Fun & Accessible Activities for Children in a Wheelchair
Play is an essential part of life for people of all ages. It’s especially important during childhood. Not only does playtime give children quality bonding time with family and friends, but it contributes to their cognitive, physical, social and emotional wellbeing.
Having a disability should never stop your child from having fun, but certain activities may need to be adapted slightly to accommodate their wheelchair. As the school summer holidays are in full swing, an important part of keeping your child entertained is introducing them to new experiences.
To give you some inspiration, here we have provided some wheelchair-friendly activities for you and your child to enjoy together:
1. Arts and Crafts
Taking part in arts and crafts allows your child to get creative, use their imagination and take their own direction. It’s a rewarding experience, which can help them learn from building, designing and analysing. Arts and crafts can also help them express their thoughts, feelings and positively influence their mood.
To incorporate a more social element to your child’s arts and craft time, invite some of their friends over so they can help each other and compare their work. To avoid creating a mess, put a sheet down or set up a crafts table outside in the garden!
2. Plant Seedlings
Growing a herb garden together is great ongoing project you and your child can do together!
Children like to get their hands dirty! Growing a garden together is great opportunity for your child to learn about plants and watch a garden blossom. Depending on the height of your child’s wheelchair, you could use a raised garden bed, place plant trays on a table or use a wheelbarrow filled with soil.
Instead of planting flowers, you could opt for herbs. Basil and Parsley are some of the easiest herbs to grow. You will need to set aside time each week to water and monitor them. Once the herbs are grown, you can use them in your cooking together!
Caption & Tag: Growing a herb garden together is great ongoing
project you and your child can do together!
3. Horse Riding
A lot of children dream of having a pony! For children with disabilities, horseback riding is a recreational and therapeutic activity they can enjoy. It is also a great form of exercise!
There are many Riding for the Disabled (RDA) locations across Australia. The RDA run programs for children with disabilities using gentle, well-trained horses and qualified instructors to offer fun and affordable riding activities at all levels. See below for more information on RDA locations near you:
- Queensland
- Victoria
- South Australia
- Western Australia
- Northern Territory
- Tasmania
4. Museums and Art Galleries
Australia is home to so many amazing museums and art galleries, most of which have exclusive kids sections and well-designed access for everyone.
Taking a day out to explore a museum or art gallery is an educational experience both you and your child can enjoy together, especially if you need to escape the heat of a hot summer day!
5. ‘Stay-Cation’
A Stay-Cation is taking a holiday in your own city or state. They’re a great option for taking a break without the hassle of having to travel very far which can sometimes be challenging with a child in a wheelchair.
Most hotels have spacious, wheelchair accessible rooms available, but to ensure you have no issues with accessibility, call the hotel directly and book over the phone. Travelling or getting out of the house even for a small change of scenery has many mental health benefits and also breaks up you and your child’s everyday routine.
As industry leaders in Wheelchair Access Vehicle (WAV) conversions, we understand that travelling with a person with a disability or limited mobility can be a challenge. If you’d like to get out and about more, consider a wheelchair access vehicle.
You can call our friendly team on 1300 660 773, or contact us online for an obligation-free vehicle demonstration and consultation at your home.
