Just like that the hustle and bustle of the holidays are over and the in-between days are here. The excitement of all the new toys and no schooling has worn off and the kids are probably starting to get restless. You might have even heard the dreaded “I am bored” already. Don’t fret, I have rounded up some of our favorite tried and true boredom busters for you to keep those three words at bay!
Get Moving
One of the fastest and easiest ideas to cure kid boredom is to get them moving and active. These work great for the adults too. So, grab your coat and get outside!
- Snow or no snow, you can get an indoor snowball fight started. This is my family’s favorite inside fun activity, and it always ends with laughter and great memories.
- Take a walk if the weather allows. I know this one sounds simple, but just getting outside and in the air can really help. Make it even more interesting with a nature scavenger hunt and look for certain shapes, letters, or make it harder for teens with specific plants, animals, and trees in your area.
Stick with STEAM
STEAM projects are always fun activities for kids at home. They are for all skill levels so they can be great boredom busters for tweens and teens too!
- With a few common household items, you can make a catapult to shoot paper, marshmallows, LEGO bricks, and more. Make some targets on the floor and challenge each person to catapult their items into each spot!
- Get the kids in the kitchen and make your own playdough. Expand it into a game and play playdough Pictionary!
- Have the kids create their own story stones. These can be as easy or as complicated as you dare. Go the simple route with stickers and Mod Podge, or get the art going with markers and paints!
- Investigate simple machines! I am not sure what it is about pulleys and levers, but they amaze and awe my kids. Especially when they get to create them from things around the house.
- Make an activity jar. We have all seen these floating around Pinterest with ideas. I like to combine it with things my kids already love…like LEGO! LEGO challenge cards work great in our jar. You could also try art challenge cards too!
Think out of the Box
It seems like we have an abundance of boxes after the presents are unwrapped and the gifts are unboxed. I always plan on taking them to recycle but they do tend to sit stacked for a while before we get there. So why not use them to banish the boredom!
- Make a box fort! Stack them high and wide and drop a sheet on top for a secret hideout. If it isn’t big enough for a person to fit make a hideout for a pet, or favorite toy! If you really want to take it to the next level you can try a cardboard igloo that also includes some math and engineering. What a fun learning win!
- Turn those boxes into homemade toys. Go the easy route and make a toy car garage or get more advanced and try a marble run. For even more fun, have the older kids make a custom skeeball game!
Online Games
I know more computer time is not what most of us want for our kids, however, we can make an exception for learning games, right! Especially when they are fun and the kids don’t realize they are learning!
- Find a free learning game for any topic you want plus videos, songs, and more to keep the kids interested.
- Get your gamers coding and learning about how to make their own games. Try one of the one-hour tutorials like dance party, Minecraft, or flappy code.
Keep those three words away with some crafty ideas, STEAM, nature fun, and learning games. Don’t forget the part that will make the kids the happiest, join in on the fun and play!
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