Creative activities and everyday support

What colouring can offer

A colouring page gives you a small, visible task with a clear place to start. Choosing colours and repeating a shape can be an enjoyable creative pause. Some people find this calming; others prefer movement or a different activity. These MOXIE books have not been clinically tested, and we do not claim that they improve ADHD symptoms or replace treatment.

Try one small area for a few minutes. Keep the materials within reach, choose a page you like and stop if it becomes frustrating. Finishing the page is optional.

Activity ideas for children

These are optional home activities to adapt to the child, not clinical prescriptions.

1. Two-choice art: offer two pages, then two or three colours. Let the child decide where to begin.
2. Move and return: after a comfortable short period, offer a stretch, a walk or another enjoyable movement before returning.
3. Picture routine: draw three steps for a familiar routine. The child colours each picture and uses it as a visual reminder.
4. Find and colour: choose one shape to find, then colour it. Avoid speed competitions.
5. Creative company: sit alongside the child doing your own quiet activity. Offer help when invited.

Activity ideas for adults

1. One visible next step: write one small action on a card, place it beside your work and complete that action before choosing another.
2. Short creative pause: colour one section between tasks. Use an optional timer as a reminder, not a deadline.
3. External memory: keep a single list for appointments and tasks, and a regular place for essentials.
4. Quiet company: try working beside a trusted person, with a clear agreement about interruptions. It may help some people start; it is not a treatment.
5. Choose your environment: try fewer visible distractions, comfortable lighting and movement breaks; keep what helps you.

Signs that can be overlooked

In adults, difficulties may involve planning, keeping track of everyday responsibilities, remembering tasks or finishing projects. Restlessness may feel internal. Someone can look quiet while still struggling with attention. Such patterns merit assessment when persistent and impairing, but do not prove ADHD.

NIMH explains that assessment considers childhood history, functioning and other possible explanations. Sleep problems, anxiety and other conditions can overlap with attention difficulties. A qualified clinician can help work out what is happening.

Source: NIMH — ADHD in Adults: 4 Things to Know

How many adults are undiagnosed?

There is no reliable number established here for undiagnosed adults in South Africa. It would be misleading to use an overseas diagnosis rate as a South African estimate.

A CDC analysis of US survey data from October–November 2023 estimated that 15.5 million US adults (6.0%) had a current ADHD diagnosis; 55.9% of those adults reported being diagnosed at age 18 or older. This describes diagnosed US adults, not how many people remain undiagnosed today.

Source: CDC MMWR, published 2024, using 2023 survey data