Sometimes it arrives five minutes into the school holidays. Sometimes you've just returned from an expensive family day out. Occasionally it happens while your child is standing in a bedroom containing enough toys to open a small shop.
“I’m
bored.”
Every
parent hears it eventually.
Sometimes
it arrives five minutes into the school holidays. Sometimes you've just
returned from an expensive family day out. Occasionally it happens while your
child is standing in a bedroom containing enough toys to open a small shop.
The good
news is that solving boredom doesn't necessarily require spending money or
organising an elaborate day out.
Some of the
best activities are incredibly simple.
Whether
it's raining outside, you're trying to fill a quiet weekend or everyone needs a
break from screens, here are 50 things children can do when boredom strikes.
1. Build a Den
Few
activities are as reliably entertaining as building a den.
Use
blankets, cushions, chairs and cardboard boxes to create a secret hideout.
Once it's
finished, children can take books, toys or snacks inside.
Building
the den often provides as much entertainment as using it.
2. Have an Indoor Picnic
You don't
need sunshine for a picnic.
Put a
blanket on the living-room floor and serve lunch or snacks picnic-style.
Children
can help prepare the food.
For extra
fun, pretend the living room is a park and bring along teddies as additional
guests.
3. Create a Treasure Hunt
Hide an
object somewhere around the house and create clues leading children towards it.
Older
children can solve written riddles.
Younger
children can follow picture clues or simple instructions.
Once
they've completed your treasure hunt, ask them to create one for you.
4. Make an Obstacle Course
Transform
the living room or garden into an obstacle course.
Children
might crawl underneath a table, walk along a line, jump over cushions and throw
a ball into a bucket.
Keep
everything age-appropriate and safe.
Time each
attempt and see whether they can improve.
5. Go on a Nature Hunt
Give
children a list of things to find outside.
A feather.
Something
yellow.
A smooth
stone.
A pine
cone.
Three
different leaves.
You can do
this in the garden, local park or during a family walk.
6. Build Something from Cardboard
Before
putting delivery boxes into the recycling, give them to the children.
A large box
can become a castle, spaceship, shop, robot, car or house.
Provide
pencils, crayons, tape and child-safe craft materials and let their
imaginations do the rest.
7. Bake Something
Baking
combines entertainment with something everyone can eat afterwards.
Choose
something simple such as biscuits, cupcakes or flapjacks.
Younger
children can help pour and mix ingredients.
Older
children can take more responsibility for measuring and following the recipe.
Adults
should supervise ovens and other kitchen hazards appropriately.
8. Make Homemade Pizza
Turn dinner
into an activity.
Prepare
pizza bases and let everyone choose their own toppings.
Children
can design faces, patterns or completely unusual combinations.
You get an
activity and dinner at the same time.
9. Have a Family Film Afternoon
Transform
an ordinary film into an event.
Close the
curtains.
Make
popcorn.
Bring
duvets into the living room.
Let one
child create cinema tickets while another chooses the film.
Sometimes
changing the presentation of an everyday activity makes it feel completely
different.
10. Create a Family Cinema
Take the
film idea further.
Give the
cinema a name.
Create
posters advertising today's film.
Set up a
snack counter.
Make
tickets.
Arrange
numbered seats.
One child
can be the usher.
The
preparation might keep everyone entertained longer than the actual film.
11. Play Board Games
Bring out
games that haven't been played recently.
Choose
something appropriate for your children's ages and attention spans.
For younger
children, keep games relatively short.
Older
children may enjoy strategy games that take longer.
Consider
starting a family games tournament during the school holidays.
12. Design Your Own Board Game
If existing
games are becoming boring, invent one.
Children
can create the board, rules, cards and playing pieces.
It could
involve dinosaurs, football, space, animals or anything else they're interested
in.
Then
everyone has to play the finished game.
13. Have a LEGO Challenge
Instead of
simply saying “play with LEGO”, give children a challenge.
Build the
tallest tower.
Design a
dream house.
Build a
bridge.
Create a
vehicle.
