Summer’s Last Splash: Make It Count with Fun and Self-Care
End-of-Summer Ideas That Balance Fun and Back-to-School Readiness from Neurodiversity Affirming Therapists in Bethesda, MD
Summer time gives us—yes, even us adults—the opportunity to step back from our day-to-day obligations and do things like travel, reconnect with loved ones, spend more time outdoors, or simply slow down and recharge in ways we often overlook during the hustle of everyday life.
As summer comes to an end, here are some simple yet rewarding things you can do to close out the season with a bang—while also showing yourself some much-needed care. These easy activities give us a chance to pause from the mundane tasks we’re often bogged down with and reconnect with ourselves in a loving, nurturing way.
Brain breaks and self care matter for all neurotypes
Extensive research has shown a strong connection between physical health and self-care. Taking care of your body through regular exercise, good nutrition, and enough sleep can lower the risk of serious illnesses like heart disease and cancer. It also helps strengthen your immune system, making it easier to fight off common illnesses.
Beyond physical benefits, self-care can improve your mood, boost self-esteem, and increase your ability to focus and pay attention. When you prioritize these habits, you not only support your body but also enhance your overall well-being and mental clarity. So why wouldn’t you want this kind of healthy recipe in your life?
Activities parents can do with their children to support regulation, reduce anxiety, and ease the back-to-school transition:
Summer outings can remain enjoyable while also supporting therapeutic goals. Mindfulness scavenger hunts at local parks or trails are a great way to encourage present-moment awareness and sensory regulation. Simple prompts like “find something soft” or “listen for three different sounds” help kids and teens with ADHD or anxiety stay grounded and engaged in their surroundings.
Another low-pressure option is attending sensory-friendly movie matinees, which offer reduced lighting and sound for a more comfortable experience. These outings provide a safe space for neurodiverse individuals to enjoy shared activities while building social tolerance and flexibility.
Stay social: build social skills and reduce anxiety at the same time!
Consider scheduling weekly game nights with friends or family. Board games, card games, or even cooperative video games can promote cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation, and social skills—all within a fun and familiar setting. Choose games that balance structure with creativity and include time to decompress if overstimulation occurs.
You might also rotate hosts if playing with other families. This can help build comfort with transitions and new environments, preparing kids for the return to school routines.
How can parents can prioritize their own self-care to maintain inner balance and resilience during this busy season?
As summer winds down, it’s important for parents to find a balance between preparing for the upcoming school year and tending to their own well-being. Carving out even small moments of self-care can make a meaningful difference.
This might look like taking a quiet morning walk, scheduling a coffee with a supportive friend, or practicing a few minutes of mindfulness after the kids are in bed. Prioritizing your own calm and recharge helps build the resilience needed for the busy months ahead.
At the same time, involve your child in gentle back-to-school preparation. Creating visual schedules together, gradually adjusting sleep routines, or visiting the school can ease anxiety and build confidence. By pairing intentional self-care with supportive planning for your child, you’ll create a balanced approach that promotes calm, connection, and smoother transitions for the whole family.
If the activity supports well-being and feels good, consider making it a regular part of your routine—even beyond the summer months.
Mindful exploration, low-pressure social time, and gradual preparation for transitions can all help build lasting habits that promote calm and readiness year-round. By continuing these practices, you create a foundation of emotional balance and practical skills that ease stress and support your family through school and everyday life.
Our neurodiversity affirming therapists help families have fun together while learning and growing. Request an appointment today!
Playful activities may look simple on the surface, but they can do powerful things for both kids and adults—especially when people in the family have different neurotypes. Here’s how:
1. Boosting Self-Regulation
Self-regulation means noticing your feelings and behaviors and making choices that help you stay calm, flexible, and focused. Playful activities help because:
Practice in a safe way: Games like “Freeze Dance” or “Simon Says” give kids a chance to practice stopping, starting, and shifting attention without pressure. That “stop-and-go” practice strengthens brain pathways for control.
Built-in breaks: Play creates natural pauses. For example, taking turns in a board game or waiting for a balloon to come back down gives practice in patience.
Body and brain connection: Movement games, breathing with bubbles, or even silly stretches help children (and adults) notice how their bodies feel when they’re calm versus when they’re hyped up.
2. Helping Neurotypical Adults Connect with Neurospicy Kids
Sometimes neurotypical adults rely heavily on words, logic, or instructions to bond. But neurodivergent kids may connect more easily through shared activity than through talking. Playful activities help by:
Leveling the playing field: In a game of “Would You Rather” or “Keep the Balloon Up,” everyone is just a player—not a teacher or student. This reduces pressure and makes connection easier.
