Holidays at Home
Adventures on your doorstep. Holidays don't always have to involve a long journey. You can also spend wonderful, relaxed, and exciting days at home. Especially for neurodivergent children, the familiar environment offers security and recovery.
1. Structure with Freedom
Maintain a gentle daily structure. A visual daily schedule with flexible time windows provides security and predictability without disrupting the holiday rhythm. This way, everyone knows what's coming and can adjust at their own pace.
2. Neighborhood Discoveries
Explore your own surroundings anew. Go on a photo safari or look for specific colors and shapes. Rediscovering the familiar feels safe and familiar and strengthens the connection to your own neighborhood.
3. Creative Projects without Pressure
Make craft materials freely accessible. Let the children decide for themselves what and how long they want to create. The process is more important than the result. This promotes self-efficacy.
4. Relaxed Water Games
Water often has a calming effect. A small paddling pool, a water slide in the garden, or simply bowls of water on the balcony invite gentle exploration. Ensure that children can retreat at any time if it gets too wet or loud.
5. Picnic in the Green
Move lunch outside. A picnic in the garden, on the balcony, or in a nearby park breaks the routine in a gentle way. Bring familiar foods to maintain security.
6. Magical Night Hike
A short walk at dusk with flashlights is a great adventure. The reduced visual environment in the evening can be very relaxing for children who feel the world intensely. Spuki loves watching the stars over Mount Pilatus!
7. Cooking Together
Plan and cook a holiday menu together. Divide the tasks clearly. Chopping vegetables or kneading dough offers valuable proprioceptive stimuli and strengthens the sense of community.
8. Prepare Visits Well
When friends come over, discuss the schedule beforehand. Set up a quiet retreat zone where your child can withdraw at any time if social interaction becomes too exhausting.
9. Boredom as an Opportunity
Do not plan every minute. Enduring boredom is an important skill and often the origin of new, independent ideas. Accompany this process patiently and without immediate solutions.
10. The Spuki Holiday Diary
Keep a visual holiday diary. Draw, glue, or write down a beautiful memory every evening. This helps to process experiences and creates a calm end to the day.
Spuki's Task for You
Hello! I'm Spuki, the little dragon from Mount Pilatus. Let's build a holiday tent! Take some blankets and chairs and build a cozy cave in your room or in the living room. This is your very private retreat for the holidays. Take your favorite books and cuddly toys inside with you!
Tip for Parents
Lower your own expectations of the 'perfect holiday'. It's not about offering a highlight every day, but spending time together and recharging your batteries. If a planned excursion causes too much stress, it is perfectly fine to cancel it and spend a quiet day at home instead. Your calmness will transfer to your child.
These tips were developed in collaboration with the Humanistische Schule Schweiz and Inklusion Schweiz to provide the best possible support for neurodivergent children and their families.
These tips are for general guidance. For health questions, trust your intuition and seek professional support if needed.