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Are you like me? Do you have a child that needs to always be moving? His foot is tapping, his pencil is spinning, he’s laying across half the table, and somehow he has his feet balanced on the top of his chair while it is stretched way out behind him. Any of this sound familiar?! Yes. This is my son.

Some kids need to be on the move. If they are required to sit, they have something moving. It can be distracting. Especially to a sister that likes quiet while she works or a momma that gets agitated by all the movement. I know he needs to move, but I have a hard time with someone bouncing all around me while I’m teaching a lesson.

So what can you do?

I have learned several tricks over the years from working with children with special needs in public schools to working with my son. I have come up with some suggestions that may help you and your active kiddo get through your homeschool day.

“Wiggle” Seats

At least, we always referred to them as “wiggle” seats. You can also find them under the name balance disks. They are very popular in special education to help children that need to move or that need the sensory input. 

So what are they?

The seats are inflatable discs. You inflate them to the firmness you want. They have small “nubs” on one side and larger ones on the other. One side is meant for a child to sit on while the other side is meant for a child to place on the floor to use with their feet.

How does this help?

For the kiddo that squirms in her seat, she can sit on the disc and wiggle. The chair isn’t tipping on two legs, and she isn’t perched on the edge of the seat. The chair is firmly on the ground while she squirms. 

For the child that wants to keep his feet moving, he can place the disc on the floor and rock his feet on the disc. The “nubs” on it give sensory input if that is what he needs. The seat allows him to move but in a specific area and in an appropriate way.

The wiggle seat has done wonders for my son! It saved my sanity, too. It is less distracting when my son sits on the wiggle seat and moves around than when he sits in his chair without it and is all over the place. He stays on the seat now, and he isn’t all over the table and floor. Everyone can concentrate better now! 

Fidgets

A fidget is something you can give to your child to “fidget” or manipulate with their hands. For some kids, they seem to be able to focus better during instructional times if they have something to do with their hands. This isn’t unique to kids, as adults, we often fidget with things while sitting in a meeting or listening to a lecture. In the private day treatment program I worked in, they brought out the kids’ “fidgets” for us during staff meetings. 

So what are they?

Well, there are a lot of different options. The biggest craze right now is the fidget spinner. Many kids have them to play with, but they can be used with kids that need something to do while listening to a lesson, a read-aloud book, or anytime they need to sit for a for a long stretch.

There are many options besides fidget spinners. You can find them on Amazon and a lot of education sites. Stress balls, squishy toys, and therapy putty/clay can be used for kids to squeeze. You can make your own stress balls at home with balloons and rice, sand, sugar, or flour as the filling.

Companies make bendable items or things that twist and contort into different shapes. My son has something called “Tangles” that I bought. I use them more than he does. I love twisting them around while working with my kids. 

Drawing

I know drawing is a stationary activity but sometimes that helps my son stay focused during a lesson or while I’m reading. His hands are busy and that is enough. He will draw or doodle while he listens. I check in to make sure he is paying attention.

Exercise Balls

I know some very active kids that do well sitting on an exercise ball while they work instead of sitting in a chair. It allows them to bounce a little or to wiggle around while they work.

So what are they?

In the exercise section of stores, you can find exercise balls, also known as stationary balls, in different sizes. They are great for working on core muscle strength because your abdominal muscles are engaged while sitting or exercising on it.

How to use them?

The balls are used in place of a chair. At first, kids may be all over the place because it is fun to bounce and roll around on. Over time, the kiddos will, hopefully, settle down and use it appropriately. The ball allows them to move around unlike a chair.

As I mentioned, I have had students that have used the exercise ball, and it worked great. However, this did not work for my son. He was all over the place and constantly crashing into the table because it was too much for him. Give it a try. It may work well for your child.

Alternate use.

My son couldn’t use the ball during work time, but he did use it during breaks. He would roll and bounce to his heart’s content to get out his energy. In this way, the ball worked well for him.

Breaks With Movement

Breaks are very important for active kids. It is important to pay attention to when they are getting more active and allow them to get up and move around, stretch, or send them on an errand to retrieve something just so they are moving.

To get my son moving while taking a break, he would do GoNoodle. If you don’t know what it is, you should check it out. You can access it online or through their app. The site has lots of dance and movement activities that are a few minutes long. Pick one and watch your child get their wiggles out.

I have also used a mini trampoline to help active kids focus. They would go jump on the trampoline for a few minutes until they released some of their energy. Then they would sit back down and get to work. 

The key is to provide some way for an active kiddo to get out their energy. If they can release some of their energy, it will help them to come back and focus on their work. 

Stretch Bands on Chairs

If a child needs to sit in a chair and you don’t have a wiggle seat, you can always tie an exercise band around the front legs of the chair near the floor. In doing so, the child can bounce his feet on it and get in a little movement that way.

It is hard to teach an active kid if you don’t have some strategies in place to help them focus. In homeschooling, we have a lot more freedom to allow our kids to move around, hang upside down on the couch while working, or take a break to play. 

When you have times you just need your child to sit and work, these are some options to give a try. It helps kids to start monitoring their own activity level and allow them some strategies to handle it.

What strategies to do you use with your active kids? Comment below.

Happy Homeschooling!