Build an
animal.
Older
children can attempt more complicated engineering challenges.
14. Draw a Giant Picture
Tape
several sheets of paper together and create one enormous picture.
Children
could design a city, theme park, zoo, island or fantasy world.
Several
siblings can work on different areas.
It can
become an activity that continues throughout the day.
15. Make a Comic
Children
who enjoy drawing might like creating their own comic.
Start with
a character.
Give them a
problem.
Create a
villain or challenge.
Then draw
what happens.
Older
children can develop longer stories with multiple pages.
16. Write a Story
Give
children three random ingredients.
For
example:
A dragon.
A
supermarket.
A missing
sandwich.
Their
challenge is to create a story containing all three.
Younger
children can tell the story while an adult writes it down.
17. Make a Family Newspaper
Children
can become journalists for the day.
Include
family news, weather, sports, interviews, cartoons and advertisements.
They can
interview parents, siblings or grandparents.
At the end,
print or display the finished newspaper.
18. Create a Stop-Motion Film
Older
children can use toys or LEGO figures to create a simple stop-motion animation.
Move the
characters slightly between photographs and combine the images using an
appropriate app or software.
It takes
patience, but that's partly the point.
A 30-second
film can occupy children for a surprisingly long time.
19. Put on a Play
Choose a
familiar story or invent a new one.
Create
costumes from clothes already in the house.
Make
tickets.
Build a
simple stage.
Parents
become the audience.
For maximum
entertainment, insist on an interval involving snacks.
20. Have a Talent Show
Everyone
needs an act.
Singing.
Dancing.
Magic.
Jokes.
Football
tricks.
Drawing.
Instrument
playing.
Parents
should participate too.
The less
talent the adults possess, the more entertaining the show usually becomes.
21. Learn a Magic Trick
Children
can learn a simple age-appropriate magic trick and then perform it for the
family.
Card
tricks, disappearing objects and simple optical illusions can be great fun.
Older
children might create an entire magic show.
22. Have a Dance Competition
Choose some
favourite songs and create a family dance competition.
You can
copy dance moves, invent routines or simply dance.
For younger
children, try freeze dancing: when the music stops, everyone has to remain
completely still.
23. Create an Indoor Disco
Dim the
lights where safe, put on music and turn the living room into a mini disco.
Children
can create invitations beforehand.
Add simple
party games.
It's
particularly useful on dark winter afternoons when everyone has been indoors
for too long.
24. Go for a Bike Ride
If the
weather is suitable, take the bikes out.
You don't
need an enormous cycling adventure.
A ride
around a local park or traffic-free route can provide exercise and a change of
scenery.
Choose
routes appropriate for children's abilities and use suitable safety equipment.
25. Go for a Family Walk
Walking
sounds boring to some children until you give the walk a purpose.
Walk to
find the best climbing tree.
Walk to buy
an ice cream.
Look for
animals.
Follow a
stream.
Explore a
new footpath.
The
destination or challenge can make the walking itself much more interesting.
26. Explore a New Playground
Instead of
visiting your usual playground, find another one nearby.
Even if the
equipment is similar, somewhere new feels like an adventure.
You could
create a family challenge to visit a certain number of different playgrounds
during the year.
27. Play Football in the Park
Take a
football to the park.
Create
goalposts using jumpers or other suitable markers.
Play
children against adults or organise a penalty competition.
You don't
need a full team.
Two people
can still have a penalty shootout.
28. Create a Garden Olympics
Choose
several events.
Running
race.
Standing
jump.
Ball throw.
Obstacle
course.
Skipping.
Target
throwing.
Keep scores
and award homemade medals.
You can
also let children invent ridiculous events.
29. Have a Water Fight
On a warm
day, a simple water fight can provide plenty of entertainment.
Use water
pistols, suitable garden toys or cups.
Set rules
beforehand and make sure children understand which areas and people are
participating.
Keep doors
and windows closed unless you want the activity to unexpectedly move indoors.
30. Make a Mini Water Park
You don't
need a swimming pool.
