Kids get bored so quickly at home. Most of the children complain that a holiday is boring than their school days. Kids have more downtime when they stay at home. Once they start chanting “Momma, this is boring,” it’s tough to keep them occupied with a single task.
Parents are not always free to give all their attention to their children. There are weekends and vacations when parents feel like they cannot keep their children at home anymore.
Sometimes, it’s just the rainy weather that keeps the kids inside. Sometimes, it can be some significant unannounced pause caused by the pandemic, like COVID-19, that we’re tackling now. Keeping your children at home 24/7 hours is one of the most challenging things to do during this pandemic. How can you encourage your child to be physically active when they cannot even go outdoors?
As a parent, one often wishes that someone would make a list of productive things to do when kids get bored at their houses. Don’t worry now. I’ve come up with the most feasible and a bunch of creative as well as playful activities to help your kids banish boredom.
Kids often get bored at home. But now they won’t ever feel bored. Here, I have come up with a bunch of ideas to keep your kids busy and happy at the same time.
1. Watch Cartoons
Kids, it’s your time! Watch your favorite cartoons while you stay at home. Nothing can make kids happier than watching cartoons. As soon as your kids complain about getting bored, suggest watching their favorite cartoons on TV or online.
Bear in mind that prolonged exposure to computers and TV’s can harm their eyesight. Spending a longer duration staring at screens might also harm your body posture and cause backache.
2. Bathe & Ask your kids to keep the room tidy
Personal Hygiene is the first thing that your kids should learn as a kid as keeping the body and surroundings neat and clean will make people happier and healthier. So, during your kids day off from school, make them
- Take a bath,
- Ask to clean their room and make beds,
- Ask them to arrange their study table and their clothes.
3. Scatter some Jigsaw Puzzle: Put them together
Are your kids getting bored? Come on, they cannot be when they have hundreds of small puzzles to link into their favorite animals or other pictures. Draw their attention to connecting the unconnected puzzles. Ask siblings or other family members who are free to play to join in. Jigsaw puzzles are fun and can make time go faster.
4. Do some gardening
Plow your garden and ask your kids to help you. Sow some seeds and beautiful plants and flowers will grow there. Plants are an essential part of our ecosystem. So, if you are planting, you are contributing to nature. Nothing is more meaningful than learning about flowers and gardening when you or your kids are bored at home.
Note: As a kid, you can not do gardening all by yourself. So, gardening is best when everyone in the family is looking for a refreshment and something exciting to do together.
5. Learn something new on the Internet
Everyone is curious as a child. Learning about meaningful digital experiences and having good device habits in children is essential. Having queries in mind about stars and galaxies is not new to anyone. Nothing can confine the desire to learn as a child.
Whatever your kids want to learn about, turn on the wifi and start searching. If they are asking you about your country, or about the world, or galaxies, or anything, you can do that online.
Note: As parents, keep in mind that you should be around when your kids are using the internet and make them aware of good online etiquette.
6. Ask your kids to help you to decorate the room
- Ask your kids to suggest some ideas for decorating the room. Also, ask them to help you by cutting some paper,
- making flowers to stick on your wall,
- molding colorful slime into some animals.
Art is the skill of creating something out of the imagination. Explore your kid’s imagination. Let them make anything that they want. Trust me, your kids will not feel bored and have a lot of fun doing that.
7. How about making your favorite Pizza at home?
Does this not sound exciting to you? Well, as a pizza lover, my mouth is already watering. Baking and cooking are definitely among many children’s favorite things to do. Taking out all the utensils, making dough, playing with it, mixing ingredients, learning the application of ovens and gases is fun. Making imperfect dishes and enjoying them with family makes the family bond more intact.
There are a lot of youtube videos where you can find many food recipes. Try making them with your parents or by yourself, if you can. Some kids have had a keen interest in cooking since their younger days. Trying new recipes and making good food for them and for the family can make them more creative.
8. Go for a walk or on bike riding in the neighborhood
Being physically active as a child is essential. Less physical activity and you are already lazy and bored. Participating in physical activities becomes lesser as a child goes to school. So, during days when your kids are home, go for a walk whenever feasible. You can go with them on morning walks and/or evening walks in your neighborhood.
