Nothing ruins a summer so much as the phrase “I’m BORED!” But letting your children pass the days sitting in the air-conditioning in front of some screen or another is not the answer to this problem. Here are all kinds of things your older children can do to engage in life, relieve bordome, stimulate their minds and imagination and use their gifts to bless others. [Check out my son’s stop-motion videos if you want to learn the value of stimulating the imagination.] Here’s hoping that awful phrase is removed from your home this summer. These activities are — for the most part — FREE!, child led (not a lot of parent involvement necessary), and can be done right in your home or yard. Almost all of them don’t even require electricity much less a screen (although I do send you to some internet links to help you get started on some of them). Print ’em and Post ’em. When the kids even HINT at being bored, point to the list. Enjoy!

Go here https://blessandbuild.com/2014/07/07/unplug-and-explore-60-things-kids-can-do-at-home-when-theyre-bored/ to see my list for younger children,
and here https://blessandbuild.com/2014/07/07/road-trips-unplugged/comment-page-1/#comment-160 to see my ideas for fun things to do in the car.

LEARN and ENTERTAIN

Alone or With Friends

Learn at least 3 different kinds of SOLITAIRE.
Learn to SHUFFLE and “bridge” cards
Find old FRAMES and/or old FURNITURE (get permission!) and PAINT them with fun designs.
Practice SPORTS SKILLS – dribbling, shooting, passing, free-throws, lay-ups, kicking, batting, pitching, volleying, archery, etc.
LEGOS
PAINT a masterpiece (If you haven’t got any ideas, try to copy a famous piece of art.)
Practice DRAWING – I heartily recommend Mark Kistler’s books (or videos).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAcK9BY7Ymw
Explore the world from a DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE with binoculars, magnifying glass or microscope.
Have a KOOL-AID STAND.
Gather, clean, and price outgrown toys and have a TOY SALE.
CHALLENGE YOUR BRAIN with Cryptograms, Crosswords, Sudoku or Logic Puzzle
Create a MAZE, with pencil and paper or with blocks or dominoes.
Write a STORY.
Complete a 500 piece PUZZLE. (or more difficult if you choose)
Use RUBBER STAMPS to make a collection of cards
Learn ORIGAMI. – Get a book on how to do it from the library.
Listen to AUDIOBOOKS (Check your local library for a plethora of titles.)
CLIMB a tree.
DECORATE your room.
Build a TREE HOUSE.
ROLLERBLADE
Go for a BIKE RIDE. – With your parent’s help map out a 10 mile route and conquer it.
Practice creating an outstanding AUTOGRAPH. Your signature says a lot about you. Make it stylish and unique.
Make a MINIATURE GOLF COURSE in your yard or basement. Use soup cans for holes.
Learn some fancy JUMP ROPING moves.
Learn some MAGIC TRICKS.
Try a simple BUILDING PROJECT – shelves/bench/wooden crate/etc.
Make an awesome COSTUME.
Go on a NATURE HIKE.
Create a SHELTER out of branches, leaves, etc. Sleep in it, if you dare.
Press FLOWERS.
Make PICTURE FRAMES from twigs (or any other objects) glued onto sturdy cardboard
Learn to KNIT or CROCHET.
Make DOLL CLOTHES.
Create a FAIRY GARDEN in a corner of the yard.
http://www.themagiconions.com/2010/08/make-fairy-garden.html
RE-FASHION old T-shirts.
http://darlingadventures.com/?p=574
Make BOOKMARKS.
RE-CREATE your favorite book illustration.
DESIGN your own GAME.
Write SECRET MESSAGES with lemon juice on white paper. When dry, hold paper over heating toaster to make invisible letters appear!
Start a JOURNAL or write in one you already started.
Organize your photos. Create a PHOTOBOOK.
Find and ant hill, drop some crumbs or sweet liquid nearby and watch the ANTS do their thing.
Play CHARADES.
Draw/write a CARTOON STRIP of your own characters.
Make a MAP of your bedroom, house or neighborhood.
Find a PEN PAL from another country. Share ideas about your cultures with each other.
Collect sticks and mud and build a BIRD’S NEST.
Create a family or neighborhood NEWSLETTER.
Make PAPER AIRPLAINES.
Learn to COOK a meal.
Gather junk and discarded materials and turn it into a sculpture or other piece of art. This is called FOUND OBJECT ART.
Create a STOP-MOTION VIDEO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuexL14O9L8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9115ZqfkXM4 (See how creative my kids are?)
Learn some CARD TRICKS.
Practice FANCY LETTERING – a great skill to have for making cards and signs
https://www.etsy.com/listing/175732200/jeremiah-2911-for-i-know-the-plans-card?ref=shop_home_active_21
Start a BLOG.
Learn to FACE PAINT.
Learn to whistle, snap your fingers, swim, ride a bike or ANYTHING ELSE YOU’VE WISHED YOU COULD DO. (Probably not flying though.)
REARRANGE your bedroom.
Learn to tie a variety of KNOTS.
Learn a new VOCABULARY word every week and try to use it correctly every day that week.
Play MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.
Pitch a tent and CAMP OUT in the backyard.
Learn to make SHADOW PICTURES.
LIP SYNC to a favorite song. Or just go ahead and learn to sing it —really well!

