Building Communication with Busy Kids

Does your child have big energy levels, bursts of creativity, and limited attention? Those traits can fuel communication growth. Now, all you have to do is learn how to harness hyperactivity and movement to build vocabulary, connection, and confidence without fighting your child’s natural pace. It is easier said than done. Especially if you do not have the drive as your child, it can be very challenging. Learning strategies that can channel their energy would be number one job.

Turning Energy into Language

“A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.” ~ Paulo Coelho

Behavior is communication and even those energetic moments can tell us a lot about what our children need. If we stop judging them for being active, if we stop telling them to just ‘calm down’ and we “listen” carefully what their hyperactivity is telling us, maybe we could connect with them at another level.  You could even create a bridge between your child’s world and yours. When we honor who our kids really are, we celebrate effort, keep momentum high, and show children that their ideas matter— kids feel seen, accepted, and more incline to learn.

Children with high activity levels often learn best when their whole body is engaged. High intensity language activities invite talking, signing, pointing, and showing—so kids can express themselves even when attention is brief. A quick sign, a picture point, or a single word + gesture combo keeps the interaction moving, which reduces frustration and increases success.

Make Movement Work for You (Not Against You)

1) Match the energy.
Use fast, fun, high-interest activities (music, chase, bubbles) to spark short practice moments. Pair one word or one sign with each exciting action: “Go!”, “More”, “Pop!”. Short, repeatable reps fit limited attention and build success.

2) Layer modalities naturally.
Model 1–2 words plus a gesture, sign, or picture. Example: say “Open” while showing the sign/opening the lid. This gives your child multiple ways to respond—whichever “sticks” in the moment.

3) Keep language simple and purposeful.
Use core words your child can reuse everywhere (go, more, stop, open, help, in, out, turn, my, your). Consistency across play, meals, and routines helps words “stick,” especially for children with hyperactivity who benefit from predictable patterns.

Actionable Tips

• One idea at a time: Short phrases + one clear gesture/sign.
• Pause for power: Say it, show it, then pause 2–3 seconds to invite a response.
• Celebrate attempts: Reward any try—eye gaze, reach, approximation, or button press.

Most of the time we think that we must have a plan, a step-by-step guide of what we are going to do and what we are going to say. And that is not the case all the time, because life is not a script. Life is full of surprises and unexpected moments.Like us, children must learn to be flexible and “roll with the punches”. We can practice structured activities and expect children to participate in those activities. At the same time, we must be able to take opportunities when our children initiate interaction and are willing to engage in their own terms. Simple strategies like following their lead, pausing and waiting for their reaction, modeling and practicing, using sensory toys

Pairing favorite toys with movement

• Bubbles: Blow bubbles far away and ask your child to chase them. Use words related to the toy like “Open” (bottle), “More,” “Pop” for bubbles or “throw”, “catch”, “my turn”, etc.
• Running: Make an obstacle course, and use words to practice “Go,” “Stop,” “Again.”
• Mr. Potato Head: Place the Mr. Potato body parts on top of a table and they have to build it 5-10 feet away on the floor. They can only grab one part at a time. Practice labeling or identifying body parts.
• Balloons: The goal of the game is not letting the balloons touch the floor. Fill up a preferred number of balloons and have your child say “more” (you give another balloon every time they say more), “stop”, “help” and/or “all done”.  

Final Thoughts

Parents: Sometimes parents are not ready for the kind of energy their children will have. At times children their energy levels are very different from their parents’, and that is ok.  Just be present in the moment. Children do not care if you can run fast, they just enjoy running with you. And if in the process they win the race, that boosts their confidence. Laugh with your child, jump on the trampoline, run around the backyard, play catch or frisbee (do they still sell frisbees at the stores?). Just allow your children to be who they are and allow them to use that energy without being judged. If you need more ideas about how to keep your child busy and use all that energy they have, visit the link below.