Blasting Boredom

“I’m BORED!!!”  

Ever had a string of days when the the kids have fallen ill one after the other and you’ve been stuck at or close to home for what feels like days on end?  

Or when there’s been yet another snow storm or torrential rain storm and braving the elements just isn’t appealing?  

Or when your heavily scheduled child has a day off activities and doesn’t know what to do with themselves?

And you don’t really want to put the kids in front of the TV or iPad but you feel like you’ve run out of other options?

How do you respond to your bored child and what should you do?

Although the latest research is slightly conflicting, there is generally a lot of evidence that overuse of screens by children is not good for their brain development. 

What defines overuse varies but you generally know that your child has watched too much TV or played too many games when they struggle to stop using the screen or are aggressive, irritable or sullen upon stopping.  

Screen use not only affects children’s brains (and is addictive due to the massive dopamine surge), it can also impact their creativity and ability to use this and their imagination to conjure up fun activities.

You might have heard that boredom is good for children - that it forces them to dig deep into their creative resources and come up with something to do to entertain themselves.  In fact, this is part of what makes children magical - that they have this special ability to truly play.  To be inventive, creative and enter the world of make-believe. 

Whether your child is 2 or 12, it’s important for them to have “empty” time in their scheduled lives - to allow them to be creative and process their thoughts, feelings and experiences. 

Boredom also helps children learn how to manage their own time and play activities.  Think of it as practice for downtime when they get older - they need to figure out what to do with themselves when they have a quiet moment - something that will make them happy or keep them entertained.  They might decide to read a book, do some writing, play quietly or make up a game.  It’s during this unstructured, self-directed time that they get to learn more about themselves, better understand who they are and figure out what they enjoy doing.

But what if your child is really struggling to come up with something to do and is whining about being bored?  

Empathise and listen.  Offer your ears and your heart and let them tell you about how frustrating or annoying it is to be bored.  Reflectively listen to their complaints and let them know that you “get it” - it’s no fun being bored, feeling like you have nothing to do, no one to play with, etc. etc.  

Stay connected to them - if possible, use some sort of physical connection - a hug or a hand on their arm is often sufficient.  Just be there for them in that space and let them experience that emotion.  You don’t need to judge them, reprimand them or fix the situation for them.  Just be there for them in that moment and stay connected to them.

And when your child is ready and has processed their emotions, you can then ask them for some ideas of things they might want to do.  If they struggle to come up with ideas, you can problem solve the situation together and suggest one of the fun activities in the list below.

40 Fun Activities for Blasting Boredom

1. Basketball hoops - if you don’t have a ball, make one with rolled up socks and use a bucket or plastic washing up bowl for the hoop.
2. Balloon handball - blow up some balloons and try to keep them in the air as long as possible either as individuals or in pairs/teams
3. Floor hopscotch - map out a giant hopscotch on the floor using coloured tape for the boundaries
4. Floor bowling - use empty toilet paper rolls or tin cans and a tennis ball
5. Indoor disco - turn down the lights, turn up the music and have a boogie
6. Make a giant poster - stick lots of sheets of paper together, put it on the floor and have everyone collaborate to draw or paint a big poster
7. Build a fort using chairs, sofa cushions, blankets, etc.
8. Build an indoor obstacle parcours
9. Build a balance beam - tape on the floor for little ones, back of the sofa or other suitable surface for older ones.
10. Build a giant indoor car track with tape 
11. Make a picnic lunch and set up a picnic spot under the table
12. Play dressing up - either with costumes or let them try on your clothes
13. Giant memory game - take household items, put them under blanket and try to remember as many as possible
14. Build a reading den/hideout - someplace cosy in the corner with lots of books
15. Play shops or families or schools
16. Create a quiz - about the family or general knowledge
17. Cooking - simple biscuits or chocolates for younger kids, a simple meal for older ones
18. Take a bubble bath
19. Make paper aeroplanes and fly them from the top of the stairs
20. Make play doh or slime
21. Create a show / dance / spectacle for the adults to watch 
22. Make a puzzle from a family photograph - stick it to cardboard, draw out the shapes, cut it up
23. Play simon says 
24. Face painting or makeovers
25. Paint some rocks and stick on features such as googly eyes
26. Design a new board game (or just play one)
27. Learn origami or kirigami
28. Tie-die an old t-shirt or decorate one with permanent pens and scissors
29. Play apple bobbing - put apples in a bowl of water and try to “catch” them with your mouth and hands behind your back
30. Play hide and seek
31. Mummify each other - using toilet paper
32. Play the chopsticks and raisins/M&Ms game - try to pick up raisins or M&Ms with chopsticks
33. Redecorate/rearrange a bedroom
34. Make cards for the next holiday occasion or family birthday
35. Plant some seeds - cress seeds are great for little ones or winter
36. Create a treasure hunt and clues
37. Make a drum kit from cardboard and play “band”
38. Wash the family pet - or clean out their cage/bed
39. Create a sensory box 
40. De-clutter old toys/belongings for donation

Regardless of the age of your child, remember that boredom, like any other emotional state, is not bad for them or undesirable. 

Perhaps it will take a little more effort on your part to help them work through those emotions and problem solve solutions. 

It certainly will require more involvement than just popping them in front of a screen. 

And whilst it might take just that little bit more time and effort, remember that you are helping your child process stuff internally - to figure out who they are and what they enjoy doing. 

And they might just experience a little mindfulness in the process.