Use these awesome boredom busters ideas for the next time your kids say, “I’m bored!”
If you’re a parent, you’ve heard your kids say “I’m bored!” at least one time in their lives.
Okay, maybe five thousand times is more like it.
Well, the next time your kids complain about being bored, you can pull up this article (or download our boredom busters for kids printable list!) and help them choose something to help them get “unbored.”
Boredom Buster Jar
A great idea for defeating boredom is to create a boredom buster jar. All you need is a medium to large-sized jar and a list of ideas of things your kids can do the next time they’re feeling bored.
You can simply write down a list of ideas on a piece of paper and cut the paper so that only one idea appears on one slip of paper.
Or you could use craft sticks with boredom buster ideas written on them. Or you could print out the Jen Bradley|MOMs Boredom Busters for Kids Free printable to make your life easier!
Once you have your ideas assembled, drop them in the jar and have it ready for the next time your kids say, “I’m bored!”
A kid’s boredom can actually be a good thing
While parents often feel pressured to keep their kids from feeling bored, recent research reveals that letting your kids be bored from time to time can actually be a good thing.
Why?
Because boredom helps kids learn important life skills such as:
- being present and in the moment
- knowing how to take breaks from screens and other devices
- developing creativity
- gaining independence
- learning to make their own choices
While it can be frustrating or annoying to hear your kids complain about being bored, you can now honestly tell them that being bored helps them build character!
But it’s also a fantastic idea to have a great list of boredom busters for them to choose from when you both need it.
Free Printable Boredom Busters for Kids List
To get our free printable list of 50+ Boredom Busters for Kids, simply click right here or on the image below! You’ll get the whole colorful list, a printer-friendly version, and the list divided into small strips so you can cut them easily if you want to make a Boredom Buster Jar!
(You’ll also get access to our entire Free Printable Library here at Jen Bradley|MOMs, where you’ll find over 40 other printables from 301 Would You Rather Questions for Kids to a Weekly Menu Planning system!) So what are you waiting for? Jump on in!
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50+ Boredom Busters for Kids of All Ages
1.Cardboard box and washable markers
The next time you receive a giant Amazon box, empty it out, give your kids a set of washable markers, and let them go to town decorating the box while sitting inside of it! Maybe they’ll make a car, a house, or even a spaceship!
2. Play Chubby Bunny
This ridiculous game always ends in fits of laughter. Each person puts one large marshmallow in his or her mouth and says the words, “Chubby Bunny.” Continue putting one more marshmallow in your mouth at a time, trying to say the words, “Chubby Bunny.” The person who can fit the most marshmallows in their mouth and still say the words is the winner.
3. Three-word stories
One of our favorites, this game is especially great when you’re standing in line somewhere and your kids are bored. One person starts a story by saying only three words. The next person then makes up the next three words, and the next person adds three more. Go around the circle only a few times to keep the story short and funny!
4. Caveman speech day
Kids love this one! When boredom sets in, declare that it is now Caveman Speech Day. This means that every word your kids speak has to be only one syllable. At our house, the word smoothie became “Yum Yum Drink.”
5. Accent day
Similar to Caveman Speech Day, choose an accent for your kids to use every time they talk. Soon they’ll be thinking more about the accent than about how bored they were before!
6. Bake-off competition
Let your kids have a baking competition a la The Great British Baking Show or Sugar Rush.
7. Backwards day
From the moment your kids complain about being bored, declare that it is now Backwards Day! This means they need to wear their clothes backward, walk backward, and do as many things as possible in reverse order!
8. Dot painting
If your kids enjoy art, grab a set of kids’ washable paint, a big box of Q-tips, and some paper. The Q-tips are the paintbrushes, and your kids can use them to make an awesome dot-art painting!
9. Indoor snowball fight
No matter if it’s the middle of summer (or winter!), these fun indoor snowballs always make for a fun indoor snowball fight.
10. Fashion show
Tell your kids to put on their wackiest outfits. Then turn on some music and have them parade through the living room as you describe their fashion selections. (And definitely take a video for posterity!)
11. Look at baby/toddler pictures
Get out the old photo albums or thumb through old pictures on your phone for a fun walk down Memory Lane.
12. Read a book and guess the title
Read an unfamiliar picture book to your kids and see if they can guess the title. (You might be amazed at how well they pay attention to the story!)
13. Animal charades
Choose an animal and act out its motions without speaking or making any noise. The person who guesses your animal correctly gets to be the next one to act out their animal.
14. 20 Questions
Pick an object, person, or place, and have your kids ask you Yes or No questions to figure out what you’re thinking of. They only have 20 questions to figure it out!
15. Ask Would You Rather questions
Everyone loves Would You Rather questions because there’s no right or wrong answer! Plus, it’s a great way to learn some fun things about your kids.
Related article: The Ultimate List of 301 Would You Rather Questions for Kids
16. Play board games
Playing a great board game can leave your kids anything but bored! Check out our giant list of Favorite Family Board Games on Amazon right here! (And yes, we’ve played all of them!)
17. Balloon badminton
Create badminton racquets by taping a craft stick to a paper plate with strong packing tape. Then blow up a balloon and let your kids play balloon badminton in the house.
18. Indoor campout
Let your kids set up a tent and sleeping bags in the living room for an indoor campout! Make a construction paper fire for added effect.
19. Dance party
Turn up the volume on your kids’ favorite playlist and have a dance party! We highly recommend this inexpensive at-home disco light to make your dance party super extra!
