The holidays are here, which means a couple of weeks of kids being at home. So, what about activities for the break? Do not feel like you must fill every moment, even if you hear the words, “I’m bored” too many times a day.
A little boredom can be a good thing. It can help to stimulate creativity, develop problem-solving, and give the brain time to recharge. It is not the boredom that is good for your kids as much as what they do as a result. Kids do not always have many opportunities for self-direction. Working out what to do when bored helps build and develop planning skills.
To help them along, you can sit down with them at the start of the break and get them to create a list of activities they have enjoyed in the past and some new things they like the idea of trying. They can then be directed to this list when they run out of ideas.
For younger kids, it could include:
- Puzzles
- Holiday crafts
- Building a sofa fort
- Coloring
- Calling a relative
- Building Legos/blocks
- Creating a dance routine
Ideas for older kids:
- Cookie decoration
- Learning to play chess
- More complex Legos
- Online yoga
- Creating a podcast
- Online music composition.
Be realistic about how long each activity will likely keep your child entertained. Consider maintaining a basic structure for each day so your child understands how long they need to keep themselves entertained. Perhaps you can even create a visual schedule for them to reference. Remember that your time and attention are valuable to your child, so build some of that into the day when you can!
Finally, don’t stress too much if it goes horribly wrong at some point — a bit of boredom will not hurt, and tomorrow is always another day!