Five Ways to Capture Your Child’s Attention

In today's fast-paced world, many of us find ourselves moving through the day, lacking a true sense of connection with our children. This challenge is further compounded by our world becoming ever more saturated by screens, which almost constantly compete for both ours and our children’s attention. So how can families use play to help their kids thrive? Here are five ways to grab and hold your child’s attention, even in the age of endless digital distractions.

1. Create a Sensory-Rich Environment

Children are naturally drawn to environments that offer a variety of sensory experiences. Whether it’s the feel of textured materials, the sight of bright colors, or the sound of rhythmical music, a rich sensory environment can be a great way to engage your child.

For instance, set up a “sensory station” with different textures that your child can manipulate and explore. Try activities like playdough, kinetic sand, water play, or finger painting, which can help captivate their attention while boosting fine motor skills, creativity, and cognitive development. Engaging multiple senses at once can really draw children into an activity.

2. Use Movement to Your Advantage

Instead of trying to keep children still for long periods, use movement as a tool for engagement. Simple physical play like jumping, spinning, or dancing can help harness children’s energy. Incorporating movement breaks throughout the day or making a game out of movements can keep them excited and involved.

Obstacle courses and floor is lava are favorite go-to activities! You can easily use pillows, chairs, couches, balls, and blankets to create infinite movement opportunities. These kinds of activities provide both physical and mental stimulation, making it easier to capture children’s attention and hold it for longer.

3. Make Activities Meaningful

Children are more likely to stay engaged in an activity when it feels relevant to them. I always encourage parents to tap into their child’s interests and incorporate those into play and other daily activities. Joining our children sends them the message that we care about their interests and want to know more about what brings them joy.

When an activity connects with something a child is passionate about, their attention naturally follows. Focusing on interests builds intrinsic motivation and connection, which are powerful ways to engage our children.

4. Slow Down

This might sound simple, but we lead busy lives and it’s easy to rush through tasks automatically. We often expect our kids to keep pace with our adult-driven plans and schedules. However, slowing down can offer additional processing time and be an incredibly effective way to capture your child's attention. It also gives us the opportunity to appreciate the small things we love about our children.

Try incorporating pauses and building anticipation, inviting your child to respond and sharing moments of excitement. Sometimes the anticipation of bubbles floating through the air or mixing paint colors can feel just as thrilling as the act itself. This simple shift in timing not only holds their attention for longer but also creates a deeper connection between the two of you.

5. Don't Forget to Have Fun Yourself!

This is arguably the most important strategy of all. We are naturally drawn to engaging with others when we feel that they are having fun too. Children are incredibly perceptive and often mirror the energy and emotions of the adults around them. If you’re playful and genuinely enjoying the moment, it’s more likely that your child will engage fully with you in return.

Whether it’s making silly faces, playing dress-up, or laughing together at a funny game, let your child see you having fun and being spontaneous. This shared joy creates an environment for engagement, play, and growth.

Takeaway: Focus on Quality, Not Quantity

The key to capturing and holding your child’s engagement is to offer them sensory-rich, movement-based, meaningful, and connection-focused play. With a little patience and creativity, you can create an environment that nurtures their curiosity and playfulness – far beyond the confines of a screen.