From School to Summer:
Tips for Making the Transition
Summer vacation is finally here! While kids are usually excited for the freedom of the season, they still benefit from a regular routine to help them stay regulated. Plus, sticking to a routine helps make exciting experiences, like vacations or weekend outings, feel less overwhelming.
The trick is to find a routine that offers structure without becoming too rigid or complicated. A few simple strategies from the Flourishing Lives team can help children feel calm, organized, and ready to enjoy all the summer fun.
Why Structure Still Matters During Summer
Routine is important even during the freewheeling summer months because children thrive when they know what to expect. Although they might claim otherwise, many kids rely on the built-in structure of the school day to help organize their nervous systems, and too much freedom can lead to dysregulation and make it harder to control big emotions.
Keeping a flexible but consistent daily rhythm throughout the summer months can help support smoother transitions between activities, good sleep schedules, and a sense of confidence and independence in kids.
Four Ways to Keep Things
Steady This Summer
A flexible structure can help children feel calm, confident, and better prepared to enjoy all the fun summer has to offer.
Create a Simple Summer Routine
A summer routine is the foundation for your child’s summer vacation. That’s not to say it needs to be packed with activities (which can actually be counterproductive). Instead, pick out several predictable anchors throughout the day and center the schedule around those. Some examples include:
- Consistent wake-up and bedtime routines
- Regular mealtimes
- Outdoor play sessions
- Movement breaks
- Quiet time
- Family connection time
To keep things flexible, focus on maintaining the order of these anchors, rather than setting them at a specific time. For example, you might always include outdoor play after breakfast and quiet time after lunch. Creating a visual schedule with pictures or checklists can help get your kids involved in the process, too.
Support Regulation During Summer Outings
Whether you’re visiting the zoo or hitting the beach, summer outings can be both fun and overwhelming, as they often involve unfamiliar sounds, crowds, heat, and changes in routine. These experiences can overwhelm a child’s nervous system, making it harder for them to feel calm, focused, and ready to participate.
However, planning ahead can make outings more successful for the whole family. Take some time to talk to your child about what they can expect from the outing so they aren’t caught off guard.
During the outing itself, be sure to pack your child’s favorite comfort items or sensory toys, and bring plenty of snacks and water. Also, watch out for signs your child is becoming overwhelmed, such as irritability, covering their ears, or withdrawing from the activity. If you do notice signs of overwhelm, a short sensory break can prevent overload. Find a quieter space, encourage deep breathing, offer water, or allow your child to move their body.
Find a Healthy Balance Between Screen Time and Play
There’s no getting around it: screen use often goes up in the summer, especially during long days at home. While this is fine in moderation, too much screen time can affect sleep, attention, and emotional regulation. Don’t try to eliminate screens completely. Instead, focus on finding a balance. Some helpful strategies include:
- Schedule screen-free times during the day
- Encourage outdoor play before screen time
- Alternate screens with movement activities
- Prioritize family connection
Don’t Forget Rest and Downtime
With so much going on, it’s easy for summer schedules to quickly become busy. However, overscheduling can quickly leave kids feeling dysregulated. Quiet breaks throughout the day are one of the easiest ways to help kids reset and recharge. Some ideas you might work into your schedule include:
- Reading together
- Coloring
- Listening to music
- Quiet imaginative play
And don’t overlook the importance of sleep, either. Consistent bedtimes help support mood, attention, and emotional regulation.
Small Routines Can Make a Big Difference
Summer doesn’t need to follow a strict schedule to be successful. Small, predictable routines help children feel safe, organized, and ready to participate in daily life. If you aren’t certain how to set up a summer routine that supports your child’s unique sensory needs, the Flourishing Lives team is here to help! We offer play-based, sensory-informed approaches to help children build regulation, confidence, and independence all year long. Reach out to our clinic today to learn more about how we can support your child and family this summer.
Contact UsEasy Sensory Diet Ideas for Summer
If your kids need a little extra support staying regulated during the summer months, you might consider a sensory diet.
A sensory diet isn’t a “diet” in the way most adults think of the term. Instead, it’s a personalized set of activities that provides your child with the sensory input their nervous system needs throughout the day. The goal is to help kids feel calmer, more focused, and better prepared to participate in daily activities.
Easy Ways to Add Sensory Support to Your Summer Routine
During summer break, a sensory diet can replace some of the structure and sensory input children typically get during the school day. Here are a few simple ideas from the Flourishing Lives team to get you started.
01
Water Play for Calm and Regulation
Water Play for Calm and Regulation
Water activities provide soothing sensory input while encouraging movement and play. Try:
- Running through a sprinkler
- Tossing water balloons
- Pouring water between containers
02
Heavy Work Activities
Heavy Work Activities
Heavy work gives input to muscles and joints, which helps many children feel calm and organized. Simple summer heavy work ideas include:
- Carrying watering cans
- Pulling a wagon
- Pushing laundry baskets
- Digging in sand or dirt
- Climbing playground equipment
03
Outdoor Obstacle Courses
Outdoor Obstacle Courses
Obstacle courses combine movement, coordination, and motor planning skills in a fun way. Use items like cones, pool noodles, or chalk to create one out in the yard. Too hot to go outside? Pillows, chairs, and string can work indoors.
