Best Indoor and Outdoor Activities for ADHD Child

You know how the saying goes, ‘it takes a village to raise a child, and quite frankly, it is true. Worrying about their health, dealing with their mood (and mood swings), teaching them, and learning with them, is not an easy feat. Whether you are a first-time mom or a third-time mom, I know you will agree. 

Each child is different and each child special, so no matter how many times you go through the process of motherhood, there will always be something different and something new. While every child requires a lot of attention and care, children with ADHD require even more attention and care.

Children, in general, are active, add ADHD to the bucket, and you get all this extra energy that your child needs to spend in order to be at peace and stay calm. 

That in itself is not an easy task. Coming up with ways and activities that your child stays active to relieve all the extra energy every single day? That is a lot of work, but this is exactly where I come in.

Here is a related article that might interest you on 10 Famous Athletes, Footballers, Boxers, and Basketball Players with ADHD.

Today I will use my experience as a fitness trainer in order to help you with a list of indoor and outdoor activities that you can do with your child who has ADHD.

These activities are guaranteed to help your child direct all that extra energy towards something good and healthy. Not only that, but these activities will also help them stay sharp and healthy as well. 

I have focused on activities that don’t require tones of equipment and that you can participate and enjoy with your child

Okay, now I will stop keeping you on your toes.

Here Are Some Of The Best Indoor And Outdoor Calming Activities For Your Child With ADHD

1. Scavenger Hunt 

Frankly, this can be an indoor as well as an outdoor activity if you have a backyard or a garden with your house. If you do not, you can do this activity at home as well. All you have to do is hide a bunch of things around your house and make a list of them.

Either that or make a list of difficult-to-find things in your house. Give that list to your child and give them the task of finding them. It does not have to be anything extravagant. The purpose of this is so your child can relieve some of their physical and mental energy and have their brain focus on something instead of it going array. 

And if you want to take it up a notch, it is better to organize the scavenger hunt so that they have to go through it multiple times. If you do not have stairs in the house, you can use pillows, so they have to climb over them to reach somewhere.

This way, more of their energy is spent. You can also do this outdoors. It’s just liked an Easter egg hunt, but without the eggs with sweets inside (I do not want them to get any more energy than they have). You can replace the eggs with things like their toys or utensils or basically anything that you can find around the house. 

2. Jump Rope 

If you are looking for an activity that does not require a lot of setups from your side and the cleaning that would come afterward, you can use jump rope as an activity. Not only is this a great exercise that would keep your child healthy, but it will also improve their coordination. It would obviously help them blow off some steam. 

You have to be a bit careful, so your child does not trip over and hurt themselves, especially if they are young and/or have issues with balance. 

3. Trampoline Or a Jumping Place 

I know trampolines can be really expensive, but I’m not asking you to get one of those giant trampolines for your backyard. Nowadays, you will easily find some small trampolines at a low price that you can use. Jumping on a trampoline is a sure way to burn the excess energy, especially if you can get an outdoor trampoline.

Your child can also learn how to do tricks on them, such as flips and whatnot. This will keep them interested in the activity for a longer period of time. 

However, if you do not have a backyard for your trampoline and are also worried about your child hurting themself when jumping on a trampoline Indoors, you can always opt for a jumping place. 

It is the same thing as jumping on a trampoline, except you do not trampoline. Just allocate a place (preferably a soft place) where your child can jump continuously. So not only are you helping your child, but you are also doing it without spending a single penny. Amazing right? 

4. Bouncing On an Exercise Ball

No list of activities for an ADHD child would be complete with this activity (and obviously trampoline). Not only can you use the exercise ball so your child can jump on it, but you can also ask your child to kick around the ball (that is, you have removed all your expensive vases).

Mixing these two activities will make things interesting for your child. Ask them to jump on the ball for ten to fifteen seconds, and then ask them to play around and kick the ball for some time and then again back to jumping on the exercise ball. If this does not help them burn their excess energy, I really don’t know what will. 

5. Hula Hooping

Hula hooping provides your child with a great workout. You can also make this a family thing but doing it all together. Hula hooping is also great for adults if they want to lose weight because now, they have weighted hula hoops.

It’s three birds with one stone (yes, I know what the actual saying is, do not worry); your child releases their energy, you burn some calories, and you also spend some quality family time together. That sounds nice, does it not? So, add hula hooping to your list of indoor and outdoor activities for your child with ADHD. 

So here you go, the best indoor and outdoor calming activities for your ADHD child. The best thing you can do for your child is very patient and be attentive towards them.

See what they like or what they dislike, what triggers their ADHD to get worse? Is there something you can do to calm them down often? Getting answers to all these questions will not only help your child, but it will also help you. The more you understand your child’s ADHD, the more you can help them. 

Another post that will interest you is about the Can Dyslexia Cause ADHD?

Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]

What Activities Should I Avoid With My Child Who Has Adhd? 

Children with ADHD are generally more attracted to team sports. It is just what their brain perceives as more interesting. However, their struggles focusing on something, or the following instructions don’t really do well in team sports.

So, it’s better to have them do individual sports such as tennis or swimming. Now, I’m not saying to avoid team sports at all costs. You should try it out with your child and see how they perform in them. If they do good, then that’s great. If they don’t, try focusing on more individual sports. 

Should I Use Activities That Require A Screen? 

Although studies have shown that screen time does not cause ADHD, they do play a role in worsening some of the symptoms of ADHD, depending on how long they use it and the limitations applied to them. If your child has less screen time altogether (with and without the activity), then there will be no harm.

However, if your child has a screen time that goes on for hours on end, then maybe look for activities that do not involve screen time, such as cartoons and video games. You will need to distract them as children with ADHD and high amounts of screen time have shown to have heightened emotional dysregulation plus anger and frustrations.

What Are Some Kinds Of Food That I Need To Avoid? 

You should avoid foods rich in sugar as the increased glucose in blood levels tend to spike energy in a person as well. Instead, focus on feeding your child some protein-rich food, such as eggs, fish, soy, and nuts, because food high in proteins has shown to be beneficial for some ADHD symptoms. 

What Things I Need To Ensure That My Child’s Adhd Does Not Get Worse? 

There are certain things you can do to ensure that your child’s ADHD does get aggravated. Such as ensuring they have a complete sleep. Incomplete sleep can cause their brain to become hazier and can cause trouble with focus even more.

Also, ensure that the place is clean. If it’s messy, it might frustrate and annoy your child, leading them to be overly sensitive. Also, avoid stressing out your child as it can cause them to be overstimulated and can make other symptoms worse.