A paddling
pool, sprinkler and a few water toys can transform the garden on a warm day.
Add buckets
and containers for younger children.
Always
supervise children appropriately around water.
31. Plant Something
Give
children a small area of the garden or a plant pot.
Choose
flowers, herbs or vegetables that are relatively easy to grow.
Children
can water them and track their progress.
Growing
something turns a one-day activity into something they can return to over
several weeks.
32. Create a Bug Hotel
Children
interested in wildlife can build a simple bug hotel using suitable natural
materials.
Research
which insects you're hoping to attract and what habitat they need.
This can
lead naturally into learning about garden wildlife.
33. Go Birdwatching
You don't
need to travel to a nature reserve.
Look from
the garden, balcony, local park or window.
See how
many different birds you can identify.
Older
children can photograph them or keep a list.
Try
repeating the activity at different times of year.
34. Have a Photography Challenge
Give
children a phone or camera where appropriate and create a photography
challenge.
Photograph:
something
red
something
tiny
something
enormous
something
funny
something
symmetrical
an
interesting shadow.
At the end,
look through everyone's pictures.
35. Visit the Library
Libraries
are excellent boredom solutions.
Children
can choose books, discover new authors and sometimes take part in activities or
reading challenges.
Let them
choose something simply because it looks interesting rather than controlling
every selection.
A library
trip can also become part of a walk into town.
36. Visit a Free Museum
Many
museums across the UK offer free general admission, although particular
exhibitions or activities may have charges.
Museums can
work especially well on rainy days.
Choose one
matching your child's interests.
Dinosaurs.
Transport.
Science.
Art.
History.
Technology.
A museum
becomes much more interesting when the subject already fascinates them.
37. Explore Your Own Town
Pretend
you're tourists.
Walk
somewhere you normally drive past.
Look at old
buildings.
Find a
monument.
Visit the
local museum.
Take
photographs.
Try a café
you've never visited.
Families
often travel long distances for days out while ignoring interesting places
close to home.
38. Go Geocaching
Geocaching
turns an ordinary walk into a treasure hunt.
Participants
use coordinates and clues to search for hidden caches.
Choose
beginner-friendly locations and follow the rules of the geocaching platform
you're using.
Children
who normally complain about walking may become considerably more enthusiastic
when there's something to find.
39. Make a Time Capsule
Ask
everyone to choose items or create notes representing family life today.
Children
could include drawings, photographs, predictions and lists of their favourite
things.
Seal
everything in a suitable container or box.
Choose a
future date when you'll open it.
You don't
need to bury it.
Keeping it
somewhere safe is usually much easier.
40. Create a Family Quiz
Everyone
writes questions.
Categories
could include:
animals
films
football
geography
family
trivia
music
general
knowledge.
Divide into
teams and keep scores.
Children
can take turns being quizmaster.
41. Learn Ten Words in Another Language
Choose a
country and learn ten useful words or phrases.
Hello.
Goodbye.
Please.
Thank you.
Yes.
No.
Food.
Water.
Numbers.
Children
could then create flashcards or test the adults.
If you're
planning a holiday abroad, learn words from the country you're visiting.
42. Do a Simple Science Experiment
Science
activities can be entertaining and educational.
Choose
experiments appropriate for the child's age using safe household materials.
You might
explore floating and sinking, colour mixing, magnets or simple reactions.
Adults
should supervise experiments and check safety instructions beforehand.
The goal is
curiosity rather than recreating a professional laboratory in the kitchen.
43. Build a Paper Aeroplane
Make
several different paper aeroplane designs.
Then hold a
competition.
Which flies
furthest?
Which stays
in the air longest?
Which is
most accurate?
Older
children can change the design and investigate whether the modifications
improve performance.
44. Build the Tallest Tower
Use
anything suitable.
LEGO.
Wooden
blocks.
Cardboard
boxes.
Paper cups.
The
challenge is simple: build the tallest free-standing tower possible.
If it
collapses, redesign it.
