Brain & Nervous System Guide to Autism Autism & Family Life 10 Hobbies and Activities to Enjoy With Your Autistic Child By Lisa Jo Rudy facebook twitter linkedin Lisa Jo Rudy, MDiv, is a writer, advocate, author, and consultant specializing in the field of autism. Learn about our editorial process Lisa Jo Rudy Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on October 04, 2019 Steven Gans, MD, is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on December 04, 2019 Print Whether your child with autism is on the mild or severe end of the autism spectrum, many ordinary childhood activities can be challenging. It can be hard to work around sensory issues, social and communication challenges, and a preference for repetition and routine. The result, unhappily, is that many families avoid trying new things with their autistic family members. But the fact that people with autism may not ask for company or explore new possibilities on their own is not a reason to give up. Instead, it's an opportunity to find the best way to reach out and learn with and from them. Verywell / Ellen Lindner How to Choose the Right Activity There are many ways for people with autism and their family members to enjoy hobbies and activities together. In some cases, accommodations are needed, but in many cases, autism is either no issue or is actually an advantage. The key to success, however, is to choose an activity and a venue that is comfortable for and interesting to your autistic child. To choose an appropriate activity, start by observing your child's play and, if he is verbal, ask questions. What does your autistic family member enjoy? How does he or she choose to share interests with you? Next, try joining your child's activity. Rather than leaping in with your own ideas and direction, however, try following your child's lead. Many of us have been taught that there's a "right" and "wrong" way to play a game or build a structure, and we want our child to "do it right." But when you're working with an autistic child, the first and most important step is engagement and communication, not instruction. Think about ways to expand on your child's interest. How can you take an interactive role in her favorite pastimes? How can you expand on her interests and help her to explore the world? If she likes watching Sesame Street, might she also enjoy a puppet show? If he loves collecting baseball cards, would he enjoy watching a game on TV or in the real world? Take it a step at a time. Your autistic son loves baseball cards, and that's a great interest to share. But that doesn't necessarily mean he'll love a full day outing to a major league game. Start slow, perhaps by watching a single inning at a high school game. If there are challenges (heat, bugs, boredom, behaviors that disturb other fans) think about ways to work around them to help your child to cope. Have fun. Remember the whole point of enjoying activities together is to have fun and build connections. If the experience is stressful for either or both of you, it's time to back off a bit and find a way to make it fun. Hobbies and Activities to Enjoy These are some of the most popular activities shared by autistic children and their families. Of course, you and your child may have completely different interests, but these ideas should start your creative juices flowing. As you read through this list, you may think "my child isn't able to comprehend or participate in any of these activities; he can't even speak." While that may be true in some cases, the ability to speak, sit still, or otherwise "behave normally" are not required for most of these activities. Many children with nonverbal autism are accomplished gamers, artists, swimmers, runners, and more. Video Gaming As most of us know, video games are not just for kids, and they come in many levels of difficulty and complexity. Your autistic child may enjoy playing Minecraft or Lego Harry Potter all alone, 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 some time to learn the ropes, ask questions, and get involved. If your child is just starting out or has a hard time with complex games, there's nothing wrong with playing very simple games. In fact, you might even want to break out the "classic" 1980's "shoot the bad guys" games, as they are simple, easy, and involve just two buttons. Legos Who knew that a bunch of plastic building bricks could turn into a full-scale, international artistic and scientific medium? If your child with autism is a Lego fan (and many are) your options are 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. Trains If you're an American, you may think it's weird to memorize train numbers, schedules, and specs. In Britain, however, train spotting is a time-honored activity. Join your child in learning about trains. Explore train museums where real trains (not surprisingly) 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. Anime A surprisingly large number of people on the spectrum love anime—a complex and much-beloved form of Japanese animation. 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 con. Most schools and communities even have anime clubs you can join. Science Fiction and Fantasy Science fiction and fantasy are often of great interest to people with autism. Depending on their interest levels and abilities, people on the spectrum may learn every detail of a particular "universe," write their own stories, watch and rewatch movies, read comics, attend cons, or even build their own costumes. There is a whole world of opportunity for hobbyists out there, at all levels. Find your inner caped crusader, and get involved. Swimming 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 do learn strokes, join swim teams, or become lap swimmer, many just go and have a good time together. Hiking and Walking People with autism are rarely good at team sports, but many have a lot of physical energy and stamina. If your child with autism falls into this category, consider getting into hiking and walking. In some areas, hiking means climbing a nearby mountain; in other areas, it means walking down the street. Either way, it's a great opportunity to get exercise and spend time together. You might also want to bring along a pair of binoculars to do some bird watching, train spotting, or star gazing—and think about building yet another shared interest. Making Many people with autism are very good at taking apart and building devices ranging from alarm clocks to small engines. This skill is highly prized within the "maker" community. This growing community involves community members in coming up with, creating, and sharing prototype devices that do everything from lifting and moving to teaching and learning. Your child may be only a beginner maker, but his or her skills can be a good way to get started. Puzzle Solving Many people with autism, even those who are non-verbal, 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. Animal Care Not everyone on the spectrum loves animals, but those who have an interest are very interested indeed. Consider sharing that interest through activities that can range from horseback riding to pet care, volunteering at nature centers, fostering kittens or puppies, joining 4-H, or working at a local farm. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article 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. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Signs and symptoms of autism spectrum disorders. Updated August 27, 2019. Autism Speaks. Recreation. Updated 2019.