Looking ahead to summer a bit and would like some new ideas for older kids to occupy themselves without electronics or when friends or siblings are not available or I am busy (I work from home so do have some times I have to work although I try to adjust my schedule so it's minimal when the kids are home and work later in the evenings after they are in bed during summer).
We have the usual ideas of:
--read a book
--do a craft (they're currently into Perler beads or lacing/keychain making with that plastic cord)
--do a puzzle
--build something with Legos, Magnetix, etc.
--draw or color something (they like to color in those complicated mosaic patterns)
My kids are elementary and jr. high age so should obviously be able to find some things to do on their own but I wanted to make one of those "I'm bored" jars to provide some inspiration occasionally. Any other ideas that your kids like to do? Thanks!
Thanks everyone for your input--got some new ideas! I should clarify that I was looking for ideas for leisure time. Chores would have already been done before they do any of these things. And Liisa G. I agree with what you're saying in that we need to teach our children to come up with ideas on their own but I wonder, does that work for you every time? Sometimes we all need a little inspiration--even I do on certain things and I was looking for things that would be general ideas enough that they could also be creative within them. Sort of like the story starters used in school sometimes where you have a simple idea that leads to so much more. Thanks again all!
Middle schooler could do some odd jobs around the neighborhood and earn some money. Babysitting is a good option too. Weeding gardens, raking, mowing. How about working at a horse farm. So many things they could do there. Mucking, cleaning tack. The possibilities there are endless possibilities. Earning their own money is a win win for all.
Can you join a local pool, or get them a season pass to a public one? We belong to a swim club and our kids spend HOURS there during the summer. Sometimes I go with them but usually I just drop them off (kids can be left without parents during lifeguard hours at age 7 or 8 at our pool.) Even just jumping and splashing around is great exercise and of course they see lots of friends there.
Make a scrap book with pictures.
Popsicle stick bldgs
Organize clean toys or craft area.
Help with dinner.
Make a fort
Garden in the yard. Learn how to take care of it, water, weed etc.
Good Luck.
Vacuum
Dust
Walk the dog
Whites
Darks
Towels
clean out the garage
Mow the grass
LOL
You could have them MAKE a crossword puzzle. It's a good challenge.
Learn a word a day.
Read an article out of the newspaper.
Cooking! Most kids love to cook if given the chance and allowed to learn to cook what they want, rather than what they're told. Get them to pick out cookbooks from the library; take them to the store and let them shop for the ingredients for a few specific dishes; then each week both of them get to cook two, three, however many new dishes. Both boys and girls usually like to cook because they get to eat the results! Take it another step -- tell them that when they have mastered (and you and they together can define what "mastered" means) one appetizer, one main dish and one dessert each, they can have friends over for dinner.
Also be sure that things they already do are new and appropriate for their older ages -- Before summer I would let them choose some new puzzles (some have no straight edges, or are round, or have shaped pieces within them, or come with a story and the puzzle contains clues to solving a mystery, etc.)
The older one might be old enough to be a library page or assistant at the local public library a few times each week. Some library systems have a summer assistant program for middle and high schoolers -- unpaid but they get to help younger kids sign up for summer reading programs, or help shelve books or do other stuff.
When I was upper elementary/jr high, I remember watching my grandma play solitaire...not the one on the computer...the one with an actual deck of cards. She played the "regular" one and also taught me one where you lay the cards in a triangle and play from there - removing 2 cards at a time that equal 13 or something?? So solitaire...heck, the name comes from the word "solitary"!!! :-)
Another thing I liked doing, and still like doing when I have time or on long car trips, is working crossword puzzle books. The kind with many different kinds of puzzles. Crosswords, word searches, etc. Another thing my grandma taught me :-)
What about a new hobby? Knitting/crocheting? Scrapbooking? Something along those lines that they can work on? Some craft stores offer classes - maybe enroll them in something like that and see what new hobby they learn :-)
Send them on a bike ride to the local pool, playground or library. Let them grow a small garden of their own and have them tend to it. Mow the lawn. Prepare a meal.
Paint pottery (at a store)
Paint a water color picture & frame it (get cheap frames at the Dollar store)
cards (solitare)
wirte letters or a poem or a story
one day have them write their Christmas list (they are excited to do this
and you get a head start on present ideas so you look for sales
throughout the year)
have them make customize their own aprons (paints, bejewel)
have them write letters to be delivered to kids in the hospital
have them make their own pillows (sm squares of fabric you stitch on 3
sides then have them fill w/pillow fiber)
plant a garden
weeding
washing your car
chores for money like fold the laundry
paint a canvas
have them develop their own magazine
lemondade stand (make it all about them learning business sense)
take your field trips (bank, Jelly Bean Factory, beach, nature walk & find
certain things like leaves, bottle caps etc)
crafts w/bottle caps, cork board, painting etc.
volunteer @ senior home etxc
Even if you can't send them to a pool, you can say "call a friend" or "set up the sprinklers" or "have a water gun/water balloon fight" or "walk the dog" or something.
The most important thing you need to teach your kids when they are bored is to figure out for themselves what they are going to do. They should not immediately come to you for their entertainment or to tell them what to do.
If we are going to have a generation that will invent things, create solutions, solve problems, etc. we just not instill in them that they the ability to do great things.
The next time your child tells you he is bored, ask, "What are you going to do? I can't wait to hear what you come up with! I wonder if you are going to design something, create something, learn something new, hmmm..."
If they respond with, "I don't know" or "I can't think of anything" then tell them to go think about it for a while because you know they are incredibly smart and talented.
Lose the jar, if you ask me.
Introduce them to games of strategies such as chess, Chinese checkers, Othello, etc.