This is a
surprisingly effective introduction to basic engineering.
45. Make a Restaurant at Home
Children
can create their own restaurant.
Design a
menu.
Set the
table.
Create a
restaurant name.
Make signs.
Older
children can help prepare simple food under adult supervision.
Parents
then become the customers.
Don't
forget to leave an imaginary review afterwards.
46. Have a No-Screen Challenge
Challenge
the family to spend a set period without phones, tablets, gaming or television.
This
doesn't need to last an entire day.
Start with
two or three hours.
Everyone
has to participate, including adults.
The
interesting part is seeing what children invent once the easiest entertainment
option disappears.
47. Create a Boredom Jar
This is one
of the best long-term solutions.
Write
activity ideas onto small pieces of paper.
Fold them
and place them in a jar.
Whenever
someone says:
“I'm
bored.”
They choose
something from the jar.
Ideas might
include:
build a den
draw a
comic
go outside
make
something
play a game
read for 20
minutes
help bake
something.
Children
can contribute their own suggestions too.
48. Let the Kids Plan the Afternoon
Give
children a budget and a few basic rules.
Then let
them decide what the family will do.
They might
choose a park, picnic, bike ride, film or trip somewhere nearby.
Older
children can research opening times, travel and costs.
Planning
becomes part of the activity.
49. Do Absolutely Nothing for a While
Parents
don't need to solve every moment of boredom.
Sometimes
children need the opportunity to become bored.
If an adult
immediately provides entertainment every time a child says “I'm bored”,
children never need to invent their own solution.
Give them
some space.
Don't
immediately produce a tablet.
You may be
surprised what they eventually decide to do.
Boredom can
lead to drawing, building, imaginary games and other activities that wouldn't
have happened if entertainment had been provided instantly.
50. Go on a Mystery Family Adventure
This can be
as simple or elaborate as you like.
Tell the
children you're going somewhere but don't reveal where.
It could
be:
a new
playground
a forest
a beach
a museum
a castle
a picnic
spot
a swimming
pool
a café
a family
attraction.
Give them
clues during the journey.
The
destination doesn't need to be expensive.
The mystery
is what makes an ordinary outing feel special.
What to Do When It's Raining
British
weather means every family needs a collection of rainy-day activities.
Keep
several ideas ready that don't require good weather.
Den
building, baking, board games, libraries, museums, swimming, indoor climbing,
craft projects and family cinema afternoons can all rescue a wet weekend.
You don't
necessarily have to stay indoors either.
With
waterproof clothing and wellies, a rainy woodland walk can become an adventure
in itself.
Puddles are
considerably more interesting to children than they are to adults.
What to Do When You Don't Want to Spend Money
Children
don't need an expensive attraction every weekend.
Some of the
ideas in this list cost almost nothing.
Go for a
walk.
Visit the
library.
Explore a
park.
Build a
den.
Create a
treasure hunt.
Ride bikes.
Make
something from cardboard.
Visit a
free museum.
Have a
picnic using food from home.
A family
day out doesn't need to cost £100 to be memorable.
What to Do During the School Holidays
Six weeks
of summer holiday can feel enormous when you're trying to think of activities
every day.
Create a
simple activity list at the beginning of the holiday.
Mix bigger
days out with smaller activities.
You might
plan one major attraction each week alongside park visits, library trips,
crafts, bike rides, picnics and days at home.
Children
don't need a major adventure every single day.
Quiet days
are useful too.
Let Children Be Bored Sometimes
This might
be the most important idea on the entire list.
Boredom
isn't necessarily a problem that parents need to fix immediately.
Children
benefit from having opportunities to invent games, explore ideas and decide
what to do with their own time.
You can
provide materials and opportunities without becoming the family's full-time
entertainment department.
The next
time you hear:
“I'm
bored.”
You don't
necessarily need to start researching theme-park tickets.
Point them
towards the cardboard box.
Suggest the
boredom jar.
Send them
into the garden.
Or simply
say:
“I'm sure
you'll think of something.”
You might
be surprised what happens next.