What are some good science related activities for a five year old with ADHD?

I am going to be a nanny for a child with ADHD this summer and he is really into science. I am trying to find an activity that will keep him entertained but also something that will keep his attention. Also, if there are any nannies with experience with ADHD children, I am open for any advice!

What a great way to start...knowing already that he's into science.

If you plan a science exploration every day...it will be something he looks forward to. As for ADHD...PLAN your day...have a schedule that you follow every day. Having a simple visual schedule will definately help your and his days go much smoother. Stick with it! They do not do well with changes in schedules, etc.

Volcanoes are a great activity for this age. You can do an experiment with vinegar in a bottle and baking soda inside of a deflated balloon. Put the balloon on the end of the bottle and lift it upright so the baking soda falls into the bottle and it will inflate the balloon. Then the next time you can remind him of it and make a clay volcano. I put baking soda in a small bottle and have the children smooth clay around to make a volcano. Then I dye the vinegar red (lava) and we pour it in and watch it "erupt". I've also done a large one in a sand box. If you have a book time/library time...get books about volcanoes and such.

Sensory play is often "calming" so maybe you can have a part of your day where you do this. Plan it so you don't have to have much "interference". What I mean is...let him go at his own speed. If you are doing something messy...plan for it so you don't have to be nagging at him about it. Put towels or shower curtains down under a container...use a wading pool...go outside and do your sensory. If you need sensory ideas, feel free to email. You should do some sort of water play weekly! Something he'll probably enjoy is to throw in different objects into a large container of water. What makes the biggest splash?

Another tip...be willing to let an activity go. If you can plan activities he can come back to you'll have more success. Sometimes they just need a "break". Don't take offense...just be matter of fact about it.

Water bugs were a big hit here with our active kids. We went over teh 5 senses and tasted water and club soda. Talked about the differences etc. Then we put raisins in the water and raisins in the club soda and watched the "bugs" dance. :-) The carbonation gets caught in the wrinkles of the raisins. You can see the bubbles coming out as well. They watched it for quite awhile. They were still dancing at lunch time...so pretty much went the whole morning!

Let him add water to sand/dirt. It's amazing what they can do with this! And the feeling of mud is very calming! You can note the way the water runs down the hill he makes, etc.

Good luck!

******* retard Report Abuse

Anything hands on and quick. "Will this float" (a basin of water and lots of different objects and predicting what will float and what won't). "Will a magnet pick this up?" (teaching about magnetism).

Short. Short transitions between activities. And scheduled - keep the schedule the same every day, it will help him feel steadier.

These are just things that helped ME as an ADHD kid.

Other resources - try any books on Montessori education, they'll often have examples.

well i have expirece with that
and this is what i did.
"How Many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootis pop"
it is really fun for the both.
and it has alot to do with science.
cause yo uneed a hypothisis and abstract and conclusion and all that stuff!
its really fun,
and it take a lil while too.
i enjoyed it and so did they(;
鈽衡櫏鈽?/div>

• 1 week ago