Our neurodiverse family has always brought games – e.g., word searches, fast facts, scavenger hunts – along for adventures.
Some of us have pretty short attention spans, so these go-to activities are for when the adventure is longer than our attention span.
For example, I could spend hours wandering around any Smithsonian Museum; several of my kids can hang for about half the time it takes me to feel like I’ve had a worthwhile visit. Also, car, train, and plane rides can feel kind of torturous for my kids, but games break up the monotony.
Which kinds of games work best for neurodiverse kids? Our blog A Guide to Visual Guides for Neurodiverse Families gets into this, by sharing expert advice such as: “A multiple-choice quiz at the conclusion of a section. However, activities involving sorting and reorganizing words can be challenging for people with ADHD, anxiety, and dyslexia.”
Research shows that more than 80 percent of American adults will travel this (northern hemisphere) summer, more than 40 percent will travel more than once, and about 60 percent plan to travel 250 miles or more from their home. So it stands to reason that a lot of neurodiverse families will be on the road at some point between June and September.
To do our part to keep your neurodiverse families (and ours) happy as you hit the road, we offer you a multi-part series on online games and activities, starting with activities featuring Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland.
The activities featured below are all created by others and a few were created by our family. Plus, we’ve thrown in an activity to take all adults down memory lane, when you had to learn your state capitals (welcome back to third grade!).
All the below activities are free unless noted otherwise.
Here’s to a happy neurodiverse family and enjoyable adventures!
State and Capitals – https://www.lovetoknow.com/parenting/kids/50-states-capitals-alphabetical-order
Washington DC:
Rocketaround.com Activities page:
Washington DC – Fun Facts, Part 1
Washington DC – Fun Facts, Part 2
Washington DC – Word Search
Smithsonian – https://www.si.edu/kids
White House – https://www.whitehousehistory.org/rubenstein-center/k-12-education-resources-and-programs/learning-tools-and-resources/classroom-resource-packets; https://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/homeschool-lesson-plans/white-house/; https://www.nps.gov/whho/learn/kidsyouth/index.htm
Spy Museum – https://www.spymuseum.org/education-programs/kids-families/activities/
Holocaust Museum – https://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/homeschool-lesson-plans/holocaust/
Arlington Cemetery – https://education.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Portals/2/ANC%20Children’s%20Activity%20Packet.pdf?ver=BvwhsWCr0eU8aa1nmSXHrQ%3d%3d; https://education.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Portals/2/TUS%20Children’s%20Activity%20Packet.pdf?ver=fZv9SIEmxRnGa81O4eTvCg%3d%3d; https://education.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Portals/2/Military-Intelligence-Childrens-Activity-Packet.pdf?ver=3rNDDXUthf5ny49ZTqLf7A%3d%3d; https://education.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Portals/2/ANC%20Arboretum%20Bingo.pdf?ver=G9n5yiD-7EwvA75euvlupQ%3d%3d
City of DC / Tourist bureau – https://washington.org/DC-information/washington-dc-quick-facts-kids; https://kid-friendly-family-vacations.com/washington-dc-printable-travel-games/; https://www.etsy.com/listing/698584601/printable-activities-for-kids-washington – $$; https://sunshinewhispersshop.com/products/washington-d-c-activities-for-kids – $$
National Gallery of Art – https://www.amazon.com/National-Gallery-Art-Activity-Book/dp/0810925958 – $$
Library of Congress – https://www.loc.gov/families/
Ford’s Theater – https://fords.org/visit-us/
Washington Nationals – https://kids.kiddle.co/Washington_Nationals; https://content.mlb.com/documents/0/2/0/313136020/nlds_coloring.pdf; https://www.mlb.com/nationals/community/stem-education; https://summerslugger.com/mlb_clubs/nationals/
Washington Mystics – https://mystics.wnba.com/mystics-kids-corner/
Washington Wizards – https://www.coloringpages101.com/NBA-coloring-pages/82210-Washington-Wizards-coloring-page
Washington Commanders – https://kids.kiddle.co/Washington_Commanders
Washington Capitals – https://kids.kiddle.co/Washington_Capitals
State of VA:
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/usa-states/virginia/
https://www.pinterest.com/reesiesmama/virginia/
State of MD: http://www.apples4theteacher.com/usa-states/maryland/
Baltimore:
Baltimore Museum of Art: https://artbma.org/learn/art-to-go/
Baltimore Ravens – https://www.baltimoreravens.com/fans/activity-center/
Baltimore.com – Scroll down for Baltimore-themed coloring pages – https://baltimore.org/guides/a-guide-to-kid-friendly-baltimore/
Annapolis: Naval Academy – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/160722280451090573/