School’s Out— Now What?

It’s about time for those annual cries from the kids: “I’m bored! There’s nothing to do!” Yes, as soon as school is out and the kids’ days are no longer full of structured activities, the boredom sets in. Did you know that boredom is actually good for kids? It helps stimulate their imagination and creativity. Of course, that knowledge does very little to help a busy adult when the children are complaining. 

Here are some ideas to help fight the boredom bug:

• Plan themed days. Cartoon Day, for example, could be all about cartoons. Watching them or drawing them. Pancakes in the shape of cartoon characters. Wearing cartoon-themed clothing.
• Have a talent show. Depending on the children’s ages, planning and rehearsing could take a few hours or a week or more. 
• Make a movie. Here again, this is a project that could potentially last the whole summer. But even a small child can create a video—maybe one for every day this summer. 
• Challenge them to learn new things. There are videos on many subjects and often there are classes for children at local museums or parks and rec centers.
• Build and run an obstacle course in the backyard. It’s exercise for all ages!
• Teach the kids a skill from your childhood. Remember jacks? Pick up sticks? If those are skills before YOUR time, you can learn together!

Your suggestions should guide the kids. Don’t try to do everything for them. Ensure that they are staying safe, and you’ll all have a summer full of fun memories.