10 Hobbies and Activities to Enjoy With Your Autistic Child

Play is important for the development and well-being of all autistic children at their respective levels of functioning. Hobbies and activities help autistic kids to develop skills that are important for learning and communication.

Along with building social skills, enjoying activities together can create bonds when you choose the appropriate activity based on your child's capabilities and interests.

This article offers 10 activities to try with your autistic child. It also provides guidance on how to choose the right hobbies and activities to enjoy with your child.

Activities to enjoy with autistic children

Verywell / Ellen Lindner

Hobbies and Activities to Enjoy

These are just some of the activities that can be shared and enjoyed by autistic kids and their families. They may not be the exact fit for your autistic child, but they may help spark ideas and your imagination.

LEGOs

Building with LEGOs can improve fine motor skills and foster creativity. Who knew that a bunch of plastic building bricks could turn into a full-scale, international artistic (and scientific) medium? If your autistic child is a LEGO® toy fan, your options may be endless.

Build from blueprints and diagrams. Create your own cities. Watch the LEGO movie. Go to LEGO conventions. Get involved with LEGO Mindstorms, and then join clubs and compete. Go to LEGO art shows. The possibilities are amazing.

Studies have shown using LEGOs in therapy for autistic children resulted in improvement in social and communication skills (such as the desire to play with others), improved social interactions, better coping, and more engagement with family.

Video Gaming

Video games can improve hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, and they're not just for kids—there's a match for any level of expertise. Your autistic child may enjoy playing Minecraft or Harry Potter on their own, but that doesn't mean you can't join in and take part in the fun.

Instead of assuming you're not wanted (or that the games are too hard for you), take time to learn the ropes, ask questions, and get involved.

If your child is just starting out or has difficulty navigating complex games, opt for simpler vintage video games or sports games that don't require high-level manual dexterity (like golf, bowling, or pool).

Some studies have found that video games help relieve stress and aid with social connection in autistic children. On the downside, they can lead to video "addiction" if not monitored and managed.

Trains

If you're not British, you may think that it's odd to memorize train numbers, schedules, and specs. In Britain, however, "trainspotting" is a time-honored activity, and many autistic kids embrace similar interests.

If your child likes trains (or planes or automobiles), join them in learning. Explore train museums where real trains look exactly like those in the Thomas the Tank Engine TV show. Watch train-related videos. Read train-related books. Build model trains. Visit model layouts. Join a modeling club together.

Building models (whether it's trains, planes, or cars) is an excellent way to improve fine motor skills and attention to detail.

Anime

A surprising number of autistic people love anime, a complex and much-beloved form of Japanese animation. Although there is limited research, anime may help autistic kids improve social skills and interactions.

Anime is huge, and it's everywhere. Join your child in watching, reading, and drawing anime.

Create your own anime on the computer. Go in costume to an anime convention. Most schools and communities even have anime clubs your child can join.

Studies have shown that autistic children are often responsive to anime-style virtual characters, which have been used as a tool for social skills training.

Reading

Reading encourages language development and communication skills. Reading books together, or even making up your own stories, can be a wonderful bonding experience.

Whether it's science fiction and fantasy or non-fiction topics like dinosaurs and volcanoes, books can be a great activity. Depending on their interest levels and abilities, autistic people may learn every detail of a particular "universe," write their own stories, watch and rewatch movies, read comics, attend conventions, or even make their own costumes.

There is a whole world of opportunity for hobbyists out there at all levels.

Swimming

Swimming can improve motor skills, fitness levels, and sensory processing. 

Whether at the ocean, in a lake, at a pool, or under the sprinkler, water activities are fun for almost everyone. And while some people are there to learn swimming strokes, join swim teams, or become lap swimmers, others just go to have a good time together.

Hiking and Walking

Similar to swimming, hiking and walking can improve physical fitness, motor skills, and sensory processing. 

Autistic people are often less amenable to team sports for a variety of reasons. But they have plenty of physical energy and stamina, and if your autistic child falls into this category, consider getting into hiking and walking.

