10 ACTIVITIES FOR HYPERACTIVE CHILDREN (FROM 4 YEARS OLD) - ECONOMÍA - 2024

Here is a list of activities for hyperactive children that can be used to improve skills and competencies that they have not fully acquired. Due to the traits of these children, control and relaxation exercises are especially important.

Hyperactive or attention-deficit children are characterized by impulsive behaviors, by their inability to remain attentive in the activities they perform, as well as by their great energy.

A few years ago, these children were known for distracting their peers and they have always been known as disruptive students in the classroom or as mischievous children.

Visomotor and attentional control exercises

Performing exercises that stimulate the ability to control the movements that are made with the hand, such as writing with something that is being seen or that requires special attention, are highly recommended exercises for people who have hyperactivity.

Next, we present some exercises with which you can work attention as well as visual-motor control:

1. We are detectives!

Procedure: The child is shown different drawings, images or photographs for a specified period of time, for example, 1 minute at most. Once this time has ended, you must describe to us what you have seen and the characteristics of those drawings or photographs.

For example: I have seen a girl in a blue dress who was holding a teddy bear. The important thing is that you try to describe them without any help from the teacher, thus making an effort to remember.

Material: Images and photographs of landscapes, people and things.

Tips: During the activity, the teachers have to pay attention to the degree of attention they have when they are viewing the drawings or photographs. It is recommended that if you do not do it well, you repeat this activity as many times as necessary.

On the other hand, if we see that the child does not know how to continue with the description on his own, let us help him by asking questions to guide him.

2. What group do you belong to?

Procedure: On an elongated table, we place a series of different objects in their color, geometry, as well as origin and material, such as: buttons, pencils, cases, pens… The activity consists of the child being able to group them taking into account consider the characteristics that some of them have in common with others, such as their shape, color and usefulness.

Material: Anyone who wants or has in the classroom: colors, pencils, cases, pens, cases…

Tips: The teacher has to accompany the student in the process of selecting and excluding materials, making him think and pay attention when he makes a mistake or when he tries to do things without thinking.

3. Sequences

Procedure: On a piece of paper, the child is presented with different sequences with symbols, letters, numbers or mixtures of the above. You are then given to view the first exercise. He has to deduce by himself that it is a sequence and that he has to complete it.

For example: 123- 1234- 1234…., Abc1- abc2- abc…. This type of activity will allow the child to improve her attention and her visual-motor skills.

Material: paper and pencil.

Tips: The teacher must first explain the activity if he has never done it since it can lead to confusion if the dynamics is not known. On the other hand, depending on your difficulty, we will have to support, help and encourage you.

It is advisable to intersperse different sequences to motivate him and not get bored.

4. We look for differences!

Procedure: To improve the child's attention, we can also use the traditional game of finding the differences that exist in two drawings or images. There are many materials that are already made, but to motivate the child more you can use images that you know he likes from cartoons or a superhero that he likes.

Material: drawings or photographs with differences.

Tips: The teacher should accompany the child in this process, giving him clues about the differences that exist or where they are if necessary through short clues such as: look at the top or see what he is wearing… You have to try for all means that he is the one to notice the differences.

5. Where am I?

Procedure: On a piece of paper we will draw a labyrinth with many paths, of which only one of them leads to a chocolate house. The child must pay attention to know which path is the correct one to get home and trace it with a pencil on the paper.

This activity can be complicated and modified as we want. The aim is for the child to know how to identify the correct path and also to keep their attention while doing it. At the end of the activity and as a reward, you can color the chocolate house or choose a toy to play at recess.

Material: paper and pencil.

Tips: When starting the activity, the student may not be able to identify the correct path and begin to paint them all. A good idea for him to pay attention to what he is doing is to put on relaxing music in the background and visualize with him all the paths asking him questions such as: Which path would you choose? Do you think this leads us to the chocolate house? Why do you think so?

