Each time the summer holiday approaches, as an experienced mum(yea call me the bhaddest mum :-), the first thing I quickly prepare is my boredom jar. A boredom jar is a bottle or a box filled with activities that kids can do when they are bored. When kids are on a long break from school, we can’t escape that time when they run out of activities to do. As much as I like my kids to be bored because it allows them to engage themselves, look around and find something to do, which helps them become creative, I also try to make their lives easier sometimes by having some ready-made activities. So in my house, no one says Mummy, I am bored. The jar is there; once you run out of activities, go straight to the boredom jar and pick a paper. What you find in the paper is what you need to do to get yourself engaged. 

It is very easy to make. Here is what you will need ;

A jar; Better to use a plastic jar

A Cardboard

A marker 

Scissors

Cut the cardboard with your scissors into small squares and use your marker to write things you like your kids to do. Before this time, you would have written out your long list of activities on a sheet, so it becomes easier to write them on your square size cardboard. When you finish, you will take the squares, fold them in half diagonally, and place them in your jar. 

Here are a few ideas you can add to your kids’ boredom jar to engage them.

• Summarize two storybooks and win a chocolate

• Play hide-and-seek with a toy.

• Design a paper flag.

• Play Simon Says!

• Have a picnic indoors.

• Research for names of past presidents of your country

• Write a letter to someone special

• Write out your favourite cartoon

• Make a collage out of old magazine pictures.

• Spot the numbers 1-10 around the house

•  Go on a colour hunt! Can you find three yellow things?

• Make a fingerprint picture

Click here to download more boredom busting ideas for boredom jar