Summer Fun Ideas (Or What to do with a Bored Kid!)
by adustyframe ~ July 12th, 2010Since James is an only child, I think he has a tendency to get bored a little more easily. We keep busy and he does play with friends, but he’s often looking for something to do.
While James was at camp, I made a list of fun ideas. I wrote each on a piece of a 3×5 card and dropped them in a basket.
When he is truly bored and has done his chores and other good stuff, I’ll let him choose 2 ideas from the basket.
The rule is he has to do one of the ideas.
Here’s the list–feel free to leave a comment with some more ideas you have.
Mom I’m Bored List
Make Goop= (Cornstarch and water equal )
Skate in the tub on shaving cream
Bake something
Play in the sprinkler
Paint yourself=(1 squirt paint, 3 squirts dish soap, paint brush–in the tub)
Paint Pet Rocks
Measure stuff
Play with shaving cream outside
Play a game with mom
Read a book
Make a fort
Make Mud and play in it
Work on a puzzle
Review your Presidents or States facts
Play with sidewalk chalk
Paint
Watch the clouds with mom
Read outside on a blanket with mom
Wash the car/truck/bike
Ride your bike
Make an obstacle course in the back yard
Use your binoculars outside
Play catch
Build with Legos
Clean under the couch–keep any change
Make a treat to share with the neighbors
Try a science experiment
Draw a map of the yard or house
Practice magic tricks
Paint your face
Build something with your building toys, (marble run, Lincoln Logs, blocks, etc)
Practice your piano
Race cars
Invent a new bouncy ball game
Find an ant colony and observe them
Invent a death defying circus act
Do origami
Listen to Odyssey online
Take pictures
Take a walk and identify trees
Make an obstacle course for your cars
Make playdough
Make mom bookmarks for school
Make a cat toy
Make a boat and race it in the pool
Write a list of 100 things you could do if we had no tv or computer
Find an idea in your Dangerous Book for Boys
Organize the art supplies
Make new crayons with broken crayons
Write a letter to our Compassion Child
Play math games on the computer
Freeze toys to chip out of ice
Water the garden
Refill the bird feeders
Carve soap
Plan a dinner menu for Mom
Make sidewalk paint
Shave ice for snow cones
Go fishing
Design tee shirts
Play hair dryer Atari=blow ping pong ball or paper cup with hair dryer–keep it in the air
Take a photo scavenger hunt–win a prize
Make a smoothie
Play I Spy with mom outside
Draw a bike path with chalk and follow it
Practice your pogo stick
Make a list of 20 “would you rather” questions
Make pudding
Build something with only red and white Legos
Build something with only 25 Legos
Play a game outside with mom
Make a volcano
Memorize 5 state capitals
Look at scrapbooks with mom
July 12th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
It isn’t just only children………..lol–Good List. One year I made an I’m bored Jar. Little slips, but it was “trick or treat” maybe you got “fun” maybe a chore! It helped! They still talk about it.
July 12th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
One word. EXCELLENT !!!!!!
I would also add the alphabet game where you
Make a list of things from a to z that can be found
Inside or outside the house…….
Great list Lizzie !!!
July 12th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
Sounds like a great idea! Let us know how it goes.
July 12th, 2010 at 6:19 pm
Wow! What a great list! You are such a good mom.
My first thought was the fort. Another idea is to learn how to juggle or to make balloon animals. He’s probably too old for this, but my kids loved to paint with water. (just a regular bucket of water and different size paintbrushes) It evaporates quickly if it is very hot, but if it is not too hot outside, you can play tic-tac-toe or draw pictures. Just one safety note – I would be very leery about letting him skate in the tub. I have fallen in a tub before. Thankfully, I didn’t break anything, but it is easy to do.
July 12th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Fantastic list! There are some great ideas hear that I might just tuck away for future reference.
I hope James enjoys the list.
July 17th, 2010 at 7:33 am
what a great list! i may have to borrow some of those ideas this summer…