9 Enjoyable Activities for Children with Anxiety

 

Children with anxiety are incredibly unique.  Some may be quiet and reserved, with or without feelings of anxiety.  Others, (like my daughter) are outgoing, social extroverts without anxiety, but quiet and needy when anxious.  It can be challenging to plan activities to do together as a family when you are not sure whether anxiety will be present or not. Spending time doing fun activities, laughing together, or finding peace when relaxing can increase a child’s self-esteem.  Here are 9 enjoyable activities for children with anxiety.  Some are geared for independence while others can involve the whole family.  

 

Blow Bubbles

At first glance, this seems like an activity for very young children.  It is, but you can make it silly and for older children as well.  The wonderful thing about bubbles is that by using the traditional bubble blowers, children must focus on their breathing in order to create a viable bubble.  Focused breathing can provide anxiety relief in children.

For children who feel too old for this “boring bubbles”, create a game to see who can blow the biggest bubble or see whose bubble floats around the longest.  If nothing else, bubble blowing encourages time spent outdoors.

I have never made my own bubble solution, rather I just buy the inexpensive, colorful bottles that I enjoyed when I was a child.  If you prefer to make your own solution, Home Science Tools has a highly successful recipe.

Create Art

There are a limitless amount of activities that can be included in the category of art.  Art also allows children of all ages and interest to find a way to be successful. Art provides creativity, calmness, and connections.  It can be done independently or with friends and family. Coloring books and sketch pads allow for art to be accessed on the go.

A fun way to do art together as a family is to save as much “junk” as possible in a specific location.  After collecting items for a period of time, use the materials to create a unique piece of art to hang in your house.  With this type of art, there are no requirements, rather it just comes together organically,

Another idea is to create canvas paintings or pottery together at shops around town.  Most of these locations offer a calm environment with ample choices for any budding artist.  These special shops typically offer the opportunity to create an original work of art or offer suggestions for those who struggle with creation.  

The Artful Parent offers an incredible variety of art project ideas for children.  Some of these are simple and others require materials and time. Many would be great to plan to do outside this summer.  

Visit an Animal Shelter

Animals can be very soothing for children.  An animal shelter is a great place to visit, as children enjoy the animals and the animals love the attention and affection.  Many shelters allow children to come in and read to the animals. Depending on the shelter, parents and children can take an animal into a small room to spend time playing, even when there is no intention of adoption.  Similarly, children (typically ages 14 and up) can volunteer to walk the animals on a regular basis.

Besides a traditional animal shelter, there are many different rescue organizations that welcome visitors to enjoy their animals awaiting adoption.  Locally, a rabbit rescue welcomes visitors to help socialize the bunnies.  Horse barns also welcome volunteers to help care for the animals.

From experience, know your child’s temperament before choosing this activity.  If you will have to pull your child away from the animal begging, pleading, and crying to adopt it, this may not be the best choice for you!!!!!

Visit a Petting Zoo

Similar to an animal shelter, a petting zoo gives kids an opportunity to interact with unique animals, but without the pressure of taking them home.  Petting zoos offer children the chance to feed, brush, and play with the animals in a safe environment. Many of the animals, like goats, are enjoyable to be around due to their antics.  Visiting petting zoos in the spring is an ideal time, as many baby animals are around.  Sometimes your child can bottle feed the animals as needed.

 

Make Slime

Slime making is one of those activities for children with anxiety that parents either love or hate.  It can be a big mess and not always successful. However, when planned ahead and provided a safe space (outside), it can be a fun relaxing activity.  It also allows for teachable moments around making the slime and getting the consistency just right.

There is definitely something soothing about creating slime with its unique colors, textures, and smell.  Children and adults can benefit from the repetitive motion of fidgeting with the slime. Create expectations of where and when the slime can be used and it should be a successful activity for your family.  Little Bins for Little Hands has over 21 different slime recipes.

 

Enjoy a Good Book

Without a doubt, one of the greatest activities for children is reading.  Once again this can be done alone or together. Children are never too old (at least that is what I tell myself) to enjoy a story being read aloud by their parent.  Even when reading different books, children and parents can be reading together. To maximize the enjoyment of reading, create a special reading nook somewhere in the house.  It should be well lit, comfortable, and calm.

For younger children, visit the library frequently, choosing a variety of books on different topics.  Share these stories frequently with your child. Sometimes books are just to be enjoyed, while other times they can serve a purpose of helping your child learn to manage emotions or handle a difficult topic.

For older children choose books that spark an interest and allow for discussion.  Depending on your child, you can read a book together, enjoy it through Audible, or each read the book separately, meeting together to discuss what was read.  

 

Take a Bath

Who doesn’t love a relaxing bath?  Children may associate taking a bath with a “chore” as parents often have to tell their child to take a bath or shower.  Help your child learn that there are times when taking a bath is for enjoyment rather than to get rid of the stink.

Purchase fun accessories for the bath like bubbles, slime, salts, or bath bombs.  (If you have not discovered Lush Bathbombs add this to your bucket list!) Explain to children that they can simply sit in the warm water, turn on the music of their choice, drop in fun bath accessory and enjoy.  It may take a little time as children are used to bathing for a purpose. Also, boys may find this “girly” but with the right presentation,  they will find it rather enjoyable (even if they never admit that to anyone).  

Visit a Park

Visiting a park allows for endless activities for children with anxiety.  Depending on where you live, there are often various types of parks with different activities and varying levels of crowds.  Some parks are more geared towards playgrounds while others lean towards wide open spaces for picnics and walking.

Swinging is a common enjoyment for children.  Spend time exploring parks in your area, looking for the best place to swing.  Newer parks now offer a variety of swings, rather than just the traditional swing.  The repetitive motion and “wind in your hair” feeling is quite relaxing for a lot of children.  

Picnics and leisurely walks allow for calm, often sparsely populated, opportunities to be outside in nature enjoying time together as a family.  Finding a small creek or pond while exploring can lead to even more fun with the chance to skip rocks and catch small creatures.

Bake Together

Baking is an activity that is fun but also educational.  It allows children to follow directions, practice fractions, precision, and patience.  Find a fun recipe to work on together. Tasty Food and Recipes offer a wide variety of recipes, offering some unique and fun desserts.  Help your child learn that the process, not just the outcome, is part of baking. Trial and error may be a part of your baking experience depending on the recipe chosen.  This too is an important part of the activity for children with anxiety.

You can up the anty of baking by creating small teams within your family and having a “bake-off”.  For example, each team works to create the most unique cookie or cupcake. You could ask neighbors to vote for their favorite or simply compete for fun without a “winner”.

As you can see there are a variety of activities for children with anxiety to enjoy, either independently or with the family.  Most take little to no planning or money. Reference this list when you feel your family getting in a rut or as your plan for the coming summer.    Share your favorite activities in the comments below.