Summer is filled with lots of free time. And all that free time can be heavenly… until your children get bored and you get tired of coming up with new ideas. What’s a mom to do?
This is where I hope to come in: It is my plan to help you blast away boredom this summer on MomsToolbox.com…. Because we’re all in this together and I know we all would much rather have lots of fun with our kids this summer than not.
Every Monday through Thursday until August 20 I will post daily boredom blasters. Every Monday and Wednesday, the ideas will be pretty generic that I hope you can do anywhere. The other two days I will post ideas in and around Houston, Texas. (Hopefully the local ideas will inspire those who aren’t nearby to find something similar near you.)
And to keep you busy between posts, my first activity is one with lots of ideas that you can pull out and employ at moment’s notice.
So get out your scissors and a container and let’s blast away summer boredom forever, starting right now with a boredom blaster jar…
Boredom Blaster Jar
First find and decorate any container which will hold lots slips of paper… break out the stickers, glitter glue, tissue paper and whatever you may have in your craft stash. Don’t make this a chore, let your kids do it and get as messy as you can stand. The container could be anything… an old peanut butter jar, margarine tub with a slit cut into the lid or even a gallon zipper bag).
Next, print the boredom blaster list from below and cut out each activity into strips and fold to hide the ideas. (After you toss any you don’t like and add any you might enjoy.)
Put the ideas into the container and, when boredom strikes, have a child select an activity and go for it!
Feel free to combine the ideas or create one jar for outdoor activities and one for indoor activities.
Here are the activities:
Play ZINGO (These are some of the games we own. Go through your own stash and list.)
Play Uno Attack
Play Chutes and Ladders
Play chess
watch the clouds and look for animals or other shapes
Play Chinese Checkers
Play Candy Land
Play Pente
wash car
play with sand or rice outside
paint the sidewalk with water
find bugs and start a collection or take pictures of them
listen to the birds sing and try to imitate them
play hopscotch
make an obstacle course in your backyard
play tag or freeze tag or chinese freezetag
play Frisbee
ride bikes/ scooters
play basketball / shoot baskets (or use buckets on the ground as baskets for smaller children)
squirt each other with hoses
run through the sprinkler
jump rope
blow bubbles and catch them on the wand
go on a color hunt
go on a shape hunt
pull weeds
use binoculars
use a magnifying glass
make sidewalk chalk art on the front walkway
play catch
play a bouncy ball game
collect rocks
find an ant colony, spill some food, and watch what happens
host a lemonade stand
clean under the bed
vacuum under the couch cushions; keep any change found
build with blocks or Legos
finger paint with pudding
make dessert and take some to your neighbors
make treats to take to the school administration office
give your pet or dolls a party
play flashlight tag
check out a science book and try some experiments or watch some on http://www.stevespanglerscience.com
play hide-and-seek
create a symphony with bottles and pans and rubber bands
string dry noodles or O-shaped cereals into a necklace
glue noodles into a design on paper
make a map of your bedroom, house, or neighborhood
cut pictures from old magazines and write a story
make a treasure map
finger paint with shaving cream
bake a cake
bake a batch of cookies and share with your neighbors
make paper airplanes and race them
paint your face, mom’s too
make a tent out of blankets
read books
make homemade play dough
play with play dough
draw / color / paint
invent circus acts
dust the house
play dress-up
build a fort in your bedroom
do a jigsaw puzzle
cook something new by going through the cookbooks and letting the kids choose
surprise a neighbor with a good deed
play store
hold a tea party
play house
sprout seeds or beans
make sock puppets
paint a picture with lemon juice on white paper, hang in a sunny window, and see what happens
make food sculptures (from pretzels, gumdrops, string licorice, raisins, cream cheese, peanuts, peanut butter, etc.)
Watch Americas Funniest Videos
Play bocce ball
Have a pillow fight
Make music with instruments
Play Polly pockets or ponies
Make a race track and race cars
Slide down the stairs in sleeping bags
Do a craft with glitter
PS. For more boredom busters, check out Works for Me Wednesday!
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