They're cooommming!!! I'm talking about those days the kids are so excited for and we parents are so nervous about. It's almost time for the long days of summer. Let's face it, even the most industrious of children are bound to utter the two most dreaded words in the English language, "I'm bored!" at some point before that beautiful fall day when they head back to school. The most frustrating part of these words is that kids are rarely interested in a parent's solution for their boredom.
Last summer my husband came up with a solution. It's called the "Bored Box." Alright, in our house it is more of a tube shape, but you get the point. The bored box is filled with activities for the kids. The instructions are simple:
If you are bored, you can choose a slip of paper from the Bored Box. However, if you decide to choose one, it might be something fun, or it could be a chore you will have to do. So, you really need to figure out if you are bored enough to take that chance. If you decide to take the chance and pick a slip from the box, the following rules must be followed:
1. You must do the activity for a full 20 minutes
2. You cannot choose another activity to do unless your first choice is impossible (to be decided by a parent)
3. You must clean up the activity when you are done.
4. The parent allowing you to choose, must also allow you to do the activity (example-if you picked video games, we must allow you to play, even if you just got done playing)
To assist you with creating your own Bored Box, I have provided the list we use for our box. Add or delete from this list to fit your own needs. You can access the list by clicking the link below. Print your list and cut it into strips.
List of Bored Box Ideas Document
Many items on our list do require some parental assistance and many are also adaptable for multiple children to participate.
The kids LOVED this idea. They had so much fun with the items in the box and the gamble of getting chores really made them reconsider their boredom. The box simplified the summer for me and it even helped with my own occasional boredom by giving me ideas of things to do with the kiddos.
