Top 100 List for when kids say I'm Bored!
"I'm bored!", the two little words that you may here a little more often in the coming weeks. Boredom, believe it or not, can actually be a positive thing, rather than a negative one. Some experts say boredom is essential for kids because it leads to increased creativity and helps your child to grow in important ways.
If your child is bored they are forced to come up with their own ways to entertain themselves, it gives them the opportunity to look inside and think about their own interests and passions.
It's important to remember that a child saying that they are bored doesn't really mean that they have run out of things to do, It means that what they see in front of them isn't stimulating or interesting. It may also be a sign that they just need some adult attention.
We have come up with a top 100 list of fun ideas for you to do as a family or to suggest to your kids when they are "bored." Some with links to items we carry right in our stores.
- Have a Scavenger Hunt
- Get outside & Collect Bugs
- Study a spider web
- Create an Indoor or Outdoor Obstacle Course
- Setup 3-legged races
- Wash the dog or pet that you have (as long as it's not a fish)
- Go Stargazing
- Play silly pranks on brothers or sisters (or mom & dad)
- Plant a garden for spring
- Camp out in the living room or basement
- Build a bird house or feeder
- Make a paper hat
- Make a paper boat and see if it floats
- Decorate an old or new T-shirt with fabric markers
- Send postcards to family, friends or seniors
- Setup a Finger painting station
- Make your own Play-doh
- Make a necklace out of beads or pasta
- Make clay charms
- Have a fashion show
- Go outside and make giant bubbles
- Learn to Hula Hoop
- Learn to Jump Rope
- Decorate your bedroom
- Have a PJ Party
- Find shapes and animals in the clouds
- Create a short movie or a play to perform for your family
- Make up a fantasy adventure story
- Make decorations, curate a playlist, and throw a family dance party
- Practice tongue twisters
- Learn to juggle
- Create a house of cards
- Make paper airplanes and fly them with your friends
- Make Hopscotch out of masking tape
- Play Freeze Tag
- Play Hide and Seek
- Play Red Light, Green Light
- Make sock puppets
- Learn to play Domino trains
- Dye Shaving Cream with food coloring
- Create a musical instrument out of recyclable materials
- Make a box town out of old cardboard boxes
- Play cats in the cradle
- Have a picnic on the living room floor
- Learn clapping games like Miss Mary Mack
- Learn a new Card Game like Phase 10, UNO or Dos.
- Setup a Board Game Night
- Look at old pictures and pick out your favorites
- Watch old home movies
- Learn to make soap
- Build a blanket fort
- Tell scary stories in the dark
- Go outside for a hike (don't forget to bring water)
- Build a fort outside
- Learn sign language
- Build a house with toothpicks or popsicle sticks
- Walk the dog
- Bake some treats for your neighbors
- Play chess or checkers
- Play charades or Pictionary Air
- Have a bubble gum-blowing contest
- Learn a new cake recipe. (set up a camera and film a cooking show)
- Make a mancala counting game with an egg carton.
- Design and go on an indoor treasure hunt.
- Make ice cream in a bag
- Dress up in your best clothes and have a fancy dinner.
- Make friendship bracelets
- Make rock candy
- Create your own bingo cards and have a bingo tournament
- Practice origami, or the art of paper folding
- Play indoor volleyball or soccer with balloons
- Make your own popsicles
- Have a tea party
- Play the Floor is Lava with our Liquid Floor Tiles
- Snuggle on the couch and read your favorite books
- Have a pillow fight
- Paint with Kool-Aid
- Make a scrapbook
- Build a jigsaw puzzle
- Create creatures out of pipe cleaners
- Play hangman or tic-tac-toe
- Make a time capsule and bury it where you'll remember in the future
- Build a couch cushion cave
- Throw a birthday party for your favorite stuffed animal
- Create a rice play table on a baking sheet
- Paint a rock and decorate it
- Bake cookies and decorate them
- Create your own TV show
- Go for a bike ride
- Create a gratitude or vision board
- Make your own Slime
- Write a letter to a soldier or veteran
- Make homemade mini pizzas
- Create a unique milkshake at home
- Learn some new magic tricks
- Throw a unicorn party
- Play pretend house or dressup
- Setup a building competition with Legos
- Create a stop motion Lego Movie
- Grow your own crystals
We hope this exhaustive list will give you and your kids some great ideas the next time one of them comes up to you and says I'm bored. There are always endless things for kids to do to learn and explore the world around them. This list is far from complete but lets add one last one if your child says they're still bored after going through this list.
101. Make a list of 100 things to do when kids are bored!
We hope this helps you and your family enjoy more time together as you Explore, Imagine and Create!