In some areas, hiking means climbing a nearby mountain; in others, a walk down the street is more accessible. Either way, it's a great opportunity to get exercise and spend time together.

You might also bring along a pair of binoculars to do some bird watching, trainspotting, or star gazing—and by doing so, build another shared interest.

Making Things

Building things can encourage self-expression and creativity while also improving fine motor skills and attention to detail.

Many autistic children are very good at taking apart and building devices ranging from alarm clocks to small engines. These skills, sometimes referred to as "maker" skills, have been attributed by some to a heightened sense of focus and attention to detail in many autistic people.

This growing community of "makers" involves autistic people who conceive, create, and share prototype devices that lift, move, teach, and more. Your child may be only a beginner "maker," but encouraging those skills can plug them into the larger "maker" community.

Puzzle Solving

Puzzles are an excellent way to improve problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.

Many autistic people, even those who are nonverbal, have a tremendous knack for solving jigsaws and similar puzzles. This is a popular hobby and one you can share in your home alone, with a group of friends, or even in a club setting.

Board Games

Board games provide an opportunity to build social skills, such as turn-taking, following rules, and sportsmanship. Choose games according to your child's age and interests. There are games for every age group and skill level.

Yoga

Yoga can help improve body awareness, fitness levels, and sensory processing. Yoga also offers a calming atmosphere, allowing children to slow down. Breathing strategies may help reduce irritability and stress.

Check out yoga videos, online resources, and classes in your local community that are designed for kids.

Animal Care

Not all autistic people love animals, but those who have an interest are usually very interested. Consider sharing that interest through horseback riding, pet care, volunteering at nature centers, fostering kittens or puppies, joining a 4-H club, or working at a local farm.

One study noted significant improvement in social communication skills in autistic children when animals were involved in animal-assisted play therapy compared to autistic children who did not receive this type of therapy.

How to Choose the Right Activity

Choosing the right activity for your autistic child can sometimes be difficult. Parents may need to work around autism traits and behaviors like sensory overload, social and communication limitations, and a preference for repetition and routine.

However, an autistic child can develop and thrive in hobbies and activities that other kids commonly enjoy. The key to success is to choose an activity and venue that is comfortable and interesting to your child.

These tips can help you select the right hobby or activity:

  • Observe: Start by watching your child play. If they are verbal, ask questions. Don't make any assumptions. Just observe and take note of how your child chooses to share interests with you.
  • Follow your child's lead: Next, try joining your child's activity. Rather than leaping in with your own ideas, allow your child to let you in as far as they are comfortable. The most important thing is to engage and communicate, not instruct.
  • Take it a step at a time: Don't rush things or set an agenda. Your autistic child may love baseball cards, for instance, but that doesn't mean that you should organize a full day's outing to a baseball game. Start slowly, perhaps by watching a single inning at a little league game.
  • Plan: Think about your workarounds. If there are certain challenges faced by your child (like sensitivity to heat, boredom, or behaviors that disturb others), take time to figure out how you might work around them.
  • Be flexible: Sometimes there may not be a workaround and you may need to adjust your goals. This is why the slow-and-steady approach works best. With incremental goals and changes, your autistic child is more likely to adapt as you try out new things together.
  • Have fun: Remember the whole point of enjoying activities together is to build connections. If the experience is stressful for either of you, it's time to back off a bit and find a way to make it fun.

Don't Give Up

You may assume that your child is incapable of shared activities because they are nonverbal or have other autism traits. But it is important to remember that many children with nonverbal autism have gone on to become accomplished gamers, artists, swimmers, runners, and more.

Summary

Play is important for the development and well-being of all autistic children. Hobbies and activities help autistic kids develop skills that are important for learning and communication. Doing activities together can create bonds between parents and autistic children when activities are chosen based on the child's interests, functional level, and comfortable environment.

8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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By Lisa Jo Rudy
Lisa Jo Rudy, MDiv, is a writer, advocate, author, and consultant specializing in the field of autism.