Relaxation exercises or self-control of impulsivity

People with hyperactivity are characterized by not controlling their impulses and having a lot of energy. Therefore, activities as simple as sitting for a while doing some academic activity can be almost impossible.

Here are some activities with which you can work on relaxation and impulsivity self-control, in order to improve the child's quality of life as well as their life in general:

6. How do we breathe?

Procedure: the objective of this activity is for the child to do a breathing exercise to calm down in a more playful and fun way. To do this, we will leave you a balloon which you have to fill with air little by little paying attention to the circuit that it follows through your body.

Once we have filled the balloon with air, the child has to deflate it little by little, paying attention to the teacher's instructions.

Material: a red balloon or similar.

Tips: The teacher has to control the inflation process of the balloon, so that it is not done in a matter of a moment, but rather manages it so that the child is able to pay attention to how the air passes through his entire body until you get to the balloon.

Therefore, the teacher can verbalize the process to make the child aware of the activity that is being carried out. Once the balloon has been completely inflated, we will carry out the same activity but on the contrary, so the teacher has to verbalize what is happening.

7. We close our eyes

Procedure: We put on a relaxing background music and make the children lie down on the floor and close their eyes. Next, we are telling a story that they have to imagine while they are heeding our instructions.

For example, we are lying on the beach listening to the sound of the sea. Meanwhile, we raise our right arm very slowly to cover our faces. Suddenly, we move our body to the right to look at the sea more comfortably…

In this way we are telling a story while they relax and move their limbs.

Equipment: relaxing music, radio and towels.

Tips: The teacher has to tell a story calmly and slowly, keeping the children's attention while they are lying on their back in a relaxed way.

8. We run in slow motion

Procedure: The teacher and the student have to cross the classroom vertically as slowly as possible, thus controlling their impulses. This activity is often very difficult for children with hyperactivity, since they will try at all costs to get through the classroom as soon as possible because they will not have enough patience to do it slowly.

To do this, using relaxing music in the background to help you set the rhythm of your steps will prevent you from becoming frustrated or overwhelmed and you will be able to control your body. On the other hand, the teacher can also help you by setting the rhythm or simply verbalizing the movements that you have to carry out.

Material: relaxing music and radio.

Tips: The teacher should stand next to the student and help him in the slow movements he has to perform. It is very important that you verbalize the movements since at the beginning the child will try to cross the classroom as quickly as possible at all costs.

9. I learn how to control myself!

Procedure: This activity is designed exclusively for children with hyperactivity to control their impulses on their own. At the beginning, it is difficult for them to internalize this dynamic, but over time and based on repetitions they can manage to control them as much as possible.

It consists of exposing them to small real situations in which they have to choose which behaviors would be correct and which would not. For example: I rush into class throwing my things on the floor and start painting on the board. The child is made to reflect on this with the intention that he extrapolates it to his daily life.

Material: No type of material is necessary.

Tips: The teacher has to try to make the child reflect on the behaviors that are negative and which are positive. In some cases, for better internalization, small simulations of the child's daily life could be carried out.

10. We speak out loud

Procedure: This activity consists of asking the child to verbalize the activities and movements that he is doing in order to control his impulsivity. For example: I am getting up, I am moving my right hand to take the pencil…

If the child is given exercises like these in which he has to count what he is doing, not only will his attention and impulsiveness improve but also his communication skills, since he will have to learn to speak slowly and respect silences.

Material: No material will be necessary.

Tips: The teacher has to constantly encourage the child and give him positive reinforcement to get his attention. On the other hand, you can also make modifications to this activity and ask the child to tell us about the activities he did the day before.

conclusion

Any exercise, both traditional and digital, can be reused to improve or reinforce the attentional capacities and impulsive behaviors of hyperactive children.

Exercise is not as important as the support of the monitor or the teacher who accompanies and guides you during the activity. Your role will be essential to maintain the motivation of the child at all times and make the activity fun and interesting.