filled a cup with dyed water and
then placed it onto our
scooter board. The scooter board had a rope attached and we had to
work together to transport the filled cup from one end of the course to
to the other. The
objective was not to spill the cup (so we had to go slow rather than
race).
At the end of the course, we filled the water into a bottle. The game
continued until the bottle was filled. We later added glitter and
trinkets to the bottle and turned it into a treasure bottle. 
At a first glance, this game seems to be pretty straightforward but it addresses many different skills:
