How To Cure Kids’ Boredom In 30+ Ways This Summer

May 23, 2020

It’s that time of year again. Summer Break, woo hoo… This time the rules are a little different because it seems like we’ve already been on “vacation” for the last 9 weeks.  That is without pools, the heat, bbqs, and the like.

In our house, we followed a schedule to keep us on track to finish school work each day, so while the end of the year lacked full closure, the summer will provide a break from intensity of school work.

Now, that’s not to say that school will completely go out the window. No, no, no my dear friend. This summer is completely different than any other summer before and it’s not for lack of trying to put away the electronics, no. It’s because usually we supplement our device usage with time at the pool, camps and practices to fill the gaps. While there will be some camps still in progress, the amount is much less, meaning my four kids are going to the poster children for the phrase, “I’m bored.”

Each summer, I vow and set the highest intentions to get my kids off their butts and doing more outside or using their imaginations. One year, I was too strict and it backfired. Another year, I was too lax, that bit me in the butt much sooner. This year, the stakes have been changed once again. I decided to have soft play equipment Swansea so that the kids would enjoy their indoor activities with lots of things to do.

We are still crossing our fingers for swim team this summer. Time will only tell if our local pool will allow our kids to practice in the morning. But if not, the kids and I came up with a solution to get rid of the I’m bored floating through our house.

Collaborating together helped us come up with a compromise that everyone could agree on. Most of the rules set were ones we’ve used in the past, but making some alterations to the list might have gotten us close to perfection this year. Now, I have to remember to hold my ground, stay strong and enforce the rules like my life depends on it.

Ok, Summer 2020, it’s on. COVID-19 or not. I’m getting my kids as close as possible to the idealistic 1980’s summer as possible…

*side note, I’m realistic and know that in years past I’ve made it to mid-July before they break me and all the rules go out the window. Pushing for August, let’s see if we can do it!

The “I’m Bored” List

RULES:
 If you are bored and tell a parent, you lose 5 minutes of electronic time
when it begins. You are not allowed to ask when it’s time to get on either.
If you do another 5 minutes is deducted from your start time.
 If you are bored, check list of fun things to do BY YOURSELF first.
 If you don’t like any of those options, Mom or Dad will gladly assign you a
cleaning project to cure your boredom.
 Electronics will be issued around 3pm each day
 During the week, you can work on iReady, Xtra Math, ST Math, Prodigy,
Beast Academy, Foreign Language, RAZ Kids

FUN IDEAS:
 Read a book
 Play outside
 Create a game
 Do A Puzzle
 Check bored jar
 Crafts
 Build Legos
 Ride Your Bike
 Take the dog for a walk
 Go down to the creek
 Chalk
 Go on an adventure
 Create an obstacle course
 Have a family member be a pen pal
 Paint a rock (go to creek to get one)
 Go on a nature walk
 Build a fort
 Do a photoshoot with your stuffed animal (dress them up)
 Make something out of a cardboard box
 Exercise
 Become an expert on a subject
 Make a puzzle
 Wash your bike

Deep Cleaning Chores:
 Clean front porch
 Organize closets
 Dust the TV shelves and living room
 Wash the walls
 Clean the baseboards, crown molding
 Dust bathroom shelves
 Wipe down blinds
 Do The dishes
 Clean and organize art cabinet
 Clean and wash inside of trash cans
 Clean and organize the inside of fridge
 Clean and organize freezer
 Clean kitchen cabinet doors
 Clean light switches and door knobs

This is uncharted territory we are entering this summer with many things getting closed down so if you and your kids need some ideas, feel free to snag ours. Good luck and God speed!