Create “boredom Jars” With Your Child
If you have children, you know they get bored. I firmly believe that kids are good to be bored sometimes, but there are times when you want to shake things up a little and you lack inspiration. When it’s raining for three days in a row and the words “I don’t know, I’m reading a book” come off my lips again, it’s nice to be able to pick a new idea out of the hat. Maybe a jar.
With summer approaching, now is a good time to sit with the children, create “boredom jars” and fill them with activities when everything inevitably gets bored. Brainstorm together, jot down ideas on small pieces of paper, and set them aside for the day when you need a little more creativity.
I created two main jars, one for indoor ideas and one for outdoor seating. But you could get even more specific to choose the right activity for the right occasion. There are days when you want them to go outside but stay in your backyard. Or maybe they got stuck inside on a rainy day and you’re not in the mood to clean up a big mess. Select the can categories accordingly.
Here are some ideas:
- Backyard play
- Let’s get a mess
- Study
- Time to bake (make simple recipes made with ingredients you always keep close at hand)
- Family walks
If you’re lucky, they’ll learn to reach out for banks before they start whining, ” I’m bored .”