Hobby Ideas for Kids With ADHD

As a parent, educator, or family member of a child with attention deficit disorder, you likely know the behavioral challenges that can come along with this common childhood diagnosis. While the child you care about may have medication to help curtail hyperactivity symptoms, there are other tools you can use to keep a child content and calm. If you're curious about hobbies that work well for ADHD kids, read on.

Photography

Most kids with ADHD or ADD are brilliant and curious. Their curious nature would make them great candidates to enjoy a photography hobby. Kids with ADHD can be distracted by details and may lose focus easily. This could be advantageous to a kid with a traditional camera, smartphone, digital camera, or even an old-school video camera. Children are no different from adults. Most human beings enjoy hobbies or activities that they're naturally good at. For a child who notices little details and likes to explore, handing them a camera and encouraging a photography interest could be a game-changer for ADHD parents.

Start with a conversation with your child about their favorite places and the things they like to do. Ask how they'd feel about creating a crazy family digital scrapbook or telling a story with videos. You might be surprised how receptive they are to something as simple as a backyard adventure if left to pick and choose what they zoom in on.

If your child expresses an interest in photography, start by handing them an old cellphone with a working camera. If the interest sticks, you'll want to consider investing in the best cloud storage for photographers, photography apps, an external drive, and a minimum of 2TB of storage for those digital photos that will build up quickly.

It is a great option for a child stuck at home during the pandemic; you could use this new photography interest to encourage creativity with challenges like manipulating images to look like they were shot in downtown New York City or even by a professional photographer. While doing some research, check out programs like Adobe Illustrator, Creative Cloud, and Canva. You can often find mobile app discounts by buying photography apps in packages, too.

Competitive Sports or Band

One of the best ways to burn extra energy is through competitive sports for kids who are more physically inclined. Dr. Ned Hallowell is well known in the ADHD community and has written books on coping in today's ADHD, fast-paced society. Specifically interested in success and the competitive edge, he'd recommend competitive sports teams to any ADHD child's parent to turn distractions into positive life experiences.

A good option for the emotional health of kids who experience boredom often, a competitive sport, or a place in the band, could be just what your child needs to cope with feelings of isolation during the pandemic. The only downside is that some competitive sports might be on hold for now. Instead of letting that get your child down, come up with a basic plan to begin practicing whatever sport they might be interested in at home.

Sharing the ADHD Perspective

Social media, a podcast, a YouTube channel, and a variety of online platforms could be a fantastic way for your ADHD child to share their experiences if they've shown interest in becoming an influencer or content creator. If your child has a gaming addiction, you likely know how popular a place like YouTube is for kids to connect. While your child's age will dictate whether you feel comfortable with this, the first step in helping your child take control of ADHD symptoms could be assisting them in making connections with other kids in the same situation.

Many kids with ADHD have struggled more than other kids because of the global pandemic. Kids who normally perform well in school struggle academically because maintaining focus from home can be a challenge to anyone not used to learning remotely. If you aren't comfortable with your child sharing their experiences or creating their own platform, you could point them in the direction of other kids using social media to connect and share similar experiences.

You're your ADHD child's best advocate. As a parent, you know them better than anyone and will likely have the best chance to offer them suggestions on hobbies they'll both enjoy and stick with. If you aren't sure where to start, consider talking to members of any ADHD support group, ADHD bloggers, your doctor, or your child's teacher or therapist. Any of these people might be able to point you in the right direction of a hobby that will work for the kid you love.