Helping kids blow off steam in the middle self-isolation

Photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash

My children are used to playing outside every day and that is a little hard right now. Also, I am used to them playing outside everyday. I really value the time that they can just run loose in an outdoor environment, whether it’s an open space or an engaging playground, and the way that helps them use up some of their seemingly endless energy.

So, since they can’t do that, how the hell can they blow off some of this steam that is turning them into little gremlins?? Here are five ideas:

1. Use activity videos if they work for your family. Cosmic Kids Yoga, Joe Wicks PE, Just Dance videos or the game itself, Go Noodle, and the Fitness Marshall (my personal favorite) are all great — some will entice your kids to get up and move and some won’t. If I do it with them, they are more likely to move their bodies…
2. Encourage “heavy work.” This is a strategy for kids who struggle with sensory issues where you get them to do things that require really using their muscles. Examples are carrying a basket full of laundry, taking all the cushions off the couch and (eventually) putting them back on, building a fort — these all help give kids some of the same type of sensory input they get while playing outside and so can sometimes scratch the same itch.
3. Think about what sensory needs your kid is trying to meet, and see how to meet those inside. How do they play on playgrounds? Do they hang upside down? Spin? Swing? Do they like to bounce or jump? Roll around on the ground and get dirty? There are probably ways they can meet these same needs inside, with or without purchasing any equipment. You can encourage them do wall handstands, swing-your-partner, let them play in the shower with their clothes on, spin on an office chair, hide under a huge pile of blankets, or hang upside down off the bed or couch. If you are able to, you can purchase a doorway yoga sing or a yoga ball.
4. Make a crash pad. If you are feeling like taking apart every bed in the house and then putting them back together before you can go to bed…..you can stuff every soft thing you can find inside of a duvet cover and let your children slam themselves into it. I also send my kids to do pillow round ups before movie nights, so we can make a nest in the bed. They really seem to enjoy piling all the pillows together!
5. Figure out what you are comfortable with outside and what is allowed, and maybe put a little structure around it. My kids would love to play on a playground without any input from me whatsoever — the playground itself is literally a “structure.” But I don’t feel comfortable with playgrounds right now, so I have to entice them to do outdoor things they wouldn’t normally choose. I’m love to wander aimlessly, but my kids seem find that boring (::side eye::). Adding a little structure like making it a scavenger hunt for plants with different colors, or trying to find the types of animals, or even just having a particular destination can help.

I have a love-hate relationship with exercise, and I know that when I do it regularly, it makes me feel good. I also know that I am not doing much exercise right now, and am trying to not have expectations on myself that I do. Different kids have different needs when it comes to moving their bodies, and some may be just fine chilling out and not doing much — others will be climbing the walls (maybe literally). When kids have options, like playing outside, they are often good at meeting their own physical play needs. Hopefully giving them some new options while stuck inside can help take the pressure off the adults to always drive the bus on physical activity.