Meeting kids where they shine: A child who struggles with conversation might light up during drawing games, Lego builds, or pretend play. Adults who join in show respect for that child’s way of connecting.
Creating shared joy: Laughter is a universal bridge. A silly game or joke gives both adult and child the same happy feeling at the same time, strengthening the bond.
3. Helping Partners with Different Neurotypes Connect
Adults with different neurotypes (for example, one with ADHD and one who is neurotypical) may have mismatched rhythms or communication styles. These playful activities from our neurodiversity affirming therapists can bridge those differences:
Reducing tension: Play takes the focus off daily stress and allows couples to interact in a light-hearted way. This makes harder conversations easier later.
Encouraging flexibility: When rules of a game need to be adjusted to fit both partners, it models compromise without conflict.
Building shared rituals: Regular playful traditions (like a quick word game after dinner or weekend outdoor adventures) create reliability and comfort for both partners, even if they process the world differently.
Increasing empathy: When one partner joins the other in an activity they enjoy—whether it’s a puzzle, a video game, or tossing a ball—it shows curiosity and care for that person’s experience.
Play isn’t just fun—it’s a training ground for self-regulation, a bridge between neurotypes, and a powerful tool for connection. Whether it’s kids and parents, or partners in a relationship, playful activities make it easier to see and enjoy each other as whole people.
Sometimes we need to learn to play together. As adults we often forget how to just seek joy. If that’s you, family therapy with a provider who understands your need and your child’s can help.
Why Family Fun Matters: How Playful Activities Help Lower Anxiety for Everyone
Families are made up of many different people. Each person has their own way of thinking, feeling, and learning. Some family members may be neurodivergent, which means their brains work in ways that are different from what most people expect. Others may be neurotypical, which means their brains work in ways that are more common. No matter what kinds of brains are in the family, one thing is true: every person needs moments of fun and connection.
Having fun together is not just about laughing or wasting time. Fun can be a powerful tool that lowers stress and makes people feel safe. It can reduce anxiety, build trust, and help families grow closer. This is especially important in families where one or more members struggle with anxiety, ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or other differences.
Let’s explore why family fun is so important, how it reduces anxiety, and what kinds of simple and playful activities can help families thrive.
Our expertise can help your neurospicy family thrive. Request an appointment today!
Why Anxiety Shows Up in Neurocomplex Families
Anxiety is a feeling of worry, fear, or stress that doesn’t go away quickly. Kids and adults can both have anxiety. It often shows up in the body (fast heartbeat, upset stomach, sweating, trouble sleeping) and in the mind (lots of “what if” thoughts, fear of making mistakes, wanting to avoid challenges).
Families with neurodivergent members often feel anxiety more strongly because:
New situations or changes in routine can feel overwhelming.
Sensory overload (too much noise, light, or movement) can make the brain feel stressed.
School or work may be harder, which adds pressure.
Misunderstandings happen when people communicate in different ways.
When one family member is anxious, it often spreads. A child who refuses school may make the whole family feel stressed in the morning. A parent who worries too much may pass that feeling to their kids. Anxiety can ripple through everyone like a wave.
That is why families need tools to calm down together.
Why Fun Helps Lower Anxiety
Fun activities might seem simple, but they are actually powerful. Here’s why:
Fun resets the brain.
When people laugh, play, or get creative, the brain releases chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. These are “feel-good” chemicals that calm stress and make people happier.Fun gives a break from worries.
When you are focused on a game, a puzzle, or a silly song, your brain takes a rest from anxious thoughts. You are living in the moment instead of worrying about the future.Fun builds connection.
Families who share fun moments build trust and closeness. When a child feels connected, they feel safer. Feeling safe lowers anxiety.Fun helps practice skills.
Games and playful activities let kids (and adults!) practice patience, problem-solving, flexibility, and communication in a safe way. For neurodivergent kids, this practice is extra important because they may not “pick up” these skills automatically.Fun creates good memories.
When a family looks back and remembers laughter and joy, it helps balance out the harder times. Those memories can remind kids, “My family is a safe place.”
Why Neurodivergent Kids and Adults Need Playful Learning
Many neurotypical kids learn social skills or coping tools naturally by watching others. But neurodivergent kids may not. For example:
A child with autism might not notice how to join a group game unless someone shows them directly.
A child with ADHD may need extra practice learning to wait their turn or calm their body during quiet time.
A parent with dyslexia may need creative ways to join in reading games without feeling embarrassed.
