Heavy work might be one of my favorite things in the whole wide world!
I know, I know, usually proclaiming one’s love for something doesn’t usually involve a subject with the word ‘work’ in the name.
For real though, heavy work is my favorite!! Mostly because it’s not real work and a ton of fun! Plus, it can be the ‘secret’ for keeping kids calm!!
Heavy work can be the key to focus, the key to calmness and the key to a meltdown free day.
Okay, that’s probably a little bit of a stretch. You need a lot more to get through the day (starting with and most importantly, God!), but heavy work really can be a huge factor to your success!! Especially with our kiddos!
If you are confused at what heavy work even is, be sure to visit this post right now. Seriously, please go read this post first! Learning what heavy work is will make putting the below listed suggestions into action more meaningful.
Now that you know what heavy work is, its role in helping to regulate our proprioceptive system and helping us stay calm overall, let’s dive into my top 9 favorite calming kid activities.
Canned Food Towers
Lifting and stacking canned goods on top of one another is a great proprioceptive activity. Make sure to wear closed toe shoes when creating these towers! Working on the carpet is a good safety tip to follow as well!
Crash Landings
Put a bunch of pillows on the floor and jump from the couch into the pillows. The pillows become the crash landing!!!
Be sure to complete with adult supervision for safety!
Animal Walks
Just like they sound! Animal walks are walks in which you act like a variety of animals. The best ones are slithering like a snake or walking like a crab. Use your imagination and really try to position your body like that particular animal!
Jumping Jacks
Up and down, up and down! Jumping jacks are an activity that help to provide a ton of proprioceptive input to your body and use every single one of your joints.
Climbing Up a Rock Wall or Up a Slide
Having to pull your body upward through space is proprioceptive input at its finest!
Tug-A-War
Tug-A-War provides you with an opportunity to really give a good pulling input through your joints.
Carrying Heavy Books from One Table to Another
Simple, easy and effective! Stack a pile of books on one table and ask your little one to transfer them to another table. The heavier the book, the better!
Running and Jumping Through a Sprinkler
Running combined with jumping is a great way to get some fun proprioception into your day! While there might be lots of shrieks and screams as your kiddos run through the sprinkler, the running and jumping are a great calming kid activity.
Just take a look at your kiddos after the activity is complete!
Word of Caution: If your kiddo has a tactile sensitivity, be cautious with this activity. If the water hitting the skin seems to bothering them a TON, it might be too overwhelming of an activity to be calming.
Chores!
Seriously, chores are an awesome proprioceptive activity. Vacuuming providing some of the most calming input. The pushing and pulling a vacuum back and forth gives great proprioceptive feedback!
Maybe that’s why this is one of the most calming chores around.
The proprioceptive input and the sweet little lines the vacuum creates on the carpet! Or maybe that’s just me…
Conclusion to 9 Joyful, Free and Easy Calming Kid Activities
As with any activity, be sure to put safety first and be caution with all your actions!
Let us know which of these activities you try and which ones are your favorite! Do you have any free and easy calming activities that have worked for you in the past?
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