Sound familiar? If you are a parent of young kids, I would bet that you have heard this before. Especially during the summertime–sure, for the first couple of weeks after school ends, summer break is exciting to kids. They are thrilled to be home all the time and able to relax and play all day. But after the newness of being out of school wears off, the boredom sets in for kids and that’s when parents start hearing grumblings of discontent.
How do we handle the boredom? You can, of course, spend time playing with your children–board games are great for this–but that alone will not solve the issue. Kids need activities they can do on their own because parents do not always have the time to play; kids need to learn to occupy themselves (with parental supervision, of course).
So, I have compiled my top 10 boredom-busting activities for young kids. These are tried-and-true, both by my own children and by children I had in preschool and summer camp classes I used to teach. The activities I listed are best for younger children, I would say for ages 4 to 8–but, you can modify many of them to suit older kids.
1. Paint with water: This is an outside activity, best for a hot day. Give your child a small bucket of water (light enough for him to carry) and a paintbrush. Then tell him to go paint the fence, or the porch, or the sidewalk–or let him decide what to paint. This may not sound like a very exciting activity, but believe me–kids love it! Vary the size of paintbrushes you offer your child to keep him interested.
2. Vinegar water spray bottles: Think your kids don’t like to clean? Try giving them their own spray bottle filled with a weak vinegar water solution (safe for kids and most household surfaces) and a rag and you will be amazed! My kids will actually ask if they can do this activity, and I had preschoolers in one of my classes as young as the age of 2 who had a blast doing this. You do need to make a rule or two, though–one of mine is “One spray, then wipe”–otherwise, the kids would be happy to just spray and spray.
3. Aluminum foil play: Let your kids get creative with aluminum foil. Give them each a sheet or two and tell them to mold it into whatever they want (you may need to demonstrate a few ideas the first time you have them do this activity–try a mask, jewelry, animals, or anything else you can think of). Foil is pretty cheap, so let the kids use as much as they need and they will keep busy for quite awhile.
4. Painting outside: Somehow painting seems like an entirely new activity when you bring it outside. Posterboard or cardboard works best, but you can also tape paper down on the sidewalk or you can even fasten an old sheet or piece of canvas on the wall for your kids to paint on. Bring out standard paint brushes, or to add even more interest, have your kids find some nature items with which to paint. Children can dip sticks or small branches into the paint, or they can try using a sturdy leaf or a piece of mulch–whatever they can find nearby.
5. Wash the bikes and cars: This is a good one for a hot day. Have your kids put on their bathing suits and set out a couple of buckets of warm sudsy water. Give each child a giant sponge and have them go wash their bikes and your cars. After soaping everything up really well, let the kids spray everything down with the hose–kids love to operate the hose. You can even up the excitement factor for this activity by offering an incentive (an ice cream cone, perhaps?) for a job well-done–after all, this activity is somewhat like a chore (don’t tell the kids that, though!).
6. Fort and flashlights: This is a great rainy day activity, or one for when it is too hot to be outside. Challenge your kids to build the best fort–the biggest one, with only one entrance or the darkest fort, or a fort using only what they can find in their bedrooms. Or, you can provide several blankets and have them make a family room fort using the furniture cushions. Tell them to come and get you when the fort is complete and then give each child a flashlight to play with in the fort. Show them how to make shadow creatures with their hands, or maybe have them come up with a ghost story of their own to tell you. Kids love to play with flashlights because it is different for them, something they don’t normally get to do.
7. Miniature sand box: Take the lid from a shoe box or something about that size and fill it with about a half-inch layer of sand (or use salt, if you don’t have any sand). Then have your child make a miniature sand garden–give him a fork to use as a sand rake, a spoon to flatten the sand, and a blunt knife or chopstick to divide the sand. He can also grab some rocks from outside to add to his garden, or make a Lego house to add–let him go wherever his imagination takes him. You may need to give him some guidance at first, or show him some internet photos of sand products like this that people buy for their office desks so that he understands the concept. Display his garden in a prominent place when he is finished to show him that you are proud of his work.
8. Toothpick/Marshmallow construction: Get out a box of toothpicks and a bag of miniature marshmallows, then let your kids build the biggest tower or bridge that they can. You may need to show them how to fit the pieces together, and I’m sure there will be a little snacking going on during the building, but it is all in good fun. You can also have the kids try this with gumdrops or other gummy candies instead of (or in addition to) the marshmallows). Kids can either work together to build, or they can each make their own construction.
10. Taking pictures: Before digital cameras were around, this would have been an expensive activity for children–but now, it can cost next to nothing. Teach your child how to operate your digital camera (or, if you want to invest the money, buy him his own simple model) and let him go out and about to take photos of whatever catches his eye. Make sure he understands how to work the flash if he will be taking any indoor pictures. Later, you and your child can upload his photos to your computer and you can have him sort them, allowing him to delete any he doesn’t like and letting him edit others as needed (after you have shown him how to do these things, obviously). Then your child can email his photos to relatives or he can print some for a scrapbook. This activity is fun for parents because it gives you an insight as to what your child sees and pays attention to and what is important to him.
I hope that you will give these ideas a try with your kids. Of course, you don’t need to occupy your children each and every time they claim that they are bored–it is good for kids to try to come up with their own activities and ideas of things to do. But, sometimes it can make for a fun summer day if you suggest an activity for your kids. So the next time your kids need a little help figuring out what to do, turn to this list and you are sure to find an activity that will please both you and your kids.
