Start the Day Right with an Activity

Kids are used to be being told what to do, where to be, when to talk and so on. But on weekends and school holidays, that structure disappears and suddenly the rules seem to evaporate overnight.

First thing in the morning can be a struggle, which is why it is easy for bored kids to turn to their screens. Sometimes screen time when the kids wake up is an absolute lifesaver but then the transition off it, can still be bumpy.

Whether you choose to use screen time in the morning or not, there is one tiny adjustment you can make that can impact the rest of the morning and reduce boredom. And that is as simple as having something laid out at the breakfast table ready for them to explore.

Having something as simply as some activity sheets or coloring pages on the table, can take away the stress of what to do.

Here are some low prep ideas to leave out the night before:

This is a great low prep way to start the day, away from screens and can get kids talking and engaged while you share breakfast together. I love this one, as when my girls were little they would often still be at the table halfway through the morning still happily coloring away or building.

Creating a Supportive Environment to Play

Just before each holiday, I would have a big tidy up and sometimes even rearrange the furniture to make it extra kid friendly. The one thing I found year after year, is that it didn’t matter how much I sorted things into drawers, they rarely ever opened them!

These Ikea Trofast units made the biggest difference to my sanity. The tubs allowed me to sort things, while the surface provided the perfect space for play. Then every few months I would swap out the toys and each morning or afternoon I would pull out a drawer or two, and leave it out for the kids to find.

Sometimes, just the act of having a clear out at the beginning of the holidays with the kids nearby can do wonders for turning boredom into play. It’s amazing how they suddenly want to play with toys the moment you declare them fit for goodwill or they find something they forgot about.

Plus, simple kid furniture that acts as storage and work surfaces are great for rearranging into shapes. I’ll never forget the year we moved the Trofast units into a pirate ship, added a sail and decorated with flags and a plank to walk. We had so much fun and we were so sad when my daughter fell ill and couldn’t share it with her friends.

Here are some ways you can prep your environment to help prevent bored kids:

Simple Ways to Turn Boredom Into Play

It’s tempting to think that buying new toys for bored kids at the beginning of a long holiday, or even mid way through the year away from holidays or birthdays will solve the problem. But as much as we don’t want to admit it sometimes, it often doesn’t go the way we think it will. I will happily put my hands up to buying things for the kids with high hopes, and it ended up barely touched.

But, there is something that does work really well to turn boredom into play and that’s using their toys in new ways. When we follow a child’s natural interests by using their favorite toys, we can offer them new opportunities for open-ended play.

Expanding a Toy’s World

Think about how you can expand the ways your child plays with the toys. For example, there are so many possibilities for cars beyond just driving them fast!

Grab some chalk and head outside to draw roads, a car wash and a mechanic’s garage and other places to visit. Inside carpets with roads and places on them are great, but outside is where the opportunities truly open up.

Car Wash: Use the chalk to draw out a car wash, and supply containers of water and soap for your child to mimic the car wash. Cars can queue to take turns being washed, while freshly washed cars are free to explore the garden.

Places of interest: The garden offers up lots of places to get extra dirty, helping the activity to naturally repeat itself. Draw a few roads into flower beds you don’t mind getting a little disturbed.

You could also help your child to set up a mechanics or a driving school. Think about the materials available in the garden, such as a ramp using some wood and a pile of bricks, to help test crash the cars and determine their possible safety rating.

Other examples include:

Shopping Never Gets Old

Shopping role-playing never went out of fashion in my home but sometimes it did need a little shaking up to be fun again. The biggest jump was using labels or some sticky tape and paper to put prices on things. A pretend till, some fake money and some actual prices on things, created an easy way to uplift an old game.

It also gave the kids a chance to raid the kitchen, stealing my cans, bags of pasta and vegetables to add prices to for their shop. Plus, it came with the added bonus of them requesting some of the food for dinners.

The one thing I love about role play games like shopping, is that they are super easy for parents that find playing with their kids hard to get involved in. Whether it’s helping them to expand their product range, adding up their purchases or making silly requests for items, it doesn’t require huge amounts of imagination.

Plus, as an adult, it’s super fun to be an awkward customer! Use it to send your kid on a mission to go find an item you know is buried in their bedroom somewhere, or insist that you want milk that comes from a purple cow! (Even better if you have some cow coloring pages printed out ready for them to carry out your request).

Packing for the Sun

Sometimes it’s the simple things that spark the coolest ideas, helping to prevent bored kids. Each year the kids would have a new swimming costume for playing in the garden.

Yet, every year they would spend more time wearing it indoors, then getting wet outside. Probably due to the unpredictable and unreliable British weather!

Cue me, adding in sun hats, glasses, bags and a suitcase each, and you have an easy game of pretending to go on holiday. Build a tent in the garden or living room, pack your toothbrush and some clothes and you are good to go!

Except, it’s a long way there on the plane or by car, so you need some activities and toys to take with you in your suitcase. Your kids will have to choose carefully which toys they can take with them.

Finish off by building an airplane or boat using the sofa cushions, and supply them with some summer printables to enjoy for the long journey ahead of them. By then, their imaginations will be ready to take over and the worry of bored kids will be a thing of the past.

Christmas in July?

Every year I knew it was July, not from the calendar but from the kids asking is it Christmas yet? For kids the year feels like it goes on forever and ever and ever….. and ever..

So sometimes, we used to just pretend it was Christmas right in the middle of the summer holidays. I wouldn’t get out the real tree or the decorations but we could always find something to act as the stockings and some old paper to decorate to wrap up the presents. Making paper chains never got old as we turned up the volume on Christmas carols to sing along to.

Sometimes we would do some Christmas crafts ready to give as presents later in the year. Don’t underestimate how much fun doing things at the wrong time of the year can be.

Bonus Learning: It’s a great opportunity to think about those in the Southern Hemisphere who actually do have Christmas in the middle of summer. Help your kids to think about what Christmas would look like if it is hot enough to swim in the sea and BBQ. Would it feel right?

Set Up a Challenge

When bored kids are under your feet, sometimes a good challenge that puts their minds to work is needed. This is when having some easy to grab options is fantastic.

I am all for low prep activities and challenges. There are so many mom blogs and Pinterest ideas that look super fun and clever but have too many components or supplies.

The best challenges are often the simple ones:

Challenges help bored kids by putting their brains into gear, and often creating lasting memories. My kids still remember the time I brought several trays of eggs for us to walk across (without them breaking any!), and how we then spent weeks trying to use them up.

Let the Kids Be Bored

Finally, don’t feel bad for letting the kids be bored. It’s frustrating as a parent to have them whining at you and wanting you to fix the problem, particularly if you are getting on with other important tasks. But given the chance, boredom can lead to kids finding their own insights and creativity.

If it’s a persistent issue, then go back over the previous ideas, rearrange their toys or leave them in odd combinations and places. Leave out string, tape, recycling materials, non-fiction books or things they may be curious about. Then step back and let their imaginations have the chance to think things through.

With a little bit of help, it won’t take long for the bored kids to make the adjustment into unstructured time, when we step back and allow it to happen.