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If you have a child with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) then you know they are full of ENERGY!
And it can be hard to keep them busy. Especially if you want them busy for longer than just a couple minutes.
My oldest C has autism and ADHD. You can read our full story here.
He is full of energy and can get bored easily too.
I have found that this list of 10 activities keeps him entertained and busy for longer than two minutes.
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10 Ways to Keep Your ADHD Child Busy
1. Running
This may be an obvious one. But running gets them moving, and it’s fun. There are a number of games you can play that includes running.
2. Puzzles
This can be jigsaw puzzles, brain teasers, alphabet, color or shape puzzles.
This can also be legos, or other building block type toys.
They can be educational and you can choose one that fits your child’s age and development. You can check out my shop page for some educational puzzles I recommend.
3. Reading
Get your child reading to earn something. In our case, it is to earn screen time. This reward is a great motivation and my son will read for a long time just so he can earn some time to play on my phone or Chromebook.
Check out my list of books that I love for my children.
4. Screentime
Screentime can be educational time and it can also calm your child down when they are super wound up. Choose games or videos that are educational and fun for your child.
Some ideas are:
Duck Duck Moose apps are super cute and fun
PBS Kids app
Amazon Video – lots of great videos available with Amazon Prime
There so many out there!
5. Working on a skill they are good at or need improvement on
(math or handwriting)
Is there something they absolutely love or maybe they need help with something? Get your child doing that activity.
If they love math, download some math pages (for their skill level) and let them practice math.
If they are not so great at handwriting, you can download worksheets to practice handwriting and have them work on that.
I also recommend having a reward ready for when they complete this task. This way not only is it keeping them busy but they are motivated to work on it so they can get their reward.
6. Playtime with toys
If your child has favorite toys that he enjoys let them play with them. Because our kids can get bored easily you can give them an idea of how or what to play. You can also set a time limit. For example, set a timer for 20 minutes and let your child know they need to play with their toys for that long.
7. Give them a list of chores (could be extra on top of what they already need to do)
You may already have a list of chores that your child needs to complete. You can add more chores or give them assignments to do that will “help” you finish whatever you’re doing.
8. Help/play with animals
Do you have a dog or cat? A rabbit or turtle?
Give your child a list of things they need to do to take care of that pet.
9. Sign them up/take them to an activity they love
If they have a favorite sport, sign them up for that sport. If they love legos, there are clubs now for legos. Video games? There are clubs for video games. Cooking? There are kids cooking clubs as well.
Find out what that most favorite thing to do is and help them connect with others that love the same thing.
10. Indoor playground
Check your city if you have an indoor playground. These places are amazing. They usually have open play during the weekdays. They have bounce houses and obstacle courses and are usually not that expensive. It is so much fun it will be hard to leave!
These are also super great because they are warm and dry during winter weather and cool and relaxing in the summer heat.
Ten activities to keep your ADHD child busy and learning.
I hope this list of both physical activities and screen time activities is helpful. These are tried and true activities that keep your child busy.
What are your go-to activities to keep your child busy and entertained?
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