20. Puzzle challenge
If puzzles are boring to your kids, here’s how to make them more fun: buy two puzzles with the same difficulty level and the same number of pieces. Then have them go into two separate rooms and race to see who can build their entire puzzle first!
21. Photo scavenger hunt
Instead of a regular scavenger hunt with a checklist, give your kids fifteen minutes to go around the house or yard and take photos of the most interesting things they can find. Then share the photos on your TV where everyone can see them.
22. Do mom’s makeup
If you’re feeling brave (and you don’t have to go anywhere anytime soon!), let your kids do your makeup for you!
23. Handprint art
Grab some washable paint and some large pieces of construction paper. Then have your kids make several painted handprints on their paper. Once the paint is dry, have them incorporate their handprints into some type of picture they draw on the page.
24. LEGO challenge
Get creative and come up with lots of little LEGO activities for your kids to do, such as: building the tallest tower in one minute, building a mini-figure with one hand, making a LEGO creation while blindfolded, etc.
25. Have a picnic
A small change of scenery at lunch or dinner time can make a big difference!
26. Storytelling
Take turns telling your original stories to each other. (Kids love it when you use their name for the story’s hero!)
27. Play card games
Grab a fun card game and play it together! Check out our list of Best Family Card Games on Amazon right here!
28. Paper airplane contest
Fold some simple paper airplanes or look up designs online. See whose paper airplane can fly the farthest, highest, craziest, etc!
29. Hide and seek
This classic game never gets old.
30. Duck, Duck, Goose
To make this old-fashioned game a ton of fun, use different words such as, “Aardvark, Aardvark, Platypus.” Let your kids get creative!
31. No laugh competition
Have everyone sit in front of your phone and start taking a selfie video. Everyone takes a turn making a weird noise, trying to make everyone else laugh.
32. Pillow fort
Let your kids pull the pillows off the couches, get out the blankets, and build an epic pillow fort!
33. Inside out day
When you need a quick boredom buster, declare that it is now Inside Out Day! This means your kids need to wear their clothes inside out!
34. Play minute to win it games
Minute to win it games are always a hit! Check out this post here for some fun Halloween-themed Minute to Win It Games!
35. Wacky hairdos
Pull out all the hair gel, hair spray, bows, headbands, and more, and let your kids style each other’s hair (or yours, if you’re feeling brave!).
36. Do yoga together
There are tons of great kid yoga videos available on YouTube!
37. Try a new recipe
Lookup a new recipe on Pinterest and make it with your kids.
38. Make a sticker collage or drawing
Pull out all of your kids’ unused stickers and have them make a grand sticker collage.
39. Homemade play dough
This recipe right here from I Heart Nap Time is a winner!
40. Family meditation session
We were shocked at how much our kids loved this! There are lots of great 5-10 minute kids’ meditations available on YouTube.
41. Paint rocks
Find some flat-ish rocks and have your kids paint them in bright, happy colors or add a simple, encouraging message. Then leave them in a neighbor’s garden or at a public park.
42. Perler beads
Do you remember these? This Perler bead set comes with 5 adorable animal designs and over 5000 Perler beads!
43. Hula hoop contest
Turn on some beachy music, grab a couple of hula hoops, and see who can keep their hula hoop up the longest!
44. Make friendship bracelets
Teach your kids how to tie friendship bracelets and they might be busy for hours! This great (and inexpensive) friendship bracelet kit comes with more than 20 colors of floss!
45. Online drawing lesson
Take an online drawing lesson together! There are so many options out there, so be sure to preview the video before showing it to your kids.
46. Escape game at home
Escape room games are all the rage, and now you can try one at home! This Star Wars escape game set came with 3 games and was a lot of fun for our kids ages 5-15.
47. Learn to play chess
This awesome chess set is color-coded and comes with a great instructional book, reference cards, and teaches both family chess and standard chess.
48. Sumo-wrestling
Tie bed pillows in front of and behind your kids, and place a masking tape circle on the floor. Let them sumo-wrestle each other, trying to get the other person outside the circle. For added effect, put their hair in a really high bun or top knot to get the full sumo-wrestler effect!
49. Indoor Olympics
Have an indoor Olympics and see how long your kids can hold a handstand or balance on one leg, do the best cartwheel, jump over couch cushions, throw paper airplanes, or complete an obstacle course!
50. Read-a-thon
Hold a family read-a-thon and clock the number of books or minutes you read together!
51. Write and mail a letter
Help your kids write a letter to a friend or grandparent, teach them how to address an envelope, where to put the stamp, and put it in the mailbox. This boredom buster will do double duty and make someone else’s day too!
Final thoughts about boredom busters for kids
Remember, it’s okay for your kids to be bored from time to time. It’s actually important that they learn while they’re young that life isn’t always a thrill a minute!
But for those times when you need a quick, fun, simple activity, there are so many great non-screen ideas you can do with your kids to get them active and interested!
Don’t forget to download and print your free Boredom Busters for Kids checklist from the Free Printable Library before you go!
Related posts about fun activities for kids:
Yes Day for Kids – the Pros and Cons (and How to Make it Fun for Your Family!)
The Step-by-Step Guide to Having an Amazing Screen-Free Week
11 Amazing Harry Potter Games Any Harry Potter Family Needs to Own
How to Create Opportunities for Family Bonding
Pin the image below to return to these ideas in the future!
Which of these boredom busters for kids is your favorite?
