9 Healthy Ways for Boys to Channel Energy

Overview: Let’s face it. Boys are active! Left to their own devices, will we happy with the choices they make? Here are some WIN-WIN options to help boys channel their energy.

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Ever feel like your son has too much energy? All healthy kids have lots of energy to burn, but boys are in a category all their own. When we give boys the freedom to unleash their energy, they will naturally seek out ways to expend it.

But sometimes we won’t be thrilled with the choices they make to let off some steam. They often choose to do things such as tease their siblings, wrestle when they should be studying, jokes in the middle of you teaching a lesson, arguing, etc.

If you want your boys to choose healthier and less annoying options, it’s best to help them expend energy BEFORE they begin using it in ways that make us a little bit crazy.

Here are 9 Ways to Help Boys With Too Much Energy:

Get Them Outside

It’s important to give our kids lots of opportunities to run around outside. Consider teaching some of their lessons outside. Add in periodic outdoor learning activities which allow them to move around. Try to provide lots of fun stuff to do in your hard.

• Younger kids love things such as sandboxes, riding toys, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, swing sets, etc.
• Slightly older kids enjoy riding their bikes, climbing trees, practicing their sports skills, Airsoft gun wars, jumping on the trampoline, etc.
• Older boys can be trickier. As our kids get older, they begin to have individualized interests so you will need to study your own child to find out what types of activities they enjoy doing outside. My boys enjoy going outside to shoot hoops, swimming in the pool, Airsoft gun wars, target shooting with their bb guns and their bows, and jogging.

Consider a Pet

Pets are great for kids. They help them learn responsibility, they build their immune system, and they give you an excuse to get your kids outside. Have your kids take the dog for a walk. Let them play fetch together in the backyard. Make your kids responsible for taking the pet outside for bathroom breaks.

Take Advantage of Non-School Hours

Encourage your kids to romp around and be active when they aren’t studying. The more you allow them to be active, the better they’ll be able to sit still and pay attention when the occasion calls for it.

There are lots of ways to help your kids to be more active during non-school hours. The easiest way is to encourage them to play outside in the backyard.

If your yard doesn’t have much room, or you don’t have the money to put lots of fun activities in it, then take your kids to the park. Go for a walk in the woods. Let them play on school playgrounds (when school isn’t in session.)

→ Related Content: 13 EASY Ways for Homeschoolers to Fit Exercise into your Day

Made to Work

Boys like to do hard things! A wonderful way to help boys blow off steam is to give them hard, physical labor. I’m not talking about regular chores. I’m talking about bigger projects that will cause them to sweat. In most cases, if boys comprehend the reason behind their actions, they are more than willing to take part.

When we bought an above ground pool for our boys, we needed to dig a large, flat area on which we could put the pool. Our boys were eager to help us with that job, and it took a ton of energy on their part.

When we put up a basketball hoop on our garage, we had a gravel driveway, so we had a cement pad poured next to our garage. Our boys helped to prepare the ground before we had the cement poured and to plant grass around it afterward.

Their manual labor not only benefits our family but also allows them to burn off extra energy.

Allow them to Make Messes

Most boys don’t want to sit in a rocking chair and knit all day long. The majority of them want to ride their bike over homemade jumps, dig in the dirt, climb trees, build forts in the woods, hunt for frogs, etc.

Allow your boys to make messes and to push the limits a little bit.

I know some parents are concerned about their kids jumping on trampolines, but that was a WONDERFUL way for my boys to get their extra energy out. We put up a safety net and gave them a few rules and they could jump to their heart’s content. Great exercise!

Make their environment somewhat safe, but boys also thrive in quasi-dangerous situations. Don’t baby them too much! We want them to grow up to be men who are able to be brave protectors.

Find Ways to Say “Yes”

Over the years, your boys are going to come up with all sorts of kooky ideas that they want to try. As long as they aren’t going to hurt themselves or someone else, let them give it a try.

Allow them to experiment, to exercise their imaginations and their bodies. Don’t worry about your floors or your grass more than you worry about your kids! Houses and yards were meant to be lived in.

Indoor Movement

The weather isn’t always conducive to going outside. Try to find ways to let your kids get their energy out inside as well. Consider letting them do an exercise DVD with you.

If you have an unfinished basement, let them dribble their basketballs down there – or set up some exercise equipment for them. If you have hardwood floors, you might want to let younger kids ride their riding toys around in your living room.

Kids thrive when they’re in motion!

Organized Sports

Sometimes sports can take up an unhealthy place in our lives and become an idol. Despite this, if properly controlled, taking part in sports can serve as a fantastic means for our kids to expend their extra energy. My boys have been playing basketball for the past couple of years and it has been wonderful for them!

Give them a Break

Some of us Type A moms get it into their head what we’d like to accomplish for school each day and we put our heads down and want to push through. Just get ‘er done!

That technique can be detrimental to our kids, though. They need some downtime between lessons, especially when they are younger. Try to vary the more strenuous lessons with some of the lighter ones.

Allow them to move around between their more sedentary studies.

When my boys were younger, I also tried to incorporate lots of movement into their lessons as well. Involve as many senses in your child’s learning as you can and you will find that they not only enjoy them more, but they also retain them much better.

Boys naturally have a lot of energy and that’s a good thing. When we give our boys positive ways to get the wiggles out, no matter what their age, we will find that they are much more capable of paying attention, they are healthier, and they will better apply themselves when we’d like them to.

Question: Have you been successful at using any of the above techniques with your boys? Or is their extra energy driving you crazy? Please leave a comment below.