Grown-ups aren't alone when it comes to feeling stress. Kids can get stressed out, too. Children may not be worrying about making the mortgage payment, but they can experience stress over situations in the home, trouble with friends or school and grades. Games are great way to take their minds off what's bothering them.
Competitive Sports
Exercise is a great way to relieve stress. Medline Plus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, recommends children get at least an hour of physical activity a day. Sign your children up for sports teams to get regular exercise at practices and games.
They can choose soccer, basketball, baseball, swimming, bowling or any other sport they might enjoy. They'll not only get the stress-relieving benefit of exercise, they'll also get the stress-relieving benefit of being with friends and enjoying the camaraderie of a team.
Solitary Games
Unfortunately, sometimes the pressure to perform on a team can be the cause of stress. When that happens, it may be time for your children to unwind with some games they can play on their own. StressManagementTips.com says the trick to these stress-relieving games is to play ones you stand a good chance of winning. There are probably free games already loaded on your computer or flash games available online. Go low-tech and encourage your kids to pick up a deck of cards for a game of solitaire.
Mind Challenging Games
For some children, the best way to take their minds off what's bothering them is to give them a mental challenge to refocus their thoughts. Buzzle.com suggests giving kids a Rubik's Cube and telling them to try to match the colors on just one side, if solving the whole thing would be too stressful. Challenge children to a game of checkers or play some chess.
Darts and Punch Balls
If stress is building to the point where kids want to throw or hit things, there are ways to get that energy out safely. Challenge your children to a game of darts, but make sure the dart set has an age-appropriate design. Buzzle.com notes that the focus and movement involved in darts can help reduce low feelings.
Play with punch balls. Children can punch the balls on their own or you can make a game out of trying to hit the ball from person to person without letting it touch the ground.
Games on Paper
Some kids like to unwind with word games. StressManagementTips.com suggests pulling out a crossword puzzle book, doing word search games or solving mazes. Other children might enjoy the challenge of solving Sudoku puzzles.
