104 Ways for Kids to Beat the “I’m Bored” Summer Blues
Now that school is out and summer is in full swing, the words moms dread more than any others – “I’m bored,” are being said by kids everywhere. About 5 years ago I put together this “I’m Bored” list for my children, printed out copies, and hung it on the refrigerator. When my kids told me they were bored, I told them to pick something from the list and have fun. As a result, my fifteen year old son is now a really great cook – that was the item on the list he picked over and over again to do. My now seventeen year old built an Indian Village in our backyard complete with a large tepee, fire pit, face paint, and lots of weapons. One of my twins developed a love for gardening, and my other twin’s love for animals was nurtured. Just imagine the hidden talents and interests your kids can discover for themselves when given ideas of new things to try!
- Play in the sprinkler
- Read a book
- Make a movie with your video camera
- Cook something
- Learn a new language
- Make up your own language
- Build a fort
- Make dress up clothes from your favorite movie
- Plant a garden
- Write a letter to a friend
- Start a club in your neighborhood
- Make a list of 10 ways you can help someone else
- Go on a nature walk
- Start a leaf collection
- Do a hard math problem in your head
- See how many words you can make on your calculator using the numbers
- Learn ascii art
- Teach your pet a new trick
- Paint a picture
- Write a short story or poem
- Write a song
- Have a lemonade stand
- Start a charity
- Go bird watching and learn about the birds you see
- Learn to identify animal tracks
- God on a picnic in the backyard
- Finger knit with yarn
- Have a puppet show
- Make friendship bracelets
- Bury a treasure and make a treasure map for a friend to find it
- Make paper dolls
- Paint a t-shirt
- Work a crossword or word search puzzle.
- Look for pictures in the clouds
- Work a jigsaw puzzle
- Start an art journal
- Make a duct tape wallet
- Start a blog
- Do sit ups and push ups
- Blow bubbles with dish soap and wire
- Make homemade play dough or goop
- Invent something
- Build a house of cards
- Make a bow and arrow out of string and a stick
- Ride your bike
- Sketch
- Call a friend on the phone
- Play fetch with your dog
- Play a board game
- Make up a new board game
- Make a new friend
- Listen to a new type of music
- Clean your room
- Do something special for someone in your family
- Learn to do a magic trick
- Learn a new word and use it all day
- Go to the library
- Learn sign language
- Write on the sidewalk with chalk
- Organize a yard sale
- Have a race with a friend
- Take a walk around your neighborhood
- Set 5 goals you’d like to accomplish by the end of the summer
- Learn to knit or crochet or another new craft
- Pretend you are older and picture what you want your life to be like
- Plan a family movie night at home
- Try to say “Irish Wrist watch” ten times fast
- Learn a new instrument
- Play solitaire
- Write your own comic book
- Pick your favorite super power and how you’d use it to change the world
- Learn to braid
- Draw your own race car
- Wash the car
- Make a salad
- Write knock knock jokes
- Climb a tree
- Make juice popsicles
- Paint rocks to look like animals
- Make a television show with your friends
- Memorize a favorite Bible verse or passage from a book
- Press flowers
- Make a collage from magazine pictures
- Make mud pies
- Make a bird feeder
- Try to break a Guinness World Record
- Sing a song
- Collect all the change you can find in your house
- Count by 2′s to 1000
- Make a bug zoo
- Do cartwheels and somersaults
- Dance to your favorite song
- Collect clothes and toys to give to another family or to charity
- Make a nature journal of things you see outside
- Make a carving out of soap
- Sculpt with modeling clay
- Invent your own pizza toppings
- Learn Morse code
- Leave hidden notes around the house for your family to find
- Make a parachute for army men
- Start a gratitude journal – everyday write down 3-5 things you are thankful for
- Build a Lego castle
- Design your own flag
- Tell someone you love them
Category: Frugal Fun, Frugal Kids
This is awesome, Candace!!! Thanks!
Hi Candace, I know you’ll appreciate this one! When my daughter was about 7, one summer morning, I helped her set up a quick yard sale. Just about 20 items on a few snack tables and chairs. I pretended to be a buyer and bought something. I knew she’d only last 1/2 hour or so, which she did – and we took it down. But it was fun to do!
This is great! My son just left for camp this morning, so I know my daughter will be lonely. I plan to whip this list out when she needs it. Thanks!