Special Needs and Physical Activity

by JoleneJul 17, 2013Books and Resources, Special Needs Parenting4 comments

Physical activity is important for kids with special needs. This article offers several practical and easy ideas for special needs and physical activity.

Physical activity is an important part of childhood. But special needs and physical activity aren’t always a natural combination. Thankfully, the folks at Kids’ Companions (the creators of Kids’ Chewelry) offer some practical suggestions about how to encourage physical activity in kids with special needs.

Special Needs and Physical Activity

The post covers a wide range of topics including physical activity for kids in rural areas and how to use video games for exercising. It then suggests activities for kids who don’t like sports or any physical activities. Here are a few from the list:

Collecting rocks, leaves, flowers, insects
Photography
Gardening
Watching birds, squirrels, bugs, frogs…
Sitting on huge balls and maintaining balance
Learning to juggle, stacking cups, arm wrestling…
Flying kites, making huge soap bubbles…

Physical Activity Benefits for Kids with Special Needs

The post extols the benefits of physical activity for our kids, too. Again, here are just a few:

Improve exercise endurance, cardiovascular efficiency, and possibly increased life expectancy.
Better balance, motor skills and body awareness.
Improvement in behavior, academics, self-confidence, and building friendships.
Increased appetite and improved quality of sleep.
Outlet for their physical energy which helps them cope with stress, anxiety, and depression.

The post ends with a review of physical education programs available in schools for students with special needs and a reminder of the importance of parents who model active lifestyles. The article is packed with good ideas (maybe some you’ll want to implement for the remainder of the summer), so check it out at Children with Special Needs: Benefits of Physical Activities and Adaptive Sports.

How Do You Encourage Your Kids to Stay Active?

What strategies do you use to keep your child with special needs as active as possible? Which activities mentioned in the article are you going to try? Leave a comment.

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Photo Credit: www.freedigitalphotos.net

By Jolene

Jolene Philo is the author of several books for the caregiving community. She speaks at parenting and special needs conferences around the country. Sharing Love Abundantly With Special Needs Families: The 5 Love Languages® for Parents Raising Children with Disabilities, which she co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman, was released in August of 2019 and is available at local bookstores, their bookstore website, and Amazon. See Jane Sing!, the second book in the West River cozy mystery series, which features characters affected by disability, was released in November of 2022.

4 Comments

Jolene on July 23, 2013 at 10:04 am

You’re welcome, Lorna. Thank you for the resources you provide for the special needs community.
Lorna d'Entremont on July 22, 2013 at 7:35 am

Jolene, thanks for writing on your site about our post,Children with Special Needs: Benefits of Physical Activities and Adaptive Sports. We appreciate the links and kind words about our site and the mention of our KidCompanions Chewelry.
Jolene on July 17, 2013 at 4:00 pm

What a great site. Thanks for the link. Hopefully, other states have similar programs.
Connie Morrison on July 17, 2013 at 2:04 pm

I just saw on Facebook that a friend’s child is playing Power Chair Soccer in central Iowa.

Here’s the website of this organization: http://www.adaptivesportsiowa.org/

Their “programs cater to the unique skill sets of athletes with physical disabilities.”