Neurodiversity Celebration Week: Activities for Children 0-5

Neurodiversity Celebration Week, opens a new window takes place March 17 - March 23, 2025.  Arapahoe Libraries' goal is to provide alliance and support every day of the year and this weeklong celebration and education period is a great way to showcase important information to friends, family and potential new allies for children experiencing neurodiversity. In honor of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, learn about the importance of sensory play, fun activities to try at home, services offered through the library and community resources and activities.

Let's talk sensory play!

Sensory play aids children's social, cognitive and emotional development through touch, sound, smell, sight, taste and movement. Benefits include improved language skills, motor control, focus, reduced anxiety and better problem-solving abilities. Try some of these fun activities to incorporate sensory play at home!

Art and tactile activities

• Art projects allow children to express their thoughts and feelings and are adaptable to different skill levels and interests. Using various art mediums lets children explore and enjoy art in their own way.

• Playdough Playing with playdough can strengthen fine motor skills. It's a quiet activity, ideal for a sound-sensitive child.
• Bubble Art Bubble art is a fun activity where children mix soap bubbles with paint to create unique, colorful art. They will enjoy the sensory experience of exploring textures and colors.
• Sensory Bottles Sensory bottles are used as a sensory activity to assist with children's emotional regulation and anxiety reduction. An empty water bottle can be filled with materials such as glitter, beads, or rice that mix when shaken. The repetitive motion of the sensory bottle is intended to help children focus and relax.
• Tabletop sensory boxes You can use any soothing material, such as sand, water, rice, dry beans, beads, shaving cream, or slime to create a sensory box. Pour the material into a shoebox-sized plastic storage container with a lid. Include plastic spoons, tweezers, tongs, cups, and small toys for a complete sensory experience involving scooping, pouring, and burying.
• Puzzles Puzzles develop fine motor skills and aid in visual-spatial processing. They can also be a calming activity for kids.

Gross motor Activities (Whole Body Activities)

• Sensory Walk A sensory walk lets children explore different surfaces like grass, sand, or gravel barefoot, enhancing their sensory development and balance.
• “The floor is lava” This popular game is enjoyable for kids of all ages and helps practice motor skills affected by sensory challenges. Create an obstacle course with scattered items on the floor, and have kids navigate from one piece of furniture to another without touching the ground.
• Dance party For children who require additional sensory input and do not enjoy quiet or stationary activities, consider organizing a dance party. This activity can cater to their need for visual and auditory stimulation. Assemble a playlist suitable for children, turn up the volume, and encourage them to dance.   
  • If your child has trouble with gross motor skills, have them mirror your dance movements. This approach can assist them in becoming more aware of their body and learning to coordinate their movements. Additionally, if your child enjoys creating their own music, incorporate instruments or use household items such as pots and spoons as drums and cymbals.
• Yoga Yoga provides numerous benefits for children, including stress reduction, improved focus, balance, self-confidence, and heightened awareness. Additionally, it serves as an effective deep breathing technique, which can help calm a child facing stress or anxiety or simply allow them to take a moment to relax and slow down.

Services Arapahoe Libraries offers:

• Sensory Kits Arapahoe Libraries has sensory kits available for in-library usage. These are accessible for all patrons of the community, no matter what age or what developmental stage, when visiting the library.
• Sensory Toys Arapahoe Libraries has developmentally appropriate toys for use in the children’s areas.
• Sensory Bins at Desks in Children’s Spaces No restrictions or boundaries of who uses the bin; Arapahoe Libaries requests that the items are used when patrons are inside the library building.
• Books Arapahoe Libraries has a growing number of fiction and non-fiction titles available in the collection that help children and adults understand and celebrate people who experience neurodiversity.

Community Resources and Activities:

Developmental Pathways

• Developmental Pathways is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency serving individuals with developmental disabilities/delays and their families. They are also one of Colorado’s Community Centered Boards (CCB) connecting people to federal, state, county, and private funding in Arapahoe County, Douglas County, Elbert County, and the City of Aurora. Developmental Pathways passionately believes inclusion is for everyone and offers services through Home and Community Based Medicaid Waiver programs, locally funded programs, and partnerships with other community organizations.
• Support offered in one’s own home and community exemplifies the principle that full inclusion and participation in community life are attainable for everyone.
• Developmental Pathways can help support you and your loved one by providing intake, eligibility enrollment, and case management, all with a person-centered focus. Get connected on their website.
• Check out the Developmental Pathways Events Calendar

Autism Community Store
The Autism Community Center provides information on Autism and related conditions, including resources from therapists, support groups, and more. They offer information in both English and Spanish on a wide range of topics and employ several individuals fluent in both languages. The center also organizes monthly activities for individuals with Autism and their family and friends, available in-store, online, and within the Denver community. These activities include training workshops. Check their calendar for more details.

Events in the community
Macaroni Kid also has a guide of places around the city that have sensory friendly events in the Denver Metro area.