Best Sensory-Friendly Activities for Kids in Houston
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When raising a child with special needs, finding things to do in the Houston area could be challenging. Things such as crowds, sudden noise, and bright lights can be overwhelming for them. Fortunately, sensory-friendly activities and events are becoming a lot more common across the city, giving special needs children a number of unique opportunities to get out, mingle, and make some good memories. Here are sensory-friendly activities for kids in Houston.
Monthly Sensory Friendly Evenings in Houston allow visitors to explore and learn in a stress-free, sensory-friendly setting. Many exhibits are staffed by specialists trained to assist visitors with sensory needs, and Pop-Up Science labs are open to the public. Houston’s local shows usually have a designated quiet room for those who need a break from the action.
Sensory Friendly Day at Children’s Museum Houston
1500 Binz St.
Houston, TX 77004
(713) 522-1138
It’s an excellent opportunity for families with children on the autistic spectrum to enjoy the Museum in an environment free of distractions. Visitors will see more information indicating which exhibit elements they should not climb on and places where they should pause and wait for an adult to accompany them. Our Sensory Friendly Days are a welcome respite from the constant barrage of sensory input. The following alterations are made to these special occasions: – cmhouston.org/events/sensory-friendly-day
We Rock the Spectrum Kid’s Gym
4899 Hwy 6
Missouri City, TX
At We Rock the Spectrum Kid’s Gym, we provide Play With A Purpose™. Play With A Purpose is exercising and stimulating the seven senses through positive physical, emotional, and social development. These senses include sight, smell, taste, hearing, touch, the vestibular system, and proprioception. Our specially designed, sensory-safe equipment and the classes that we offer all encourage these! – werockthespectrumkaty.com
Exploration Park
15020 Cinco Park Rd.
Katy, TX
Exploration Park is an immersive public playground alongside the north side of Willow Fork Drainage District’s Diversion Channel, just south of Creech Elementary. The design of Exploration Park is rooted in children’s play, environmental stewardship, educational principles, and an overall theme inspired by water. It offers visitors a multipurpose play area, an open lawn for unstructured play, and a covered pavilion with picnic tables. Play features include a sensory garden, swings, a musical bridge, a raindrop berm lawn, a slide tower, and a bridge connecting to a hill slide. An interactive water cycle wall creates a hands-on experience demonstrating the water cycle, and educational signage encourages water conservation. – willowforkdrainagedistrict.com/parks-trails/exploration-park
AMC Gulf Pointe 30
11801 S Sam Houston Pkwy E,
Houston, TX 77089
If you’d like to get up and dance, stroll, shout, or sing, AMC has partnered with the Autism Society to offer special movie screenings where the lights are turned on, and the volume is turned down. The second and fourth Saturday (family-friendly) and Wednesday evenings (mature audiences) of the month are reserved for our Sensory Friendly Film program. To find out when the performance is playing near you, use the hashtag #AMCSensoryFriendly on social media.. – at amctheatres.com
Sensory Sensitive Sundays at Chuck E. Cheese
17780 State Hwy 249,
Houston, Tx 77064
We’re delighted to help families with children with unique needs, including those with autism. Our goal with Sensory Sensitive Sundays® is to ensure that every child who visits Chuck E. Cheese has a great time because the Chuck E. Cheese experience can be pretty stimulating for any child. Because we believe that every child deserves the chance to be a kid and do nothing but play. There will be a sensory-friendly event for families at participating locations on the first Sunday of each month. – chuckecheese.com/sensory-sensitive-Sundays
HMNS at Sugar Land
13016 University Blvd.
Sugar Land, TX 77479
281-313-2277
HMNS @ Sugar Land hosts Sensory Friendly Events three times a year where exhibits and locations are adapted to create a sensory-free atmosphere for visitors with autism and sensory sensitivities. With an ID, you can check out one of the museum’s Sensory Backpacks, which includes items like earplugs, sunglasses, and fidget spinners, or you can utilize one of the museum’s Touch Carts, which will consist of tactile specimens for you to examine around the museum’s permanent exhibit halls. To participate in these programs, which begin an hour before the museum opens to the public, you must pre-register online in advance. – hmns.org
Downtown Aquarium
410 Bagby Street
Houston, TX
A 150,000-gallon aquarium filled with more than 100 species of aquatic life from across the world welcomes you to your first dive. Reticulate rays, moray eels, enormous groupers weighing more than 250 pounds, shovel-nose guitarfish, and a rare napoleon wrasse from Australia are some of the intriguing critters that will swim right by your table. The Aquarium is an unforgettable experience for the eyes and the palate. The menu of Aquarium Restaurant includes a wide range of seafood options, steaks, chicken, salads, pasta, and sumptuous desserts. – aquariumrestaurants.com
iFLY
9540 Katy Fwy
Houston, TX
The unimaginable is always achievable at iFLY. We firmly believe that people should be encouraged to dream large and often. Providing people with the tools to achieve heights they never dreamed possible is something we take great pride in doing. Indoor skydiving is open to people of all abilities so that everyone can experience the thrill of freefall.- iflyworld.com
Houston Ballet’s Autism-Friendly
601 Preston St.
Houston, TX 77002
Adaptations are made to Houston Ballet’s Autism-Friendly performances for those with neurological disabilities. Well-trained volunteers staff the event to ensure everyone has a good time. Each version includes participatory activities before and after the show and a chance to meet the performers! – houstonballet.org
Space Center Houston
1601 NASA Pkwy,
Houston, TX 77058
281 244 2100
The IBCCES has classified the science and space exploration learning center as the first Certified Autism Center of its kind. The center’s president and CEO, William T. Harris, declared that “science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education is for everyone.” Inspiring the next generation of problem solvers is vital, and this accreditation shows our commitment to doing just that. Training, inspections, and upgrades are part of the accreditation process, which enables Space Center Houston to serve better visitors with autism spectrum disorder and other sensory and cognitive impairments. Maintaining the certification as an autism center also requires a constant focus on providing the most excellent possible guest experience. – spacecenter.org
