Boredom Busters

Times are tough for kids. For reasons, they can't understand, their lives have been turned upside down. They are doing everything from home, including learning. This is a list of activities to help them have fun and simultaneously learn.

Indoor / Outdoor Hopscotch

Play Nature "I Spy"

Checkers

Dress-up From Their Favorite Books or Movies

Read New Story Books or Old Favorites

Read E.B. White Novels, Chapter by Chapter.

Color: Even with older kids, but use colored pencils. It promotes creativity and develops hand/eye coordination.

Play Freeze Dance. When the music stops, you freeze where you are.

Play Roller Bowler. Fill ten, empty 2- liter bottles with sand. The older the child is the more sand should be used to make the game challenging. Arrange them like bowling pins and roll or kick a ball to knock them down.

Finger Painting. Make your own paint with vanilla pudding and food coloring. Add a drop or two of flavoring for real fun. CAUTION: Make sure your child is old enough to understand that this is the only paint she can eat.

Sand Art: Use sandbox quality sand to draw in or make castles. Use modeling sand to make finer projects.

Practice Shoe Tying: Kids lose skills surprisingly fast.

Practice Writing and Spelling Their Name

Work Puzzles: Do crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, and pattern blocks.

Play in the Rain

Paint With Water Colors: Set up a still life, or copy a famous painting. Experiment with how the colors blend. Look up basic techniques on the internet. Make sure your child is still having fun though.

Study Local History: It may surprise you both what's in your own backyard.

Play With an Atlas or Globe: Have drills to find places and physical features.

Make Popcorn From Kernels: Add caramel, butter, or cheese powder.

Write a Story: Focus on the creative process. Don't worry about spelling or grammar. Either type it for them or allow them to use a microphone for dictation.

Use Modeling Clay: Bag it to keep it soft, or let it air dry to make something permanent. Working with clay builds strength in hands and fingers, which sharpens fine motor skills. For younger children, use softer clay. You can also find three-ingredient clay recipes online. These make lovely Christmas ornaments.

Bake Cookies Together: Make a family favorite or try something new. Measuring is a fantastic way to sneak in fraction practice. Make them responsible for clean up as well.

Grow an Indoor Herb Garden: You can find peat or cardboard cups in different sizes. Measure growth and observe changes using all five senses. (oops, I sneaked in science) Make sure you use the herbs in recipes you cook together.

Sing Songs That Have Silly Actions

Make Instruments: Coffee cans make drums. Rubber bands taped over tissue boxes make guitars. Look up more specific ideas online.

Play Instruments: Either those you made or store-bought.

Start Each Day With Exercise: Exercise floods the brain with chemicals that increase memory and concentration. Make it fun. Hop like a frog. Go outside and challenge your child to a race. Take a walk around the block and point out the beauty of nature.

Play Musical Chairs: Music is always good for learning, while the stop and start action improves listening skills.

Trivia Toss: Toss a ball back and forth and name items from any category. Younger kids can count or name colors. Older kids can list presidents or the abbreviations of elements. The physical action of throwing and catching flood the brain with chemicals that assist memory and learning.

What's in the Box? When you look for an item or follow general directions, you have a picture in mind of what you need to find or do. This game can develop or sharpen your mind's eye. Cut a small round hole in the top of a box. The hole should be large enough for a child to put their hand into, but small enough that they can't see the items inside. Put small, familiar objects in the box. Tell younger children what to look for. "I put a toy car in the box. Can you find it? No peeking, use your hands." To make the game more effective, add sand to the box. It separates the items and the tactile experience reinforces muscle memory.