“I’m bored” is a phrase that most parents or caretakers have heard. Children may have a pile of toys to play with, but most of the time, parents get frustrated and ignore their kid’s worries. No parent can expect their kid to sit around a place and play for hours with their toys. So what to do when bored with kids? Instead of seeing it as a burden, take it as an opportunity to boost the creativity and personality of your child because experts suggest that boredom is essential for kids that helps them to grow in essential ways. So let’s find out what to do when you are bored with kids.
What can kids do when they are bored?
Children are always active and vibrant. It is very important to keep the kids engaged and grab their attention because much of their personality, social and emotional developments happen in this phase of their life. It is neither easy nor too hard. What can kids do when they are bored? A ‘Boredom Jar’ can save you in such situations. So make a boredom jar along with your kids. Work with them to come with some interesting ideas and write all those on paper and put them in the boredom jar. So next time, when your child says “I’m bored”, ask them to pick an activity from the boredom jar and do it with them. Here are fun, low-cost, and parent-approved things to do when bored at home for kids.
1. Wash the Car with Mom and Dad
Children love playing with soap and water. It is also an excellent mode of exercise for the body. They not only learn to wash the car but also learn the parts of the car. It is one of the best methods to teach your kid the importance of a parent’s hard work. They learn the effort that parents put into everything. Children would love to behave like grownups. Plus mom and dad will get a nice clean car out of it.
Also read: Fun Learning Games For Kids: Learn Together, Play Together
2. Clean and re-organize room
If there is one room that you probably wish never to look at again, it would be your kid’s room. Most of the time, the kid’s room is a mess with books, toys, crayons, etc. From a young age, children should be trained to do their duties by themselves depending on their age. So cleaning the room along with the children would be a fun activity to keep the children engaged. From three years onwards children start showing interest in participating in working along with their parents. Permit them to leave toys that they no longer love to play with. This activity not only helps in cleaning their room. But you also train them as responsible individuals.
3. Collect rocks and paint them
Sometimes children get bored of painting on paper and scrapbooks. So in this activity ask your kid to find some interesting rocks from the surrounding area. Now give their paints and tell them to paint in whatever way they love. Once they finish painting, you can display it in their room. Show them a demo by painting a flower or their favourite cartoon characters. Through this activity, you boost the creativity and artistic skills of your kid.
4. Cook with children
Bake their favourite cookies or cake. You can help your child to explore the world of food. When children cook they not only use their sense of taste but also use other senses. There are plenty of recipes for cakes and brownies that children alone can make without the help of parents. Take all the safety measures before cooking with them. Don’t give any sharp objects like knives and scissors. Tell them to pass the ingredients or mix them. Children learn several concepts of mathematics like counting, fraction, measurement, etc. Also, don’t hesitate to clear your doubts.
5. Write a letter
Writing a letter can be fun. In this digital era, it is important to teach children the experience and values of handwritten letters. In this activity, children can choose their grandparents or even their best friend. Give them the freedom to write anything they want. Correct their spelling mistakes and depending on the age, correct grammar also. But don’t pressurize them with language rules. After writing the letter, provide them with an address and stamp. Children will learn the structure of a letter which boosts the language skill of your child. Above all, on the other side, there will be one happy person when he/she receives the letter of their grandchild or best friend.
6. Pictionary
Pictionary is an evergreen drawing game for all age groups. The game is very simple and funny. Participants are divided into two or more groups. Players from one team will put some words in a bowl and a player from the opposite team will be asked to draw the particular word within an allotted time. The choice of words depends on the age group. For example, words like a flower and the sun can be given for preschoolers and animals can be given for big children.
7. Make a fort
This is one of the best indoor activities, especially during the winter season. Give them the ideas to make a fort and provide the necessary help. Let them build it using pillows and blankets. It would be fun for you and also your child. This activity will make them busy for a while, especially when they are provided with flashlights and their favourite storybooks. Once they are inside the fort, they will be excited to do anything, so give them some healthy snacks and meals; they’ll finish it within seconds.
Also read: Fun Learning Activities for Kids: Make their Holidays Better and Productive
8. Play “Simon says…”
“Simon says…” is a very interesting and funny game that tests the quickness and attentiveness of your child. One player will have to act as Simon. The other players should follow the commands given by Simon, interestingly not all commands; only the ones prefaced with the phrase “Simon says…”The players who perform wrong actions or the ones who fail to respond immediately to the command will be eliminated. Children will be more excited when parents also play along with them.
Conclusion
So now you have got a clear idea about things to do when bored at home for kids. Being bored is a good thing because it makes them use their imagination and will invent some stories and games. Know the interest of your child and plan activities according to that. Children love when parents also join in their fun activities. Make use of the time together and train your child to adjust to every situation.