LEARN and ENTERTAIN

With Friends / Siblings

Play BOARD GAMES.
Play cards with a friend. Look up “POPULAR CARD GAMES” and learn the rules and strategy.
Play MARBLES.
PUZZLE RACES – Using two puzzles of the same difficulty (100 pieces or less) Race a friend to see who can complete their puzzle first. You can also do this with teams.
MAKE A VIDEO staring you and your siblings/friends.
Play HOPSCOTCH.
Set up an OBSTACLE COURSE and challenge friends/siblings to beat your time.
Have a water BALLOON TOSS or an egg toss.
Have a WATER FIGHT with water balloons, water guns, big plastic cups or all three!
Play FLASHLIGHT TAG.
Play KICK the CAN. http://www.wikihow.com/Play-Kick-the-Can
Have a SCAVENGER HUNT. Form teams and a list of things that must be found outside/ in the house/ in the neighborhood. State a time limit and see which team can find the most items.
Record you and your friends doing CRAZY STUNTS like posing as mannequins in a store window, asking a stranger for a bite of his sandwich, handing out candy bars to random passers-by, having a parade down your street, or protesting something ridiculous.
Play FOUR SQUARE. http://www.wikihow.com/Play-Four-Square
Play photographer. Have a friend take turns with you doing PHOTO SHOOTS of each other.

Be a Blessing

We Are Most Blessed When Blessing Others

WRITE a Letter.
Wash WINDOWS.
Clean a SHELF or DRAWER in your room.
Set Up CARNIVAL GAMES for the kids in your neighborhood or for your siblings. (If you want to get really into it – have the kids bring old toys in exchange for tickets and use the old toys for game prizes!)
Memorize then Recite BIBLE VERSES.
Memorize then recite a POEM.
Put on a PLAY.
BAKE A TREAT for your family or neighbors.
ADOPT A GRANDPARENT from among the many lonely people in assisted living. Write them notes, visit them, make things for them.
Make CARDS/PICTURES and send them to loved ones
CLEAN your bedroom.
Pull the WEEDS.
Using family friendly movies, run a THEATER in your living room for friends (complete with popcorn!).
Write “THANK YOU” cards to tell someone how they’ve blessed you — even if you haven’t received a gift from them.
Create circus stunts and perform a CIRCUS for/with the neighbor children.
DUST the house.
BRUSH the pet.
PICK berries or vegetables.
ENTERTAIN a younger sibling or neighbor child and give mom a break.
Play outside with a PET.
Surprise a neighbor with a GOOD DEED.
Host a TEA PARTY.
BATHE a pet.
READ to younger siblings.
ORGANIZE a dresser drawer.
Clean UNDER the BED.
MOW the lawn.
Create a list of “RANDOM ACTS of KINDNESS” you can do. See how many you can accomplish.
Hold a neighborhood BIKE WASH.
Do a STORY HOUR for the younger children in your neighborhood.

As I write this post, my grandson (having perused this list) is playing on the floor in front of me building habitats for his rubber animals out of building blocks and various containers of water. His pterodactyl is taped to the ceiling fan and is flying over the entire project. When he is done setting it all up, the Playmobile people (and, no doubt any real people that happen to be here) will tour this miniature zoo to admire his creations.

When my grandson comes to stay for the week, he almost never turns on the TV, and video games are non-existent. Growing up, my boys always had access to the “I’m Bored List”. I made lots of lists because in the middle of raising a passel of kids, the brain gets taxed. My lists helped me come up with creative ideas when my brain was feeling less than inspired. Often, you would find a list like this hanging on the wall for the kids to consult whenever they got bored.

PLEASE PEOPLE — unplug the children!

Read how to UNPLUG on Road Trips here.

Admittedly, we have amassed a great collection of toys over the years, so you might not have access to everything listed here. Customize this list with the toy collections you have in your home. We have always kept sets separate in a bunch of clear plastic boxes. It makes them far more accessible than if they are all mixed up or buried in the bottom of a toy box.

A great place to start collections of your own is at local thrift shops or rummage sales.

So here you have my “I’M BORED LIST” geared more toward younger children. This list is largely stuff kids can do by themselves, but use adult supervision when needed. Can you add more ideas?

Also see my list for older children here.

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