Surviving Social Distancing with a Very Active Child
Is your child always on the go? Constantly wanting to move, be outside, play at the park, and socialize with friends? Active children and quarantine don’t mix well together. Here are some activities to keep your sanity and promote regulation while remaining socially distant at home. They can be done inside or in your backyard!
Calming activities:
- Massage
- Deep pressure (e.g. squish under pillows/cushions, roll up like a burrito in a blanket)
- Breathing exercises
- Create a calm down glitter bottle
- Slow rocking back and forth
- Linear swinging (use a blanket and 2 adults if you don’t have a swing)
- Calming, quiet music
- Essential oils (lavender)
- Putty/playdoh
- Vibrating items (e.g. massager, snake)
- Weighted items (stuffed animal, lap pad, blanket)
- Chewing gum, sucking on hard candies/mints
Games to promote self-regulation and self-control:
- Red light, green light
- Freeze
- Musical chairs
- Simon Says
- Obstacle course
- Jenga
- Kerplunk!
- Sensory paths- use tape or chalk
- Hopscotch
Heavy work:
- Knead or roll dough, stir thick batter in the kitchen
- Squish between two pillows or couch cushions
- Play tug of war using a blanket
- Pull siblings or stuffed animals in a wagon
- Put toys in a laundry basket and push/pull around the house
- Rake leaves
- Mop/sweep floors
- Dig in dirt/sand
- Help put canned food items in cabinets
Movement/exercise activities:
- Yoga
- Animal poses
- Running
- Trampoline
We’re all hoping things return to normal where kids can go to parks, have play dates with their friends, and get back to in-person school, but until then here are ways to keep your active child busy and regulated during quarantine.
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