Kids are Bored?

Here is a fun list of activities that I got mostly from the All Pro Dads website. Some fun ideas for your next Family Game night, or whenever your kids say "Mom, I'm bored!"

IDEA BOX
Start with a tissue or shoe box and let your kids decorate it. When you come across an idea that strikes your fancy, write it on a slip of paper and place it in the box. Send them running to the idea box when they say they are bored. You can start by using some of the ideas listed below:

*Make a sponge garden. Soak a sponge in water and place it in a shallow dish. Sprinkle with alfalfa or rye grass seeds. Keep it moist and watch it grow
*Let your child finger paint with shortening on cookie sheets
*Create a mosaic by cutting construction paper into zillions of small pieces and gluing them to a sheet of paper to create patterns or scenes
*Make frozen fruit juice cubes in an ice tray
*Make a batch of homemade Play-dough. Recipes can be found online at http://www.theholidayzone.com/recipes/dough.html
*Spray paint two-liter bottles and use them for bowling pins. (Put a little water in the bottom of each one to weigh it down.)
*Make a bird feeder by rolling a pinecone in peanut butter, then in bird seed. Hang from a tree with string
*Have your children create books about themselves. They might want to include their birth date, handprints and footprints, drawings of themselves and their families and a story about themselves. These are wonderful keepsakes.
*Read and act out one of your child's favorite stories.
*Make a mystery bag by placing familiar objects in a pillow case. Ask your child to close his or her eyes, feel the objects in the bag and pick out the item you name
*Hide a small toy in a room. While the children look for it, give them clues such as, "You are hot" when they are close, and "You are cold" when they move away
*Put a sheet or blanket over a table and make a tent, doll house or secret hiding place. This is also a great place to take a nap or have a picnic lunch!
*Play hopscotch with your kids – all it takes is a little sidewalk chalk!
*Soak a stalk of cut celery in a glass of food coloring and a little water. Watch what happens the next day. (You can also use Daisies or Carnations for this experiment)
*Make a volcano. Mound dirt six to ten inches high and then clear a hole down the middle of it. Put 2 teaspoons of baking soda in the hole. Pour in some vinegar and watch your "eruption"
*Save pennies in a jar. When the jar is full, use the money for a family outing to the ice cream parlor.
*Picnic at a different park each week.
*Lie on a blanket in the backyard at night and look at the stars.
*Dress up and serve dinner by candlelight once a month.
*Have a sock fight. Roll socks into balls and throw at each other.
*Look at Me! Have your children observe you for a minute. Leave the room. Return to the room, having changed a small detail in your appearance. Can they guess? Take turns being “it”.
*Plan a scavenger hunt for items around the house.
*De-Clutter the closets and toybox, and have a garage sale of toys. Let the kids earn their own money to purchase something they’ve been wanting.
*Have a family car wash. Wear bathing suits and be ready for sponge fights and water squirt wars.
*Go on a long bike ride. Map your route before you leave, choosing new and interesting destinations each week
*Plan a special baking day and discuss what you will bake together. Distribute baked goods to neighbors and friends to be a blessing.
*Play the "message game" at bedtime: Draw letters on your child's back and have him or her try to decipher them
*Take your children on a "mystery date". Don't tell them where you are going or when the mystery ride will occur. Go to the beach for a picnic. Visit a children's museum. Go to the mall or a toy store and give each child $5 to spend any way they choose. Visit a grandparent or cousin. Bring them to a movie they've been wanting to see. Head to a lake or park. Just make when and where a big surprise!
*Put up a tent in the backyard and have a family pow-wow to talk about what happened that day. Who has a funny story to tell or something new to share? Can't build a fire? Microwave the S'mores!