Five practical strategies for combating boredom in children with ADHD

Many children with ADHD struggle with feelings of boredom throughout the day, especially during activities that fail to meet their high mental engagement needs. When boredom kicks in, their ability to stay focused plummets. Here are five strategies that parents and teachers can use to make everyday tasks more engaging for children with ADHD: 

• Make activities meaningful. 

When an activity is meaningful to a child, either because it helps them improve skills in an area that is important or because it is tied to a topic that they enjoy, their interest and enthusiasm will increase dramatically. For example, many children with ADHD complain that math is boring, but when a child learns to use their skills to predict the scoring potential of a favorite athlete, math suddenly becomes much more interesting. Or when a child learns that getting through homework quickly (and accurately) means that they will finish sooner and have more time to play a favorite game, they become much less distracted during homework time.  

• Incorporate physical activity. 

Physical activity provides essential mental stimulation for children with ADHD and can make typically boring activities much more enjoyable. Physical activity might come in the form of a hands-on project, doing homework while standing and playing with a fidget toy, and taking frequent pre-planned activity breaks (e.g., jumping jacks). In an ideal scenario, you and your child’s teacher should incorporate active games and fun activities into teaching them new skills, routines and habits.  

• Keep it short. 

Children with ADHD become bored with almost any lengthy task. For very young children, even a 10-minute activity can induce boredom. Older children may have a 20-minute limit before the boredom sets in. In general, short homework/study sessions are most successful for children with ADHD. Try reducing the length of repetitive academic assignments and breaking down longer activities—like cleaning up a messy play area—into smaller chunks.  

• Set short-term goals. 

Most children with ADHD find activities boring when they lack a clear purpose or have a delayed outcome. Build small goals into activities. For example, instead of having a child passively listen to a book report presentation in class, have them complete a worksheet that requires them to listen for specific details during the presentation. Challenge the child to have an answer written down for each question before the presenter finishes the report. 

• Reward progress. 

Providing immediate rewards will make almost any activity more appealing for children with ADHD. Rewards should be something that the child wants to earn. While rewards are powerful tools for children with ADHD, it’s best not to use them too frequently. In addition, they may undermine a child’s internal motivation when they are paired with activities that the child perceives as easy or inherently interesting. So, use rewards when they are needed, but only after you’ve tried one or more of the four strategies listed above.   

Anytime an activity is more engaging for a child with ADHD, their productivity, ability to focus, and sense of pride in their efforts will increase. It’s not possible to deter boredom altogether, but with a few tips and tricks, you can make most activities interesting for your child with ADHD.