Can anyone suggest things for a child to take out their frustration on?

[LauraIngallsWilder]

This thread is inspired by one by bitoffun about how to cope with a raging sn child - especially as they get bigger

I have heard of safe spaces (fantastic but expensive and enormous)
Weighted blankets are great for calming down - but we havent got one as yet (mainly because ds doesnt like the idea)

Im really wondering if there is anything someone can suggest to give to a child to take out their frustrations on - to pummel, to fight with if you like

Fight the object rather than the floor, walls, bed or any passing human

We have a trampoline in the garden but it isnt suitable when ds is raging

All suggestions appreciated

we have a special needs punch ball type thing, we used it a bit but the base was a bit like a parasol bade and filled with sand or water to keep it upright and ds has somehow made a hole in it so until i put it outside it was just being used as a massive missle, gt to repair it actually but its thick plastic the hole is in so not sure what i can cover it with that wont come off when water or sand is in will have to do it though as it did help. what about something like that?? i bought it second hand so not sure where it was from but apparently one of the speial needs catalogues like spacekraft or something?! sorry not much help am i!

what about letting them go wild in somewhere they can run and tire them selfs out ?? I dont know as i havent reached this stage at , my son bites or screams , but he is only a baby still , hope you get an answer

Mine is onto his third beanbag now he's 15.
Catch him before he blows and he chops firewood or digs a hole in the garden.
At my parents' he has a metal bucket hanging in a low tree and a lump hammer to hit it with. That's because he goes there after school and sometimes arrives in a state.

What about shredding paper? Tearing up newspapers, magazines, good for venting rage and anger (works for me too!)

tend to use pillows, have a punch bag not put up.. so it's just on the floor.

if DS2 isn't at full rage stage.. he likes to throw a tennis ball at the gound so it bounces off the wall and back to him.

also have a feely texture bag. with play dough, different squashy balls, stress balls, those soft spikey ones, eggs boxes to jump on and distroy. sort microwavable lavender cat ( lavender the calm down cat lol), urmm.. finger traps.. a 'find it' which is a plastic tube that you can't open.. but has beads in and other things amongst the beads to find.. ( great ditraction and makes a nive gentle noise). oh and blue tack in.
lots of things are from hawkins bazaar (sp) cost very little to replace or change.

Thankyou for your fantastic ideas everyone

Nothing quite seems right for ds though

A boxing punch bag is closest but Im not keen on getting one

More thoughts welcome

Ds is a tall strong and determined 8yo with aspergers - its worrying me how we will deal with his rage as he gets bigger

Dd1 has a bean bag chair that she leaps all over .

bubble wrap/popping bubbles.

A tread mill or rowing machine (to run it off)

I liked bouncing a basket ball against the outside wall when i was younger (i would throw it as hard as i could so it would burn/hurt my hands when i caught it).

A huge bean bag is closest to what he needs I think - I shall try hunting for one

Hunting around I have found big bean bags on Amazon - big is 70 by 70 by 50cm

Then I found this which is perfect I think

Yes its almost £80 but Im thinking ds could lie on it, sit on it, crash about all over it, practise his stage diving technique.
He could also hit it, punch it and kick it when he is raging.

I wonder if it would cope with rough treatment???

That is exactly what we need - if anyone knows of a special needs supplier that sells something similar specifically for SEN kids who need to calm down or rage that would be a good alternative.

ooooh ds raging heaven!

I have spoken to him before about the possibility of a weighted blanket, he wasnt interested. I showed him the link above and he did a dance around the room.

Now we just have to choose which - they arent cheap but ds was so happy at the prospect of something to rage at, it will be worth it

Im still wondering if their are SEN suppliers that sell products specifically aimed at people with SEN who want something like this - ie it might be designed specifically to withstand daily attacks from a raging child

LIW, remember I said mine was on his third beanbag now he was 15? That's the sort we have.
My boy is 5'10" and around 10 stone now, and has excellent upper body strength thanks to the kayaking. I had a beanbag before I realised how useful it would be for him...aging hippie.
He destroyed the first one when he was around 9, second one lasted around 4 years and took a lot of punishment. Third one is doing very well.
Just make sure you have a powerful hoover.

Is it Goblin - from the same company?
What shape/style does he have?

I dont mind at all buying a new one every few years - its better than listening to him pacing about in his room raging away like a caged lion.

Going outside to vent doesnt allow the rage to dissipate for some reason - I dont think he is too keen on open spaces, prefers 4 walls in a smallish room (he always looked appalled when he walks into a sports hall!)

It's like the blue chair one, covered in strong cotton fabric. He hates leather and pvc, and suede smells funny to him. Not the same company.
When he was around 5, he used to sleep under it quite often. Numerous times someone sat down and got a muffled squark.
His meltdowns were at there worst from 9-12 years old, then his control increased to the point where I had time to pre-empt on most occasions.
But the beanbag took punches, kicks, headbutts and being slammed around the room. he sometimes fell asleep on it after a session and I'd just cover him where he was. A bigger one wouldn't have worked as well I think, he sometimes bearhugged it until he couldn't breathe.
Each time it was either the zip or the carrying loop that gave way eventually.