What to do when the kids are bored

What to do when the kids are bored

By Babysits
9 min read

At a loss with what to do when the kids are bored? Find all kinds of boredom busting ideas and activities here!

Bored kids can be a handful… and sometimes it can be difficult to find that perfect solution to their boredom.

Luckily, there are enough things to do when the kids are bored! We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite boredom busting activities here, be sure to check it out.

Things to do when the kids are bored

We’ve organized our list of ideas for when the kids are bored into a few categories, and have included some examples per category!

  • Get crafting
  • Enjoy some fresh air
  • Games
  • Imagination
  • Learn something new!

Get Crafting! DIYs for bored kids

Creating something with their own two hands can be a great way to get kids excited and stop them being bored.

In fact, you can create just about anything you can imagine when making DIYs with kids.

As a boredom easing activity, it’s best to find a DIY that matches the child’s interests. Then, they will be more interested and excited to create it!

We have a ton of crafting projects in our community resources, you can check out our kids DIYs here!

In any case, here are some of our favorite crafting projects that are sure to please the bored kids you care for.

Making animals

Click on each of the pictures to learn how to make these DIYs!

fish diy crafting

frog diy crafting

shark diy crafting

origami koala diy crafting


DIY race car and airplane

Click on each of the pictures to learn how to make these DIYs!

racecar diy crafting

airplane diy crafting


Decorations

Click on each of the pictures to learn how to make these cute decorations!

easter bunny decoration diy crafting

jars decoration diy crafting

dinosaur finger painting

macrame leaves diy


Coloring Pages

Click on each of the pictures to learn how to download these coloring pages!

winter coloring pages

ocean animals coloring pages

kids coloring pages




Enjoy some fresh air: outdoor activities for bored kids

There are tons of interesting things in the outdoor world. So, simply getting outside can be a great boredom reliever for kids! Many of the activities we mention in this article can be done outside, but of course, there are some specific outdoor ideas we want to highlight.

Kids Nature Walk

  • Nature walk or Hike
    Going on a nature walk is a fantastic way to get the kids active and out of their boredom slump. You can spot wildlife (like going bird watching), collect cool rocks and leaves you find along the way, or count how many different types of plants you see! It can be helpful to connect children to their natural environment as well.

  • Visit a new neighborhood
    But, you don't have to go to a nature park or trail to enjoy the outdoors! You can also explore more urban environments with the kids. Checking out a new neighborhood in the town you live in can be just as interesting to kids.

Of course, the outdoors are a great place to go to visit a playground or play any number of games. So, next we'll jump into some games for bored kids!


Games for bored kids

There are a ton of games you can play with kids. Some games are more focused on thinking and mental activity while others are focused on running around or other physical activity.

Some of our favorite games:

  1. Board games -- the type of board game that is appropriate will depend on the age of the child
    You can even create your own board game for double the boredom busting and twice the fun!

  2. Sports

kids playing sports

Pick their favorite sport and get playing! There are plenty of sports you can play, and you don’t necessarily have to follow the usual rules. You can make your own rules if it’s more fun!

Of course, there are tons of other fun games you can play with kids. Here are some of our favorites:

  1. Hopscotch, jump rope and more!
  2. Hide and go seek
  3. Red light, green light
  4. Tag

kids playing sports

  1. Charades
  2. Tic Tac Toe
  3. Simon says

There are also plenty of other games that are sure to help with kids' boredom!


Imagination

Kids’ imaginations are often running wild. Playing make believe can also be a great way to escape from a boredom slump! Keep in mind, how well this works may depend on the age of the child (and how imaginative they are).

Some make believe starting points:

  • Pick a profession they find interesting! Do they dream of being a scientist, president, barista, whatever it may be. You can imagine you are in a laboratory, the White House, or a luxe coffee shop!
  • Pretend they are their favorite movie character.
  • Make believe they are their favorite animal. You can also take this opportunity to learn more about wildlife too!
  • Or, use our origami storyteller to create your own stories as a basis.

You can use your imagination to combine make believe with crafts and other activities! For example, are you playing make believe zoo? You can have them create their zoo animals out of recycled cardboard.

carboard zoo animals


Learn something new!

Learning new things is generally interesting for kids, who are often curious about everything.

You can incorporate learning opportunities into many of the activities we provided, but there are also some more specific things you can do to stimulate learning (and ward off boredom).

growing a plant from a bean


Hopefully this list helps your kids deal with their boredom! If not, you can also check our ultimate guide for kids activities.

Be sure to check out our other community resources articles for more helpful tips for parents, diys, and activities for kids!

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