Social Skills Activities for Really Hyper Kids

High-energy kids have many wonderful attributes, but in some cases all that excess energy can overwhelm other children, particularly when they appear to act impulsively or play too roughly with others, according to Education.com. Quiet games or even activities that require sitting still may lead to frustrated outbursts or simply abandoning the activity for something more active. And, because social skills can affect peer relationships, self-esteem and academic success, according to Nemours Foundation, it's never too early to begin honing these skills while children are young.

  1. Super-Speed Cooperation

    • Tasks like building a sandcastle, which requires careful, delicate movements and sitting still, can make high-energy kids seem out of control. Instead, have high-energy kids work with a partner and see how fast they can carry 10 buckets of sand or dirt from one side of the yard or playground to the other. Explain that both children must carry the bucket -- this will prevent the high-energy child from taking off and leaving her partner confused and frustrated. Not only does this activity provide a channel for excess energy, it also allows other children to see their partner's high energy as an asset when completing the task.

    Add Movement

    • Take a normal social skill activity, where children are sitting down, and include vigorous movement. For example, if the standard task involves looking at faces in a story book to see what emotion a character is displaying, have high-energy children jump up and down 10 times before briefly freezing with their face showing that same emotion. If the task is exchanging compliments, make a rule that anyone who gives or receives a compliment has to do 25 jumping jacks or crab walk around a large circle of colorful tape on the floor.

    Teaching Diversions

    • In their forever rushed state, high-energy kids may skip the asking and waiting and go straight to grabbing and running. Help these kids master asking, waiting and turn taking by teaching them small diversions. Instruct a high-energy child to run across the playground or room and ask her peer for a turn. Then, while she's waiting, have her do a challenging, but not disruptive, physical activity such as seeing how long she can stand on one foot. When it's her turn, remind her to thank her friend.

    Teach Teamwork

    • It's easy for high-energy kids to forget that just because they can summit the jungle gym in less than 30 seconds, their peers might not appreciate being left behind or stepped on along the way. For high-energy children in kindergarten and older, explain that you're going to play a game where everyone has to complete the obstacle course as a group and those who finish early must return to help their classmates complete the obstacles. Once high-energy children complete the obstacle course and release some of their initial energy, they'll be able to practice communicating, encouraging and supporting their peers.

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