When your child runs the obstacle course, encourage them to use different movements, such as crawling, jumping, or hopping.
04
Messy Play
Messy Play
Tactile play might make a bit of a mess, but it helps children explore different textures while supporting fine motor development. Try:
- Sidewalk chalk
- Finger painting
- Playing with shaving cream
- Mud kitchens
05
Swinging and Spinning Activities
Swinging and Spinning Activities
Movement input can help some children feel more alert and engaged. You might try:
- Playground swings
- Spinning on sit-and-spin toys
- Rolling down grassy hills
- Hammock swinging
However, if it looks like your child is becoming overstimulated, follow up the swinging session with a calm, quiet break.
Patient Spotlight: Manny
Emmanuel (“Manny”) has made tremendous gains in speech therapy over the last year. He has been working on various speech sounds throughout play-based activities, greatly improving his overall participation and willingness to learn!
He loves to practice his target words while spinning on a swing or crashing into the ball pit. His confidence continues to grow each session, utilizing AAC support when others struggle to understand him.
Due to his unintelligible speech, social interactions can be daunting, however, Manny has increasingly shown interest in making connections with others, sharing his love of spiderman with friends in speech and occupational therapy sessions.
Manny has made wonderful progress throughout this last round of OT services! He is spending longer periods of time engaging in shared therapy spaces and is showing increased flexibility and confidence when participating in therapist-led activities, with fewer shutdowns and meltdowns impacting participation.
Manny has especially enjoyed using his creativity and growing motor planning skills to bring his activity ideas to life. He has become much more successful at moving and organizing large equipment to set up exciting suspended swing activities, showing improved body awareness, coordination, problem-solving, and confidence during sensory-motor play.
His increased engagement, imagination, and willingness to try new challenges have been exciting to see!
Staff Spotlight: Courtney Tipton
Courtney has been with Flourishing Lives for one year and brings energy, structure, and heart to everything he does.
With a Bachelor of Applied Science in Healthcare Administration from the University of Michigan–Flint and more than a decade of experience in healthcare operations and patient care, he is passionate about optimizing processes, strengthening team collaboration, and enhancing the overall experience for the families we serve.
He is deeply committed to creating a positive, supportive workplace while continuing to grow and improve our clinic.
His focus on operational excellence helps ensure that both staff and families feel supported, heard, and valued.
Courtney enjoys spending time with his wife, Malea, their dog, Bengi, and their growing family. The Tiptons have recently welcomed their son, Brock, who keeps them very busy these days.
Sensory-Friendly
Summer Adventures
Summer is a great time for kids to get out and explore their community.
Fortunately, several favorite summer activities also offer great sensory experiences for kids, helping them feel more comfortable, regulated, and engaged while still enjoying new experiences.
Take a Nature Walk
Walking trails and nature centers offer calming sensory experiences while encouraging movement and exploration. Plus, spending time in nature is a great way to support emotional regulation and stress reduction.
Encourage your child to:
- Listen to birds, wind, or other nature sounds
- Collect leaves, rocks, and other small items to note different textures
- Climb over logs to get some heavy work in
Have a Picnic In the Park
A picnic at a quieter park gives children plenty of opportunities for movement, sensory exploration, and connection without the overstimulation of crowded events. Bring familiar foods and comfort items to further help with regulation.
Encourage your child to:
- Sit on different textures like grass or picnic blankets
- Help unpack food and supplies
- Toss balls and frisbees
Visit the Farmers’ Market
Smaller community markets can provide social interaction and enjoyable sensory experiences without the intensity of big, crowded festivals.
Encourage your child to:
- Explore the different colors and smells at each stand
- Help pick their favorite fruits and vegetables
- Speak with the vendors to practice communication skills
Frozen Banana Cereal Pops
A colorful, crunchy frozen treat that’s easy for kids to help make and perfect for warm summer days.
- 3/4 cup strawberry yogurt (or any other flavor your child will enjoy)
- 2 cups Fruity Pebbles cereal
- 4 medium bananas, peeled and cut crosswise in half
- 8 wooden pop sticks
- Place yogurt and cereal in separate shallow bowls.
- Insert pop sticks through the cut side of bananas.
- Dip bananas in yogurt, then roll in cereal to coat. Transfer to a waxed paper-lined baking sheet.
- Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
- Transfer to an airtight freezer container before returning the pops to the freezer.
We’re Hiring: Join Our Speech and Occupational Therapy Team!
Flourishing Lives is growing, and we’re looking for passionate occupational therapists, certified OT assistants, speech-language pathologists, SLP fellows, and mental health professionals to join our team! If you value connection, play-based learning, and helping children feel confident in their communication, we’d love to meet you.
Our unique approach includes:
- Play-based, child-led sessions that build trust and engagement
- Sensory-informed strategies to support attention and regulation
- Strong collaboration with families and other team members
- Focus on functional communication in real-life situations
If you’re looking for a supportive, team-oriented environment where you can make a meaningful impact, we encourage you to apply today.
Helping Families Thrive
Feel confident at the table again—without the power struggles
Mealtimes don’t have to be this hard
- You’re doing everything you can—cutting food just right, offering all the favorites, reading every tip online.
- And still, your child refuses to eat. Or cries. Or gags. Or throws their plate.
- You’re not failing. You’re just missing the right support.
- “Let’s change that”
