Cool Ideas for Summer Reinforcers

Spilling the R.B.Tea

by River (RBT)

So your kid is overheated and overstimulated, and you’re struggling to motivate them in these summer months…. What are you to do? Well, have I got the reinforcers for you! Barring the ad-like quality, it is both fun and effective to initiate seasonal reinforcement that can soothe some of the heat of the day. 

One of the easiest reinforcers to offer is water. Water with toys, toys with water, a simple bucket or pool. All can be fun with the right preparation and motivation. Plus, they help keep everyone cool! Not everyone likes or can have full access to water play, however. For your food-motivated kids, you can do things like popsicles or frozen fruit. Put a little toothpick in them, and you can keep down some of the mess and work on those fine motor skills as well. 

For fun sensory options, there are Orbeez: fun little water-based orbs that can be used in place of a bucket of rice or beans. They clean up pretty easily and are good for that cool, wet sensation. If you have a tighter budget, though, an ice cube tray can be fun as well! Little dips in a handful of ice cubes can be a fun shock. Plus it’s on a natural time limit to lower potential perseveration. 

Fans! I’m a big fan. Unpowered hand fans, battery-powered ones, funny noises in a standing fan, streamers on a box fan, bubble blowers, misters. All of them are fun and cooling, and some can be handed to or decorated with your child. 

Stay shady! A lot of our friends are very sensitive to light. Some cheap or fun sunglasses can really help. There are bulk orders of colorful ones... or my recommendation is dark-tinted safety glasses! They’re cheap, very hard to break, and you can decorate them if you like! 

All in all, the summer can be a wonderful and magical time for you and your family. I hope these tips help you all stay happy, relaxed, and engaged.