2o Things to do With Bored Kids:
1. Walk around your garden or local park and collect some leaves. Use marker pens to create leaf characters! You could also stick them on paper to create a story.
Idea and photo from Bright Star Kids
2. Bake cup cakes and decorate them with a theme.
3. Make slime!
Ingredients:
bottle Elmer’s white school glue
1 1/2 – 2 Tablespoons contact saline solution, more as needed (or slime activator)
1 Tablespoon baking soda
Food colouring, optional
How to make it:
Add glue and food colouring to bowl. Squeeze the bottle of glue into a bowl. Add your food colouring if desired, and stir until combined. Then mix in baking soda.
Mix in saline solution. Add 1 1/2 Tablespoons saline solution and mix until combined. If it’s too sticky, add 1/2 Tablespoon more solution at a time. The more you add, the thicker it’ll be. The less you add, the slimier it’ll be.
Knead the slime. Using your hands, knead the slime until it holds together. It will be wet and gooey at first, but just keep kneading until it all comes together.
Store slime in a container with lid, or in a zip top bag. The slime is best to play with on a place mat.
Recipe and image from iheartnaptime
4. Collect some flowers. Press them inside some heavy books. Create bookmarks by adding the pressed flowers to card and covering with sticky plastic.
5. Visit your local library.
6. Host a fashion show!
Go through all the clothing that your kids have. Sort through the clothes to see which ones fit and which ones don’t, which ones are no longer worn and make a pile of clothes to take to the charity shop!
Ask the kids to mix and match the other items (throw in some of yours such as scarfs, hats etc) and dress up for the show. The best part about it? They pretend to be celebrities, strike funny poses and strut on stage. You can even grab your camera and run a photo shoot after the show.
It's a perfect indoor activity if you want them to keep busy and out of trouble. This is also a great way to keep everyone active and entertained while sorting out the kid’s wardrobe at the same time!
Idea and photo from School Holidays.com.au
7. Make pizzas!
8. Play board games.
9. Pitch tents in the back yard and go camping!
10. Create a pot plant fairy garden.
11. Collect some rocks and paint them.
Idea and image from Kid Friendly Things To Do
12. Learn a magic trick!
13. Make paper airplanes.
14. Make a volcano!
Ingredients:
Plastic cup
Water
3-4 Tbs of baking soda at least
1 tsp of dish soap
Food coloring (or washable paint if you want to avoid staining)
1 cup (8 oz) of Vinegar
What to do:
First, combine your base ingredients by putting the water inside of the plastic cup and filling it about 2/3 full.
Then add the baking soda, dish soap, and a little bit of food colouring or washable paint. Using washable paint instead of food colouring will help you avoid staining.
Stir the ingredients together.
Then, pour in the vinegar until it starts foaming and pouring out of the cup.
Repeat as necessary with more colours. Your kids will definitely be asking for more.
Idea from Milwaukee With Kids
15. Create a boredom jar! Together, write ideas for what you can do when bored on strips of paper. Put them inside the jar. When bored – take the jar out and dip in for an idea!
16. Write an old-fashioned letter on paper! Add drawings. Post it to a friend or relative.
17. Make tissue box monsters!
Ideas and image from Best Ideas For Kids
18. Set up a stall and sell something you made!
19. Go on a picnic at the park – or in your backyard.
20. Make a finger play!
Idea and image from Teach Starter
I hope this has given you a few ideas to help your kids get creative!
Read my other blog posts at www.francesmackay.com