10 Great Ideas for Children to Beat the Boredom

10 Boredom Busters for Kids

So you don’t want to hear the whines of “I’m bored!” from the kids?
Here are ten great ideas to keep your children occupied during the times when they think there’s nothing to do.

Boredom Buster #1 : Create a Boredom Jar

Write down a whole bunch of fun activities that you know your kids will enjoy doing. Put each idea on a separate piece of paper, fold it up and pop it into the boredom jar.

Now the next time your child complains of being bored direct him or her to the jar to randomly pick out an activity.

Boredom Buster #2 : Go on a Nature Walk

Go for a walk with the kids around your neighbourhood. Get them to look out for, and collect, pretty flowers, different shaped leaves, and any other interesting pieces of nature. When you get home give them some paper and wood glue for them to glue on their discoveries and make a unique piece of art.

Boredom Buster #3 : Create a Kareoke Contest

Put some of their favourite songs on and get them to sing along. You could even make it more formal and have a “Judge’s Chair” where you sit and encourage them, and hand out rewards after they’ve completed their set.

Boredom Buster #4 : Gumboot Art

Lay down some big pieces of paper or cardboard. Pour out paint into some trays. Get your children to put on their rubber rain boots and step into a paint tray. Then they can walk around on the cardboard and make patterns with their “paint shoes”.

Boredom Buster #5 : Build a Fort

Take any old boxes and pieces of timber into the garden and get the kids to build a simple fort or castle. Let their imagination run and see if they will construct and enact battles or fantasy stories.

Boredom Buster #6 : Make a Bubble Bath Volcano

Put a bowl/bottle/cup outside (maybe inside their Fort) and pour in some baking soda. Then add in some Bubble Bath. Then let the kids choose a colour of food colouring, and pour a little in.

Finally pour vinegar over the top of the concoction and you’ll see the mixture bubble and foam in a mini eruption.

Boredom Buster #7 : Build and Fly a Kite

Build a simple kite with your kids using some lightweight wood and plastic or material. The easiest design would use two pieces of wood tied together to form a cross, then staple the cotton material around the framework.

Get a ball of string and tie on end to the kite’s frame. Get one child to hold the ball of string while the other launches the kite into the air. Apart from having a fun time flying the kite, the kids will feel extra proud to have helped with its creation.

Boredom Buster #8 : Make an Art Box

Make it easy for your kids to have an “Art Afternoon” by having an arts and craft box already assembled. Keep it stocked with an array of crafting tools such as coloured paper, scissors, crayons, glue, felt, cardboard and old magazines. That way whenever your child is feeling bored they can go straight to the Art Box and start being creative.

Boredom Buster #9 : Make Perfume

Gather petals from various flowers around the garden, or from a walk in the neighbourhood. Drop them all into a jar (or any large container with a lid) and add some water and give the mixture some good stirring. Using a wooden spoon should work best because you can then mush the petals as much as possible too.

Put the lid on and leave the concoction overnight to strengthen the fragrance. Then pour the mixture through a sieve into an empty perfume bottle which the little girls can then use as their very own perfume.

Boredom Buster #10 : Make a Slip ‘n Slide

Place some groundsheets, tarpaulins or plastic sheeting in your garden to create your very own slip ‘n slide. Obviously it works best if you have a bit of slope in the yard. Turn the hosepipe on, make sure the entire area is wet before the first child dives in.  Leave the hose running and you could even add some dish-washing liquid or bubble bath to make the experience even more fun!

So there you go! Ten great ideas to keep your kids from ever getting bored! Have fun 🙂