Best Stress Relief Activities For Kids

Mind is All

Are your kids struggling with dealing with stress? Are you unsure how to assist your child as he or she deals with anxiety? These methods will teach your child coping skills for stressful encounters.

Walk it out. When your child walks away from a stressful situation, he is simply empowering himself to disenage from a bad situation. Children have to learn how to deal with that fight or flight stress response they feel when stressed out. You can teach your child to take control of the situation by walking away, physically taking action to save himself. Instead, have him run or walk until he gets relief from the stress. If you teach your child the power of walking away and help him recognize the physical release of stress that accompanies physical activity, you'll enable him with tools he can use on the playground and while playing with friends.

Use art to process stress. Your child may not feel able to tell you what is stressing her out, but she may find relief from drawing, painting, or coloring about it. Set your child up with a table of art supplies and ask her to create a picture that depicts how she felt in class (or whatever the stressful situation was). Let your child go in whatever direction she feels led, without telling her how to do it. You might led by example and draw a cartoon strip about something that evokes emotion in you. Make sure your child knows you are available to talk, but don't push it.

Teach your child the power of the written word. Many children feel safer writing in a diary than talking about stressful experiences. Dedicate a journal to communication between you and your child; write notes to each other in it each day. Then, when your child is angry or sad, use the notebook to write him a note, asking how he’s doing. Use this notebook as a communication tool. Explore solutions through the notes passed back and forth – under the crack of the door, if necessary.

Parenting in a stressful situation is difficult, but take solace in the fact that you are teaching your child coping skills that will help him forever.