Boredom Busters: Stay Entertained from Home

In my opinion, summer holidays are a bit like marmite, some people really look forward to them, and for some, it fills them with dread.

It can be a great time to bond with your children, but it can also be a nightmare when boredom starts to creep in.

In this day and age, when the cost of living is increasing, it can sometimes be hard to think of inexpensive ways to entertain children during the summer.

Now don’t get me wrong, I honestly don’t think that there is anything wrong with children becoming ‘bored’.

Boredom can lead to imaginative play and creativity but equally sometimes, boredom can lead to chaos.

Simple projects and activities are the best way to keep children engaged and entertained, and summer is the best time to think ‘Keep it Simple’. Let’s face It, who wants to go running here there and everywhere looking for more things you don’t actually need, to have it played with for 5 minutes before being thrown to the side.

Simple activities.

Our favourite ‘Go to’ activity in the summer has to be water play.

Water play can mean anything from a tuff tray or container outside, toys in the bath, or simply helping to wash up.

There is just something about playing with water that seems to captivate a child.

With a few simple additions such as jugs, funnels and buckets, water play can also lead to so much hidden learning.

Add a splash of food colouring or bubbles into the mix, and you have a fun afternoon of colour mixing, measuring, and pouring entertainment.

The very simple fact is, that this is one of those activities that you can use over and over again, in so many different ways. One day it could be potion play with some old flowers that were going to be thrown out, and the next it could be a fun sink or float experiment with toys or objects you just find laying around.

If you have a garden, the summer is the best time to use it! Children love to help out in the garden, even if some need a bit more encouragement than others. I promise you, they will end up enjoying themselves! Letting them take care of their own little corner, deciding what plants they want to grow, and looking after those plants gives children their own sense of responsibility. This also works for a small pot on a balcony or even a plant indoors.

Drawing with chalk is another outdoors activity we love. Pavement chalk is an inexpensive activity that will keep your children occupied for hours. You can even make your own using corn-starch, water, and liquid food colouring. You could even make it into a fun game washing it down afterwards with water and brushes.

But what happens when it rains?

The fun isn’t over if you have to take your play indoors, there is plenty you can do to ease the

boredom.

Building a fort.

Have you ever built a fort or castle inside? A simple sheet or cardboard box, a pile of pillows and some blankets will turn your living room into a cosy fort for reading books, playing

games, or taking a nap… you can even turn it into an overnight camping adventure and have your

very own ‘living room camp out’!

In the kitchen.

Cooking with children can actually be fun! Let their creative side’s loose with a new recipe, or just let them help whip up some biscuits to help with the never-ending requests for snacks, and you can always make a game of the clean up afterwards!

Above all, make memories! Go for a walk. Nature can provide us with such wonderous treasures, from blackberries to acorns and sycamore seeds, from which we can make helicopters. And while you are out there, what about a bit of health competition and try a litter pick!

Whether you live in a city or the countryside, there is always so much to see and find. Spending time

with your children doesn’t have to be all go, go, go. Just enjoy it. They grow up so quickly.

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