activities for kids with excess energy!

[jenny2998]

My 3 1/2 year old son is so full of energy and always racing round. I would like to find a way to "channel" his energy productivey. Can anyone suggest any activities which might be suitable for his age group? Thanx in advance...

No idea, my DS is the same and about the same age. His favourite at the moment is continually jumping off the sofa onto the middle of the floor (we have downstairs neighbours). I presume you have tried all the usual trips to the park, swimming etc. I try to make sure DS gets out every day, he attends a local creche two hours a week and they have a bouncy castle, trikes etc for him to let off steam on. I also try and make sure he gets plenty of sleep as he seems to get worse if he is tired.

Everyone keeps recommending gym classes for my DS, I haven't taken him as I am hoping when he starts playgroup in August this will help, but maybe something like this would interest your DS.

I sometimes just sit and marvel at him, the very fact that he can keep on going, running round and round the livingroom etc, it's entertainment if nothing else.

I hope he will grow out of it soon!

All the best.

My DS is comming up for 2 and is just the same, I find that the big soft play centres usually have him pleading for BO bo's after two hours. Besides the energy you need to keep up with them, I nearly have a heart attack each time he aquires a new skill as it is usually very dangerous.

Demented, glad to hear that my ds is not the only one with the sofa jumping habit!

Now for the bad news - my ds is now 4.5 and still totally full of energy. The only remedy I've found for it is to find another similar small boy, throw them out into the garden together, and try not to look too closely at what they're doing to one another! (All-in wrestling seems to be the current fave activity!) The only thing I've found that has worn him out is sending him to play with a similarly active 6yo - superior firepower finally won the day there.

LOL, Azzie - and so true!

A bike, and, from age 4/5, rollar blades, are good at sapping excess energy. Wheels in the park beats walking in the park, any day, for my two.

Hate to tell you, but it's a problem that doesn't go away!

...the most used toy ever - you've got me thinking trampolines, maryz. I've been reluctant to buy a toddler trampoline because I'm afraid my toddler will get over excited, bounce off and hurt himself. Did you find this was a problem?

But the thought of getting a huge one to tire both my sons (2 and 7 years) sounds so appealing.

this looks like a lovely book (you can get it at amazon... link below) -The Toddler's Busy Book and would love to 'have a go' with my dd... sadly she's only 10 months and remote controls and the radio times seems to keep her contented!

www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0881663573/ref=br_lf_li_1_2/202-0948746-6319006

whoops just read this through and it makes me sound as if i let her watch tv... what i mean is that she likes playing with the remote and the paper of the radio times...

LOL bea!

I think we're looking at swimming lessons now (but not sure how ds will react initially - having to go off without mummy (we are having a bit of 'shy' behaviour at the moment))anyone any other ideas???

This trampoline thing sounds very appealing. My 3 1/2 ds is constantly on the go and the tireder he gets, the faster he goes, getting more and more dangerous as the day wears on. My 1 1/2 ds is much the same and the two of them together is just manic - my settees are having a rough ride.

On the mini trampoline safety front, I saw a woman on the tv a few months ago who had dug a hole with in the garden and set the trampoline in it so that the bouncing suface was at the same level as the rest of the lawn so that if the little angels fell there was less likelihood of any serious injury.

There is a big 12 ft diameter trampoline up for auction on lastminute.com at the mo. RRP £399, currently the highest bid is £111 and there are 2 days left. Thought of this thread when I saw it! - maybe someone is interested.

Why not purchase one of those trampolines with the safety fence that goes around it. They reccommend haveing it because many children have falling off and had broken bones and even head injuries while using trampolines. I kind of like the idea myself.