If you’re a teacher then it’s very important to know how to deal with special kids. Selecting appropriate group activities for kids with ADHD can be a challenging but a fulfilling job, especially if you can make the children have fun and learn something productive in the process.
Figuring out the right group activities for kids with ADHD can be a tedious task because not all kids like the same games. Then there is the issue of choosing appropriate games, since many of these children find it hard to follow certain activities. They should not feel like they are being ridiculed or unnecessarily pitted against other children. Give them enough space to maneuver so that they can take their own time to play the games and do the activities that they prefer.
Fun Activities for Kids with ADHD
Children who suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) just need a push in the right direction. These kids are as bright as the kids next to them, all that is different is that they are excessively active and low on their ability to focus on one task for too long. Therefore try group activities that keep them hooked to the games they are being made to play.
✪ Play Sports
Kids with ADHD need to exhaust their excess energy, so letting them play sports will help them actively participate with the other kids. Team sports such as football, soccer, relay races, athletics, gymnastics, badminton, baseball, and basketball are good games to involve them into. All these games require physical exertion and stamina, which will help develop a purpose, goal and focus towards participating and perhaps develop a desire to win as a team. Sports also is a great teacher, it makes you humble and patient. Kids with ADHD will learn to cooperate with other team members, follow orders from seniors and the team captain.
✪ Camping and Scouting
Let these kids go out for camping or join up as a scout. There they will get to learn several useful lessons about coexisting with nature, how to adapt to difficult situations. These camps will obviously be exerting which means that kids with ADHD will have ample opportunity to indulge in competitive activities such as
✪ Martial Arts
Make these special kids join martial arts classes such as Karate, self-defense techniques or Taekwondo. All types of martial arts teach their students to concentrate and focus through meditation, deep breathing and intense physical training and workout. These kids will learn to channel all their energy towards a single direction, thereby using their time to do something practical and beneficial for themselves.
✪ Dramatics
Let these kids join dramatics classes, but make sure if they are really keen on joining. That is because ADHD is form of learning disability and they might find learning the dialogs very difficult in some cases. If they are forced into doing something they really do not like, they will back out as soon as they can or worse make it difficult for others to even participate. Though if the child does show a keen interest, let him/her feel free to try any roles that may appeal to them.
✪ Music Lessons
These children can be excellent at playing the musical instrument of their choice. However, they must show the inclination to learn music or parents must try to suggest such an option to their child. Even though they lack focus in a variety of areas, they can however, be perfectionists in skills that interest them and entertain them. Music is one of those domains that children with ADHD enjoy immensely and can excel at.
✪ Board Games
Make your child play board games that require planning, and concentration. Games such as chess, Jenga, checkers, monopoly etc, are some games that can help your child learn to focus with greater precision.
✪ WARNING
Do not let kids with ADHD play violent or non-educative video games as it reduces the brain’s baseline activity in these children, causing them to get addicted to them. They do not learn anything beneficial from these games. ADHD individuals suffer from the low production of neurotransmitter dopamine. Since the basic function of dopamine is to make people feel safe and rewarded, in order to compensate for this loss of feeling, it’s important that these kids are given some form of rewards, such as a hug and a lot of encouragement.
Now that you know which group activities to initiate, it would be easier for both parents as well as teachers to manage the children under their care, while ensuring that they learn something productive. Games and creative activities help boost their self-esteem and help them interact with people in a healthier manner.
