9 Fun Activities for Kids With ADHD

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Get Moving

Create Something

Get Organized

Go On an Adventure

Do a Project Together

Get Out of the House

Cook Together

Go Stargazing

A child who hasADHD(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) can seem to have anendless supply of energy, and finding things for them to do can be an endless challenge. One solution: Keep a list of fun activities to occupy their busy brains and bodies. Here are eight to get you started.

You don’t have to sign your child up for every sport under the sun, but physical activity is a must. Getting your child’s body moving will help them to focus their energy on a fun and rewarding activity. Go for a walk, play tag, or ride bikes together.

Physical exercise helps decrease anxiety, depression, aggression, and social problems among children with ADHD.

Signing up for a youth sports group can be a great option for many kids with ADHD. Sports and athletics can be a particularly great outlet, but carefully consider which type of sport might best match your child’s needs and abilities.

A child withhyperactive/impulsive type ADHDmight benefit from a highly active, physical sport (such as wrestling or swimming), whereas a child withinattentive type ADHDwould do better with one with more short-term, focused goals (such as track and field).

Another great way to channel your child’s energy is to encourage them to be creative. This could mean painting, drawing, building with blocks, or even just making up stories. Let your child’simaginationrun wild and see what they come up with.

Creative expression is beneficial for many mental health conditions, including ADHD.Expressive arts therapy, for example, can be helpful for both children and adults with ADHD. It may help kids practice and strengthen several skills, including focus, communication, and problem-solving skills. It can also be useful for expressing emotions, buildingself-awareness, and reducing stress levels.

One study found that allowing kids with ADHD to draw and talk about their lives was a useful way to gain insight into their interests andsubjective well-being.

How to Boost Creativity

Many kids with ADHD struggle with organization, but cleaning up and getting organized can be a fun activity if you make it into a game.

Help your child to organize theirtoys, clothes, or school supplies. You can even race to see who can clean up the quickest.

Some ideas to help make cleaning and organizing fun and exciting:

Managing Disorganization in ADHD

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.

Because kids with ADHD often struggle withfeelings of boredom, introducing novel activities can be a great way to help them stay interested.

Variety is the key to keeping your child engaged. So, mix things up and try out new activities on a regular basis. With a little bit of creativity, you can come up with endless fun activities for kids with ADHD.

9 Fun Activities for Kids With ADHD

Memorygames or word puzzles can be a good option for some kids or even an active game like musical chairs.

Other fun activities to try include:

You don’t need to spend a lot of money to find items for your games. In many cases, you can take things you already have in the house and incorporate them into a fun activity. It just takes some imagination to keep things interesting and keep your child from getting bored.

Working on a project together can be a fun way tobond with your childwhile also helping them to focus their energy.

Examples of projects you might work on together include:

Choose a project that is age-appropriate and let your child take the lead. This can be a great way to help your child build self-regulation skills. Finishing a project with your help can also help them gain a sense of mastery and accomplishment.

Sometimes, the best way to entertain a child with ADHD is to leave the house. Plan a day trip to somewhere that your child will be interested in. This could be a museum, the zoo, an amusement park, or even just a new playground.

Cooking is a great activity for kids with ADHD because it involves many different senses. Plus, it’s a fun way to bond with your child and teach them valuable life skills. Start with simple recipes that are great for beginners before working your way up to more complex ones.

For example, one night might be “pizza night,” where each member of the family gets to choose their own toppings and prepare their own mini-pizza.

Stargazing is a calming activity that can be fun for kids of all ages. It’s a great way to spend time together while also teaching your child about science and the world around them.

If staying up late enough to see the stars isn’t an option for your little one, you might consider something like a hike, nature walk, or trip to the beach during the day instead. All of these activities offer a chance to explore and learn while also getting some fresh air and exercise.

Studies have shown that having more contact with nature and green spaces can positively impact children’s mental health, including children who have ADHD.

Summing Up

Doing activities with together is a great way to bond with your child and help them focus on something they find interesting and rewarding. Look for ways to incorporate fun and adventure as you go about your day—even when you’re just preparing a meal or doing household chores. These fun activities for kids with ADHD can provide a much-needed outlet for their energy and give you some quality time together.

ADHD in Children: Symptoms and Treatment

3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Zang Y.Impact of physical exercise on children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders: Evidence through a meta-analysis.Medicine (Baltimore). 2019;98(46):e17980. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000017980Barfield PA, Driessnack M.Children with ADHD draw-and-tell about what makes their life really good.J Spec Pediatr Nurs. 2018 Apr;23(2):e12210. doi:10.1111/jspn.12210Tillmann S, Tobin D, Avison W, Gilliland J.Mental health benefits of interactions with nature in children and teenagers: a systematic review.J Epidemiol Community Health. 2018;72(10):958-966. doi:10.1136/jech-2018-210436

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Zang Y.Impact of physical exercise on children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders: Evidence through a meta-analysis.Medicine (Baltimore). 2019;98(46):e17980. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000017980Barfield PA, Driessnack M.Children with ADHD draw-and-tell about what makes their life really good.J Spec Pediatr Nurs. 2018 Apr;23(2):e12210. doi:10.1111/jspn.12210Tillmann S, Tobin D, Avison W, Gilliland J.Mental health benefits of interactions with nature in children and teenagers: a systematic review.J Epidemiol Community Health. 2018;72(10):958-966. doi:10.1136/jech-2018-210436

Zang Y.Impact of physical exercise on children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders: Evidence through a meta-analysis.Medicine (Baltimore). 2019;98(46):e17980. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000017980Barfield PA, Driessnack M.Children with ADHD draw-and-tell about what makes their life really good.J Spec Pediatr Nurs. 2018 Apr;23(2):e12210. doi:10.1111/jspn.12210Tillmann S, Tobin D, Avison W, Gilliland J.Mental health benefits of interactions with nature in children and teenagers: a systematic review.J Epidemiol Community Health. 2018;72(10):958-966. doi:10.1136/jech-2018-210436

Barfield PA, Driessnack M.Children with ADHD draw-and-tell about what makes their life really good.J Spec Pediatr Nurs. 2018 Apr;23(2):e12210. doi:10.1111/jspn.12210

Tillmann S, Tobin D, Avison W, Gilliland J.Mental health benefits of interactions with nature in children and teenagers: a systematic review.J Epidemiol Community Health. 2018;72(10):958-966. doi:10.1136/jech-2018-210436

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