How to make developmental

activities for adults with

special needs at home
The purpose of these instructions is to provide the adult’s family or
caregiver with information on how they can create activities at home
in order to help develop their skills and improve their learning.
Doing occupational therapy activities can be helpful and relaxing for adults with special needs. It
helps them to become more involved with these specific activities since they are being done at
home in their normal, comfortable environment.

To-Do Jar
Materials Needed:
- A Jar
- Paper
- Pens
- Scissors
Instructions:
1. Fold your paper in half until you have a total
of 16 indentions
2. Once you have folded your paper, cut out each indention giving you a total of 32 pieces
of paper
3. After each paper is cut out, with your pen write something you would like the special
needs patient to do for each piece of paper. For example; go for a walk, read a book, etc.
4. When you have finished writing each activity, fold all the papers into little pieces and
place them in the jar
5. Every day, the patient will pick a paper out of the jar and do the activity they have
chosen.
The to-do jar enhances the adults’ social skills and helps them become more involved in their
everyday environment with the addition of the outside world as well. It aids in making sure
that they are staying active and doing other activities to promote their development.
“How I Feel” Bingo
Materials Needed:
- Markers
- Paper
- Scissors
- Bowl
- Pinto beans
Instructions:
1. Using your markers, create your bingo
card by drawing four lines vertically and
four lines horizontally.
2. With your second piece of paper, fold it in half continuously until you have a total of
16 indentions.
3. Once you have folded your paper, cut out each piece leaving you with a total of 32
pieces. Then, begin to write and draw the emotions that you are going to be using for
your bingo cards.
4. When you have decided what all your emotions are going to be, then transfer them
separately onto your bingo cards.
5. Fold all your bingo call out cards into tiny pieces and place them in a bowl
6. Pick a paper from the bowl and show it to all adult participants in order to match that
emotion to the ones on their card.
7. The pinto beans will be used to mark each emotion that they have on their card until
they have a complete line of all call outs.
The “How I feel” bingo allows these adults to not only become familiar with emotions that they
may express themselves but allows them to use their thinking skills in order to match the card
with its same emotion. This helps with their development and also allows them to do something
fun that they will enjoy, by playing a game.

Squeeze Balls
Materials Needed:
- 2 cups of flour
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup salt
- 2 tablespoons cream of tartar (if have)
- Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
- Food coloring of your choice
- Boiling water
- Medium sized bowl
- Helium balloon
- Rubber band
Instructions:
1. Mix salt, flour, vegetable oil, and tartar together in a medium sized bowl
2. Then add the squeezed lemon juice, food coloring of your choice, and boiling water into
the mixture and stir
3. After stirring, let the mixture sit for a while to allow the water boiling water to cool down
4. Once the water has cooled, continue mixing everything together until all water is
dissolved
5. When the play dough mixture is complete, you then add it inside the helium balloon
6. Once everything is inside the helium balloon, you then close it off with a knot and a
rubber band at the end.
7. You have now created your squeeze ball!

The squeeze balls allow these adults to continue to use their strength and physical senses
when using their squeeze ball. It also helps with any emotions that they are facing whether it
is anger; in which they can use as a stress ball, sadness; in which they can simply hold, or if
they are overwhelmed.
You have successfully learned how to create three at
home activities for your adult with special needs in
order to aid in improving their development and give
them the chance to do something they find
entertaining!