Most popular are trampolines, Hula hooping, skipping and Balance boarding. These helps develop a child's gross motor and balancing skills while also providing the physical release kids with ADHD often need.
Consider Individual Sports
Kids with the hyperactive part of ADHD are going to be drawn to team sports, but the child's impulsivity and lack of focus don't lend themselves to success. Individual sports such as martial arts, wrestling, tennis, and swimming are better choices.
Examples of target outcomes for children with ADHD:
Better schoolwork (e.g., completing class work or homework assignments) More independence in self-care or homework (e.g., getting ready for school in the morning without supervision) Improved self-esteem (e.g., increase in feeling that she can get her work done)
Stretch, jump, go up and down the stairs, walk around the block – anything to release pent-up energy. Exercise produces feel-good hormones, such as endorphins, that help us destress and relax. To make moving a priority, schedule a walk with a friend whose conversation you enjoy and whose energy is uplifting.
ADHD students are often extremely creative, curious, passionate, and energetic—all attributes of successful entrepreneurs and inventors.
Kids with ADHD often love adventure, and new experiences are more likely to hold their interest. Plan a treasure hunt around the house or go on a nature hike and see who can find the most interesting things. Be sure to bring along a camera so that you can document your child's findings.
Daily Tasks– Wipe the bathroom and kitchen counters, empty dish washer, load of laundry. 2-3 Times a Week Tasks– Mop kitchen floor, clean toilet, water plants, and errands. Weekly Tasks– empty trash, change towels and change sheets, food shopping. Monthly– wash and vacuum car, menu planning, check smoke alarm.
Pick Calming Colors
ADHD can cause high levels of energy and restlessness. With this in mind, it's best to choose calming colors when decorating your child's bedroom. You want muted colors that don't draw too much attention. Colors like blue and green are known for their calming effect.
High-risk activities — driving fast, motorcycle riding, and waterskiing — motivate ADHD brains to focus. Some extreme activities, like daring ski jumps, sky-diving, or taking fast-acting street drugs, elicit a dopamine spike, the brain's most intense reward.
If you're an adult with ADHD, then it's likely you're all too familiar with the feeling of boredom. It's that restless feeling, sometimes intense and almost painful when you just don't feel engaged. And you need to find something interesting to do.
INCUP is an acronym that stands for interest, novelty, challenge, urgency, and passion. The term was first proposed by psychologist William Dodson, who suggested that these five things are the top motivating factors for someone with ADHD.
Put Goals to the “SMART” Test
A great way to help your ADHD child set goals with the greatest chance for success is to make sure the goals pass the “SMART” test created by ADHD And You. Goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.
They are the chimes, buzzes, chatter, sights, and stimuli that enter your brain through your 5 senses. They interrupt your flow, concentration, and effort and divert your attention from the task at hand.
Use flexible seating, like wiggle chairs, standing desks, footrests, seat cushions, or resistance bands on chair legs. Increase the space between desks or work tables (if social distancing guidelines aren't already in place). Designate a quiet work space in the classroom.
Children with ADHD struggle more with boredom and putting mental effort into challenging tasks. Virtual learning or in-person school with more rules may lack the novelty and excitement. Teachers may need to find new ways to keep children with ADHD from being bored and keep them engaged in learning.
It sounds simple, but these are great tools for kids with ADHD. Crossword puzzles improve attention for words and sequencing ability. Likewise, picture puzzles, in which your younger child has to look for things that are “wrong” in the picture or look for hard-to-find objects, also improve attention and concentration.