Welcome to "Playful Possibilities: Everyday Items, Endless Fun," where we explore creative ways to use household items to foster social engagement, attention, and motivation in young autistic children. In this article, we’ll dive into the surprising versatility of paper towel tubes. By incorporating Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI) strategies, we’ll explore how these simple tubes can support foundational social skills, from sustained attention to boosting motivation and engagement.
The Power of Everyday Play
Paper towel tubes may seem like basic household items, but they offer a world of play possibilities! Their hollow structure and easy-to-hold shape allow for creative play that enhances sensory exploration, turn-taking, and focused attention. These activities not only create moments of joyful bonding but also help children connect and engage at their own pace. Let’s dive into three engaging activities using paper towel tubes to promote meaningful social interactions!
1. "Echo Tube" Sound Game
Description: Use the tube like a “telephone” by speaking or making silly sounds through it, encouraging your child to take a turn or respond. Hold the tube near your mouth, and take turns speaking or listening through it to create an “echo” effect.
Learning Opportunities: This activity helps with turn-taking, auditory attention, and joint engagement, as your child listens for sounds, watches your actions, and takes a turn with the tube.
NDBI Strategies:
Building Anticipation: Before making a sound, say, “Are you ready? Here comes the sound!” This builds attention and prepares your child for what’s coming.
Turn-Taking: Take turns holding the tube. You might say, “My turn to make a sound” and then hand it to your child, saying, “Your turn!” This fosters social reciprocity.
Following Your Child’s Lead: If they start making their own sounds or gestures, copy their sounds back through the tube to build connection and shared play.
Celebrate Small Wins: Each time your child takes a turn or reacts to a sound, celebrate with a big smile or cheer. This positive reinforcement makes them feel engaged and encourages more interaction.
2. “Roll and Race” Game
Description: Roll a small ball, toy car, or even a pom-pom through the tube and encourage your child to watch where it comes out. Take turns rolling items to each other through the tube, or set up two tubes side-by-side for a friendly race!
Learning Opportunities: This game enhances attention, anticipation, and social engagement, as children focus on the movement through the tube, take turns, and celebrate the rolling “race.”
NDBI Strategies:
Providing Choices: Offer a choice of objects to roll, like a small ball or toy car, saying, “Which one do you want to roll?” Providing choices builds motivation and independence.
Building Anticipation and Attention: Before releasing the item, say, “Ready…set…go!” to build excitement and help your child focus on the moment the object will roll through.
Following Their Lead: If they show a preference for certain items or a favorite way of playing, follow their lead to keep the play fun and engaging.
Boosting Motivation: Create excitement by switching up the objects you roll. If they respond more to faster or slower items, adjust your play to what they enjoy most, adding surprise and variety.
3. "Tube Telescope" Adventure
Description: Turn the tube into a pretend “telescope” and go on an adventure, “searching” for different things in the room. Take turns using the “telescope” and narrating what you each see to encourage attention to surroundings and joint play.
Learning Opportunities: This imaginative play activity supports attention, observation skills, and joint engagement, as your child focuses on their “findings” and shares them with you.
NDBI Strategies:
Narrating and Modeling: Say, “I see something blue!” as you look through the tube, then pass it to your child and ask, “What do you see?” This models observation and encourages them to focus.
Building Anticipation: Hold the tube up and look around dramatically before “discovering” something. This captures their interest and keeps them engaged.
Imitation and Following Lead: If your child begins to make discoveries of their own, follow along with enthusiasm, copying their expressions or responses. This validates their choices and strengthens social connection.
Supporting Social Engagement: Each time your child looks through the “telescope” and shares a discovery, respond with excitement, adding comments like “Wow, you found it!” or “Great exploring!” This reinforces their engagement and makes the experience feel shared and special.
Enhancing Engagement, Motivation, and Attention with Paper Towel Tubes
Enhancing Attention: Use pauses and playful expressions before each sound or roll to create anticipation, such as saying, “Here it comes!” This helps children focus and builds attention.
Boosting Motivation: Change up the items or sounds used with the tube to add variety. Notice what your child responds to most—such as a favorite sound or object—and integrate that to keep motivation high.
Supporting Social Engagement: Throughout each activity, engage with your child by copying their sounds or movements, sharing smiles, and narrating what’s happening. These small connections build a sense of shared play and mutual enjoyment, reinforcing social bonds.
Conclusion
Paper towel tubes offer endless possibilities for creativity, connection, and skill-building with young autistic children. By integrating NDBI strategies like turn-taking, joint engagement, and providing choices, you can transform these simple household items into tools for meaningful social interaction and fun learning.
Stay tuned for more ideas in our "Playful Possibilities" series! From bubbles to pillows to paper towel tubes, every household item can unlock new opportunities for bonding, growth, and joy. Remember, each moment of shared play is a step forward worth celebrating!
Check out this handout for more Playful Possibilities!
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