It is the time of year when parents are scrambling to figure out plans for the summer. What to do while at home? What can we afford to do? Where should we go? These are common questions for all families but the answers may differ if your family has a child with autism.

Taking a trip to the mall, catching an afternoon movie, or heading over to the pizza place with the fun games may all sound like great ideas to most children; however, children with autism may find that these environments cause them anxiety, overstimulate their senses and lead to maladaptive behaviors in public. As a parent with a child with autism, you’re accustomed to these scenarios but that doesn’t mean you want to set yourself up for them either.

Here are a few ideas for summer activities that don’t require you booking a flight, packing a bag or having to deal with stern glances from strangers.

Start a summer project. You know your child’s hobbies and interests better than anyone else. Find ways to cultivate those with a project that you can start and stop at any time. For example, create a dedicated space to work on a complex 3D puzzle, or for creating small paintings using their favorite colors to be hung as a prized artwork in your home. The point is to create a go-to activity that is always readily available when the time is right.

Find sensory friendly entertainment. Just because you can’t watch just any movie at any time doesn’t mean you can’t head to the theater with your kids. AMC Theaters regularly hold screenings geared towards children with special needs and they advertise these in local publications. Increasingly, community theaters, such as the Dallas Children’s Theater, are providing sensory friendly productions geared towards children with autism. If you’re fortunate enough to live near an amusement park with special needs accommodations, such as Pretend City in Irvine, California, this can be a very fun outing as well.

Make your own treasure hunts. Yes, treasure hunts can be time consuming to set up but you can share the workload by engaging your child with autism in the preparations. Decide on two or three treasure hunt themes for the summer. Find objects around the house or go to the store together to pick them out. Write clues on index cards using words and/or symbols or photos that guide the child from discovering one hidden item to the next. Repeat this once a month to give you both something to look forward to doing together. This is also a great activity for siblings and friends to enjoy together. Treasure hunts can be done at home, outside, in the park, or even at grandma’s house. Be creative and mix it up.

Go day camping. No need to fuss over all the overnight things you need for a big camping trip. Simply gather your basic camping gear including a backpack filled with food and cooking equipment, and a small tent. Head to the woods in the morning after breakfast. Go for a short hike enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. When you arrive at your designated spot, set up your day camp. Pitch a tent together supplied with a few of your child’s favorite objects so he has a quiet place to himself if needed. Make a meal or two together, sing songs, tell stories and eat s’mores (if his diet allows). In the afternoon, pack up your gear and head back home. Be sure to take photos throughout the day. You can work together on the computer to create a photobook so your memories can last a lifetime.

Enroll in summer camp. SSending your child with autism off to a summer camp for hours at a time may sound a little scary but there are now so many options available to children with special needs. ACES proudly offers summer camps in all of our office locations. Another popular choice is horseback riding camp, or “equine therapy”. Equine therapy can benefit children with autism due to the motor, emotional, sensory sensations that come with riding a horse. Once your child is comfortable with the animal, perhaps someday the whole family can enjoy riding horses together. If your child does not respond well to equine therapy, or even if they thrive in the company of horses, consider other summer camp options like swimming, art, music, nature, robotics, computer programming and more. Check out Autism Speaks for links to camps across the country offering scholarships.

Make sure you plan ahead (as always) and talk through those plans with your child so he is prepared for the adventure that lies ahead. With these activity suggestions, there is no need to stay inside while your child whittles away the hours in front of a screen. Pick and choose some fun, affordable, autism-friendly activities and get to it. Summer fun awaits the whole family!