That’s why teaching skills through play is so powerful. It makes learning less stressful. Instead of saying, “You need to calm down,” a parent might say, “Let’s play the balloon game and see how slowly we can keep it in the air.” The skill of slowing down gets practiced without pressure.
Simple, Helpful, and Playful Family Activities for Neurodiverse Kids, Teens, and Parents
Now let’s get practical. Here are different kinds of activities families can try. Each one can lower anxiety, build connection, and give everyone—neurodivergent or not—a chance to shine.
1. Movement Games
Moving the body helps release tension and calm the mind.
Balloon Keep-Up: Blow up a balloon and try to keep it in the air as long as possible. Add silly rules like, “No hands allowed!” or “Say your favorite food each time you hit it.”
Dance Freeze: Play music and dance around. When the music stops, everyone freezes in a funny pose.
Animal Walks: Take turns choosing an animal and have the family move across the room like that animal. Try crab walks, frog jumps, or penguin waddles.
2. Creative Play
Creativity helps the brain focus and relax.
Silly Drawing Game: One person draws a squiggle. Another person turns it into a picture.
Build Together: Use blocks, Legos, or even household objects to build something as a team.
Story Chain: Each person adds one sentence to a story. Try making it as funny or strange as possible.
3. Calm-Down Fun
Sometimes fun needs to be gentle and quiet.
Bubble Breathing: Blow bubbles slowly and watch them float. Pretend worries are floating away too.
Puzzle Time: Work together on a jigsaw puzzle. Celebrate when pieces fit!
Color Together: Use coloring books or doodle freely. Try swapping pages halfway through.
4. Outdoor Adventures
Being outside lowers stress naturally.
Nature Hunt: Make a list of things to find—like a smooth rock, something yellow, or a bird sound. Go for a walk and search together.
Chalk Play: Draw a giant hopscotch or create silly obstacle courses with chalk.
Sky Watch: Lie on a blanket and find shapes in the clouds. At night, count stars.
5. Connection Games
These focus on listening, sharing, and laughing together.
Would You Rather? Ask silly questions like, “Would you rather have spaghetti hair or marshmallow feet?”
Compliment Circle: Each person says one kind thing about another family member.
Two Truths and a Silly: Say two true things and one silly or made-up thing about yourself. Others guess which one is silly.
Tips for Making Family Fun Work in Your Neurosparkly Family
Here are some reminders to help families actually enjoy the fun:
Keep it short.
Activities don’t have to be long. Even 10 minutes of play can change the mood.Follow interests.
Choose activities based on what family members like. If your child loves dinosaurs, make up dinosaur games.Allow flexibility.
If a game is too hard or stressful, change the rules. Fun should not feel like homework.Celebrate effort.
Don’t focus on winning. Focus on laughing, trying, and being together.Mix calm and silly.
Sometimes high-energy games help release stress. Other times quiet games are better. Learn what your family needs in the moment.Respect differences.
If one person doesn’t like noise, choose activities that are quieter. If someone needs movement, add a movement break.
Why it’s Worth It: How Family Fun Helps in Real Life
Let’s look at some examples:
Morning Anxiety: A child who dreads school may wake up worried. Instead of rushing, the family plays a two-minute “Would You Rather” game at breakfast. Laughter breaks the tension and helps the child leave the house more calmly.
Homework Stress: A teen feels overwhelmed by assignments. The parent suggests a “five-minute dance party” before starting homework. Moving together lowers stress, and the teen feels ready to try.
Sibling Fights: Two siblings argue a lot. The family creates a rule: after arguments, they must play one round of Balloon Keep-Up together. The game shifts their energy from angry to playful.
Parent Burnout: A parent feels exhausted. The kids suggest a family coloring night. Everyone sits quietly together, and the parent feels calmer without having to plan something big.
Fun is not just extra or optional. It is a tool for mental health. Families that play together:
Handle stress better.
Solve problems more calmly.
Feel more connected.
Give children strong memories of love and safety.
This matters even more for neurodivergent families, where stress and misunderstanding can be higher. Fun is a way to practice flexibility, communication, and coping skills without making it feel like work.
Anxiety can make family life feel heavy. But fun can lift that weight. Families do not need fancy trips or expensive toys. They need moments of joy, laughter, and creativity. Whether it’s blowing bubbles, telling silly stories, or dancing in the kitchen, these small acts build a stronger, calmer, and more loving family.
So the next time stress shows up, try asking: “What fun thing can we do together for a few minutes?” The answer may be the key to lowering anxiety and building the kind of family memories that last forever.
