
Welcome to "Playful Possibilities: Everyday Items, Endless Fun," where we explore how everyday items can foster social engagement, motivation, and communication in young autistic children. In this article, we’ll dive into the versatility of cardboard boxes and how Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI) strategies can transform them into tools for meaningful play and learning. We’ll explore how these simple boxes can support foundational social skills, from sustained attention to boosting motivation and social engagement.
1. "Peek-a-Boo Playhouse"
Description: Cut windows and doors into a cardboard box to create a small playhouse. Use it to play peek-a-boo, encouraging your child to open and close the flaps while taking turns. If the box is large, you can also have the child hide their body under it, while you lift the box to find them.
Learning Opportunities: This activity fosters joint attention, sustained social interaction, and imitation of actions, as you and the child engage in back-and-forth play.
NDBI Strategies:
Following Your Child’s Lead: Let your child decide when to open or close the windows or door, and mirror their actions to build a connection. Get creative and silly by:
Pretending to be surprised: Gasp dramatically and say, “Oh, there you are!” when they peek out.
Playing hide-and-seek: Pretend to “look” for them in the wrong place, calling their name and asking, “Where could you be?” before they pop out.
Using playful voices or characters: Pretend to be a silly animal or character knocking on the “door,” asking, “Can I come in?”
Adding sound effects: Make fun noises like a creaky door sound or a playful “ta-da!” when they open or close the flaps.
Turn-Taking: Take turns saying, “Peek-a-boo!” or “Where’s [Child’s Name]?” to promote reciprocity. Use purposeful pauses to wait for the child to orient towards you or indicate that they are ready. Say, “My turn to hide!” and switch roles, letting your child “find” you.
Embedding Learning Goals: Add simple language goals by labeling actions like “open,” “close,” “in,” and “out.”
Celebrate Small Wins: Each time your child engages with you, offer a big smile or cheerful response to encourage continued participation. Applaud when your child successfully opens or closes a window or door, saying, “You opened it—great job!” Acknowledge when your child responds to your playful sounds or actions, such as looking at you or laughing, by saying, “I see you’re having fun!”
2. "Treasure Hunt Tunnel"
Description: Transform the box into a tunnel by opening both ends. Hide small objects or “treasures” inside and encourage your child to crawl through and find them. If the box is large enough, join in the fun by crawling or chasing them through the tunnel, adding an extra layer of excitement and engagement to the activity.
Learning Opportunities: This activity supports gross motor skills, problem-solving, and motivation through exploration and shared engagement.
NDBI Strategies:
Building Anticipation: Before your child crawls through, say, “What will we find in the tunnel? Let’s see!” to build excitement. Look excitedly at your child as you move closer to the box, showing your enthusiasm for the activity. You can also gently block the tunnel entry with your hand or a soft object as a playful obstruction, encouraging your child to indicate that they want you to move so they can go inside. This adds an element of fun and fosters communication and engagement.
Capturing Motivation: Use your child’s favorite toys or objects to spark their interest in the activity. To keep their engagement high, introduce new or novel items they haven’t seen before, adding an element of surprise and curiosity to the play.
Expanding Communication: Label the items they find, and encourage simple phrases like “I found it!” or “Look, it’s a ball!” “It’s Bluey!”
Natural Reinforcement: Celebrate each “treasure” found with excitement and praise to reinforce engagement.
Celebrate Small Wins: Celebrate when your child shows interest in the tunnel, such as crawling partway in or reaching toward the opening. Applaud their efforts to share or show the item they find, as well as any attempts to label or describe the treasure, like saying “ball” or pointing to an item with excitement.
3. "Sorting Surprise Box"
Description: Cut multiple holes in the top of a cardboard box and color-code them. Provide matching colored objects for your child to sort and drop into the corresponding holes.
Learning Opportunities: This activity enhances fine motor skills, color recognition, and early problem-solving, as well as back-and-forth turn-taking with others.
NDBI Strategies:
Modeling and Imitation: Demonstrate how to sort an object by saying, “Blue in,” as you place it in the correct spot, then invite your child to try. Vary the speed of your actions to keep the activity fun and engaging—drop items in quickly, move slowly for suspense, or let them fall from up high to create excitement. These playful variations can capture your child’s attention and encourage them to imitate your actions.
Promoting Shared Attention: Sit face-to-face with your child while modeling the task. Smile warmly, share excited facial expressions, and use coordinated eye gaze to capture their attention. Encourage joint attention by pointing to or looking at the activity together, helping your child stay engaged and connected during the interaction.
Reinforcing Success: Celebrate each correct match with a cheerful, “You did it! Blue goes here!” to keep your child motivated.
Expanding Language: Use phrases like “blue ball,” “red circle,” or “Where does it go?” to encourage communication and reinforce color and shape recognition. Add playful moments by intentionally placing the wrong color or shape in the hole and saying, “Oops! Oh, no! That’s not right!” in a silly tone. This invites your child to correct you, fostering problem-solving, engagement, and expressive language skills.
Celebrate Small Wins: Cheer when your child picks up an object and tries to place it in a hole, even if it’s not the correct one. Celebrate with excitement when they successfully match an object to its corresponding color, saying, “You found the blue spot—great job!” Acknowledge when your child looks at you or the box (engaging in joint attention) during the activity by smiling and saying, “You’re watching so carefully!”
Cardboard boxes offer endless possibilities for creativity, connection, and skill-building with young autistic children. By incorporating NDBI strategies like following your child’s lead, building anticipation, and fostering joint attention, these simple household items can become powerful tools for meaningful play and learning.
Stay tuned for more ideas in our "Playful Possibilities" series! From cardboard boxes to sensory bins to everyday objects, every item has the potential to create moments of growth, bonding, and joy. Remember, each playful interaction is a meaningful step toward building connections worth celebrating!
Check out this handout for more Playful Possibilities!
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