8 Free Solutions For Bored Children

Spring Break is here!

I love my boys and I love spending time with them but their attention spans are next to none, 30 seconds is all it takes for them to get bored of one thing and ready to move onto the next. This makes it hard to keep them entertained and me from losing my sanity.

Take today for instance, they’ve only been awake for 2 hours and I’m already wanting to pull my hair out. I have a ton of work to do and an EXTREMELY messy house to clean up but still I know it’s important for myself and for my boys that I stop what I’m doing at some point, push everything to the side and just live life with them.

I’ve come up with 8 free solutions for bored children that are sure to keep their attention for A LOT longer than 30 seconds.

1. Build a fort but not just any fort. Grab all the blankets, chairs, pillows…anything else you can think of and build the BIGGEST fort you possibly can.
2. Scavenger hunts are always fun! Make a list TOGETHER of all the different things you may find on a walk and see who will notice them first.
3. Play make believe. I bet that for you just made looks a castle or the inside of a pirate ship. Go on in and see what kind of stories you and the kids can come up with.
4. Paint what you see. The Dollar Store is a great cheap source for art supplies. All you’ll need is an easel, paint and paintbrushes…find a place anywhere outside that looks interesting and wait to see what they create, it may surprise and amaze you.
5. Silly exercises. Every now and than you just need to let loose and shake those sillies out. Kids love to be copy-cats, I know mine love to mock me when I work out. Make it more fun by playing pretend; run like a lion, hop like a kangaroo, swim like a fish…
6. The library is an outlet for fantasy and creativity. There are shelves sometimes as high as the ceiling filled with lonely books wanting to be read. Let them loose and see what their imaginations come up with.
7. Start a band. Plastic bottles half full with rice or water, a spoon and a pot…all can make wonderful music.
8. Go to the park. A park is filled with stuff to do; swings, slides, monkey bars, any of the things mentioned above can all be done at the park. All of the excitement and fresh air will tire them out and hopefully lead to earlier bed times.

All of these with the exception of number 5 and a few dollars will cost you nothing. Personally FREE is the best kind of fun in my eyes.

What are your solutions for bored children? Anything out of the box?