Health experts suggest that walking is the best form of exercising for all age groups. If everyone at your home loves hiking, then you can schedule hiking on weekend days or during vacations.
Cycling is the best memory of childhood. So, rather than staying home and feeling bored, take your kid’s cycling. Don’t go too far.
9. Picnic Lunch in your backyard or outdoors
Who wouldn’t love to go on a picnic with their family? Picnic is refreshing. To me, a picnic is some sandwiches, pies, sausages, veggies, fruits, and grilled chicken. Sitting under an open sky under the shade of a tree with family is the best feeling to me.
When kids are bored at home, take them on a picnic. If you can go outdoors, to parks, to beaches, take them there. If not, pack a perfect picnic and arrange a beautiful set up in your backyard.
10. Draw your favorite cartoon character
Since our childhood, we have all had a hero: our favorite cartoon character. Mine was Jerry, the mouse from Tom and Jerry. Who is yours?
When bored, what about taking out your drawing sheets, some pencils, and colors? Ask your kids to draw their hero or favorite cartoon character. Let them draw whatever they like. By doing so, it draws all your kid’s concentration into the drawing. You may note me saying this, drawing is more fun than it sounds.
11. Go fishing with your parents
Bored at home? They say, “A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work.”
One of the things that I enjoy doing when I am bored is going fishing. Whether it be angling alone or with my family, it is a vital thing to do. Fishing can be someone’s hobby, but you need not worry even if it is not.
Once you go fishing with your family, it will soon be one of your hobbies. Going out with family makes family communication better. This improves the bond between the family members.
Along with going fishing, I would also recommend kayaking. It is a fun sport to do with your family.
12. Take some family portraits
“Time is irreversible. But…every picture tells a story.” How long has it been since you took some family portraits? Holidays are the best time to take them. When there is nothing better to do, dress up, set up space for photography, and click your beautiful moments together. This is not just a productive idea, but a wonderful thing to do when kids feel bored at their house.
Or you can take out the old photo albums and see the old photos. Looking at pictures of when your parents got married feels excellent and refreshing. There are many things in the albums to laugh at.
13. Refreshing Activities and Games
While I say playing games, you might get an idea of playing games electronically. But some games can be played manually with family at home.
I have seen people playing hide and seek. You all know about it, right? Other fun games could be let’s say, ‘the Mystery Jar’. Write some fun activities on small pieces of paper, fold them and keep them in a jar. After that, one person takes out a random paper and performs the written activity in the paper in front of everyone. It already sounds fun, does it not?
With small kids, you can play games like ‘Close your eyes and guess’. As the name suggests, you close your eyes and take your hands forward. The other player brushes a mystery object on your palm. Now, you open your eyes and guess that object.
There are many games that you can find online. Play games and spend quality time with your family rather than feeling bored.
14. Dance!!
Less physical activities make you lazy. Laziness drags you towards boredom. Bored kids are difficult kids. Once bored, their mood gets easily thrown. The one thing I would suggest doing when bored is to dance. Dancing is an art.
Dancing helps relieve stress, even in adults. It is a good form of exercising and keeping your mind free and happy. When kids feel bored, make them dance to their favorite songs. One can find a lot of dance choreographies for kids on youtube. Play them and dance.
Praise your kids as they dance and they will love dancing even more. Dance with them. Dancing will make one happy. Also, you will never feel bored once you dance. Act while you dance. This will feel more joyful.
15. Fancy dinner at home
I am a food lover. I get excited when someone says food. So, this is my favorite thing to do when bored: trying out new recipes on the internet.
When you are having difficulty in passing the time. Go to your kitchen. Look around. Decide what you want to eat for dinner. Call everyone and share your ideas for dinner. Convince them to cook dinner together and enjoy themselves.
Make your dinner fancy. Help your parents in the kitchen. Help them with whatever you can do. If you are interested, arrange the table by yourself. Look up at some videos online where kids arrange a fancy table for dinner. Try to use your creativity as well.
By doing this, you are going to make some of your best memories with your family.
