One of my sons walked up to me at the beginning of the summer and said that he was bored. “What? Are you my son?!” I asked, and he looked bewildered. I continued, “I don’t think I’ve ever been bored in my life. My mind is too large for boredom. I’ll tell you what… I’ll make a list of things you can do.” Here is the list I typed up and gave to my son one afternoon:
- Make a blanket tent.
- Draw and stain a treasure map.
- Catch an insect in a jar.
- Put on a puppet show.
- Watercolor.
- Play croquet in the backyard.
- Put together a puzzle.
- Wear costumes and put on a play.
- Practice magic tricks.
- Build a house of cards.
- Play board games.
- Learn how to whistle.
- Draw a picture.
- Have a tea party with your sister.
- Teach yourself a musical instrument.
- Ride a bike.
- Draw with chalk on the driveway.
- Get an empty wastepaper basket and toss a ball into it.
- Earn money by doing extra chores.
- Act like spies and investigate an area for footprints.
- Create a new invention.
- Have a deep conversation with someone.
- Climb trees.
- Shine a lamp on a dark wall and make shadow puppets.
- Toss a frisbee around.
- Learn photography.
- Read a book.
- Build a city with Legos.
- Draw and color a cartoon strip.
- Practice cursive writing.
- Listen to music and dance around.
- Put together a talent show.
- Get CD’s from the library and learn a new language.
- Write a fun story.
- Make crafts.
- Play with magnets.
- Fly a kite.
- Have a water gun fight.
- Bake cookies.
- Make a terrarium inside a jar.
- Practice cartwheels and head stands.
- Learn how to type.
- Play a game of marbles.
- Do scrapbooking.
- Play tag in the backyard.
- Learn origami.
- Make a delicious 4-course meal. Dress up.
- Play cops and robbers with a secret hideout.
- Write a letter to a friend or relative.
- Make a sculpture with clay.
- Look at random stuff under a microscope.
- Race matchbox cars across the floor.
- Start a rock collection.
- Play with an electronics kit.
- Blow bubbles.
- Make a bird feeder and identify the birds who eat the bird seed.
- Learn how to pray properly like a real prayer warrior. Throw your heart into it.
- Look through a telescope at the rings on Saturn.
- Identify 25 plants in your neighborhood. Find out which ones are edible.
- Write a comedy show and perform it.
- Play cowboys and Indians.
- Write a poem.
- Cross-stitch (or learn how to sew on a button).
- Pretend to be a sailor on a ship, exploring new lands.
- Sew tiny clothes for dolls (if you’re a girl).
- Go for a walk.
- Look for wild animals in your backyard and observe their habits.
- Paint a mural.
- Do leaf rubbings.
- Make the best sandwich in the world (or the tallest). Eat it.
- Prepare and give a speech.
- Plant a garden.
- Make a snow fort (or a mud sculpture).
- Go share the gospel with your neighbor.
- Learn how to harmonize for singing.
- Record interviews with family members.
- Make breakfast in bed for mom or dad. Bring it on a tray with a flower.
- Do something nice for your brother or sister.
- Study the Word of God about a topic. Use the concordance. Tell your family what you learned.
- Make a collage.
- Dress up and have a fashion show.
- Make homemade instruments and play them in a band.
- Read a fun Bible story and act it out with costumes.
- Do a science experiment.
- Invent a new soup. Make sure it’s delicious. Bake fresh bread to go with it.
- Design your future home.
- Build contraptions out of K’nex.
- Rubber stamp cards and stationary.
- Make homemade gifts for people.
- Make an obstacle course.
- Get flashlights and investigate a dark room in your house.
- Play hopscotch on the driveway.
- Learn sign language.
- Throw a softball with someone and catch it with a mit.
- Make a cardboard box into a house and play in it.
- Create a restaurant in your house. Include menus and music.
- Set up toy soldiers and learn real battle tactics.
- Write a new song. Sing it to your family.
- Memorize a poem or Scripture. Recite it theatrically.
- Film some fun home movies for your grandparents.
If you would like to print out this list, here is the PDF:
Tags: boredom, children, things to do
I love love love this list. I’m printing it out so that when my grandsons come over next time and those words pass their lips “Grandma I’m bored” we can pull it out and take a look.
There are so many creative Susan, it’s just great! Kid’s just don’t think any more, they just sit in front of the video game or the computer and space out most of the time! Boy are they going to be surprised.
This generation of children needs to get off electronics and start doing some creative play! It sounds like you’re a great grandma!
Oh my goodness you are so much more gracious than I am. On the rare occasion that I have heard that dirty word in my house I give my child a “job.” 🙂
Chores are good to learn, too. We sometimes try to beat the clock and clean all the pine needles out of the backyard in 15 minutes. We usually do it!
I was never bored as a child either. We played outside all the time, I had tons of books to read, and I loved make believe. I have a niece and nephew- no kids. I will be pointing their mom to this list! I love it!
Electronics seem to have taken over children’s reading of books, too. If kids don’t do more creative activities, they will lose valuable skills as adults.
Such an extensive list. I’m between grown children and being a grandmother, but a lot of my friends are grandparents. They will love the list!
I did just about all of these things when I was a little girl, and I loved them!
We are going to try “Draw and stain a treasure map.” What a great list!
My kids loved that activity!
What a comprehensive list. They can try one after the other. My son has even learned to draw his future home on archiCAD. Very interesting.
Cool! There are so many open-ended activities kids can do in the summer!