Learning in Motion for the High Energy Child

Some children have a more difficult time than others to sit still. These kids can experience a huge benefit from homeschooling and being allowed to get the movement they need while still learning. If you are feeling at a loss of how to educate your high energy child, let me offer you a few tried and true ideas. My 6-year-old is never still so I have had to really be creative at ways to keep her moving and engaged while still educating her.

One important consideration is what can be done on the move and what cannot.  Activities such as printing practice really do need to be done sitting, however, maybe sitting on an exercise ball would help a little. If you can do it verbally, it can be done in motion!

Energetic Learning Activities

Read and Move Activity

One of our favourite things to do on the move is to practice letter sounds and/or word cards. There are many different ways we practice this, but all have a similar idea.

The letter/word cards get spread out around the room or the hallway, and different movements happen in between each card.

Have the child read a card and then do some type of movement to get to the next one. Read it and continue on through all the cards.

Some ideas for movement are:

• Frog jump
• Hop on one foot
• Crab walk
• Cartwheel
• One big 2 foot jump from card to card
• Any other fun movement you can think of that your child will enjoy

Sight Words and Strike a Pose

We also have a floor beam that my little gymnast likes to practice her sight words on. I spread the words out on her beam, and she does her poses at each word, reading the word before moving on.

Hunt & Read

Another fun option to practice this on the move would be setting up an indoor or outdoor scavenger hunt. Have them find the words scattered around the house or yard and read them as they bring them to you.

Go, Do, Read

One more we love is the “go do” game. I will say “go do 3 somersaults on your bed and come back and read a word.” They will run to do the task, run back, and read a word.  Then, I will give another task and so on and so forth, having them run both directions.

Adjust Lessons for Your High Energy Child

Some other ways we learn while in motion involve read-alouds, oral comprehension questions, and mental math. As long as their minds are attentive to what is being talked about, they are welcome to move as they wish. Sometimes, I will even scribe for my daughter while she does her math bouncing on a ball. I read her the question, she tells me the answer, and I write it down.

Examine your priorities and what you are trying to get out of a certain lesson. If your goal does not involve their writing, there is no harm in doing it orally.

There are many cost free ways to allow motion in learning such as the things I mentioned above. Body movement is free. However, if you are wondering about some of our favourite “props” for young learners to move, here they are:

• Large bouncy ball with a handle to sit and bounce on
• Wobble board
• Sensory swing
• Hanging rings
• Mini trampoline
• Balloons
• Balance beam (easy to make at home)

Remember you have the unique opportunity to work with your high energy child and come up with ways that work for learning AND moving. Get creative and follow their lead!

Want more tips for those high energy kids in your life? See our article Engaging with Your High Energy Child for activities to do together and some down time ideas.

This article has been written by Kristin Stewart, a homeschooling staff writer of The Canadian Schoolhouse (TCS). Enjoy more of our content from TCS contributors and staff writers by visiting our Front Door page that has content on our monthly theme and links to all our content sections.