Table Time Activity: Picnic Maze Activity
Skill Check
This activity uses a child’s spatial skills, object recognition, and fine motor skills.
Growing My Skills
Print out the template and gather writing material.
Locate the beginning and end.
Assist the child in following different paths to get ant to the picnic basket.
Expand activity by having child create their own “paths” or mazes for an ant to follow.
Floortime Play Activity: Making a Picnic
Skill Check
The goal of this activity is to spend time together in a playful, imaginative way. There should be limited structure and a lot of pretending.
Growing My Skills
Read the book in the virtual lesson plan to create ideas for what to “fill” in the picnic basket.
Or ask your child what their favorite picnic food is.
Venture outdoors with your children (within a safe environment with supervision) and enjoy the weather as you have a picnic outside.
Relaxation Time Activity: Berenstein Bears Go to the Picnic
Skill Check
The goal of this activity is to slow down and engage quiet time and listening skills during read-aloud activity.
Growing My Skills
Can your child point out the theme of the book or label a favorite part?
Is your child familiar with the character within this video; if not ask if he/she can see his favorite character doing these activities.
Creative Time Activity: Foam Watermelon Craft Activity
Skill Check
This activity is great for low demands and quieter time. Assist your child as much or as little as needed dependent on ability. Model activity as needed.
Growing My Skills
Gather your materials.
Cut the foam into triangles.
Place paint onto plates.
Dip sponges into red paint and create “watermelon shapes.”
Use fingers or brushes to dot black paint to create seeds.
Movement Time Activity: Rolling Up in Picnic Blanket
Skill Check
The goal of this week focuses on using your core muscles to roll inside the picnic blanket and getting some sensory input. You end up looking like a burrito!
Growing My Skills
Roll them up tightly inside the blanket.
Once they’re all rolled up, give them a few moments to feel that deep pressure and then unroll them.
If they like movement, quickly unroll them for intense input.
If they’re a little uneasy with fast movement, unroll them slowly to work the core and neck muscles needed for rolling.
Have your child hold a ball with two hands above their head. This challenges your child to really focus on core muscles to roll vs using their hands to push off the ground.
Mealtime Activity: Eating a Picnic
Skill Check
The goal of this activity is to promote snacking on fruit and vegetables, parent modeling opportunities of how to eat fruit and veggies.
Growing My Skills
Pack your picnic basket like you practiced in the social story!
Aim to pack fresh fruits and/or vegetables you can eat with your fingers.
Bring fruits and veggies parents enjoy (maybe bring a new fruit or vegetable?).
Encourage your child to sing the songs (Apples & Bananas by Raffi and Do you like) while eating.
Language Time Activity: Picnic Foods
Skill Check
The goal of this week is to target receptive and expressive language through picnic food. Target picture/object identification with play food, on the coloring sheets, or in the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Target expressive language by discussing what food you would bring on a picnic, labeling food items, and describing foods.
Growing My Skills
Sequence events of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by putting the pictures of food in order.
“Pack for a Picnic”- have each child draw/color items in their picnic basket.
Take turns telling each other what you would bring on a picnic.
Make pretend picnic food out of playdoh.
Picnic Foods coloring sheet – Follow directions to color an item based on category/attribute (ex: fruit, vegetable, cold, etc.)
Hand out toy food items and take turns “feeding” the caterpillar – can target turn taking with a sibling.
