Sometimes even the simplest activities can be trying for children, and they may be reluctant to participate if the activity is new or unfamiliar to them. It can often become a struggle to get kids to try new things, especially if they attach fear to the unfamiliar task or lack the confidence to try something new. Below are 3 tips we use at camp to help more hesitant kids open up to new experiences.
- Talk it over – sometimes kids will try to talk their way out of trying something new, coming up with a list of excuses as to why they shouldn’t take part in the new task. Parents can acknowledge their reasoning, and provide reasons for why participating in this new task may actually be beneficial. If your child seems to have an unfounded fear, it’s good to address it without undermining it or writing it off as silly. What’s silly to us may be tantamount to them, and it’s important to address their fears and talk them through them.
Sometimes, a child will only give part of the reason why they refuse to do something. Other times a child is too embarrassed to admit the real reason they don’t want to partake in an activity. For example, I had one camper refuse to participate in lacrosse because she had forgotten her hat. She said she was too hot and did not want to play in the sun without one. A hat was found for her, and still she refused to play. After talking to her for a while, I found out she had never used a lacrosse stick before and was afraid she wouldn’t be any good. Once I was able to find the reason for her apprehension, it was easier to talk her through and get her to participate. By offering to work with her one on one while the Sports Counselor led the rest of the group, it was easier for her to ease into the activity she had been reluctant to do.
Give them Options– if a child is still reluctant to try something new after you’ve talked it over, present the activity in a manner that encourages them to make a choice to at least try it. If for example, a child is reluctant to get in the water before a swim lesson, you may say “You can sit by the edge of the pool with your legs in the water and practice kicking, or I can go in the water with you if you do at least 10 bobs
(bobbing their heads in the water).” If you can get them to take the first step, it becomes easier to gradually ease them into fully participating in the activity.
- Make an Adventure Journal – once you do get kids to try something new, commemorate it by writing it down in a journal and adding pictures of the new activity they have participated in. By making a tangible collection of their accomplishments, kids can look back on the fears they’ve overcome and build their self-confidence to try more things in the future.
