“I’M BORED!” At about 10 years old, I had heard that phrase from my friends. Those words didn’t really exist in my house. It seemed there was always something going on, and my brother and I were always involved.
I decided to try the phrase out on a mid-day summer respite from the whiffle ball world series and playing “pro wrestling” with my little brother (whether he wanted to or not). “Mom, “I’m BORED.” My mom halted her “one man band” of domestic management for a moment. One hand in the sink, the other tending the stove, and her feet somehow mopping the floor. “Well I am SO sorry. Let’s see what we can do about that!”
By about 9 p.m., I had pulled my last weed, organized and put away my last Lego, and swept my last floor. In the 7 hours I was occupied, I only got through about 1/4 of the list my mom had set out. “The rest,” she said, “Is for the next time you get bored.” I can honestly say I haven’t been bored since.
Young children need constant stimulation of some sort, and it falls into our lap as adults to provide it. We need to create enriching, fun experiences that not only give them something to do, but aid in their mental, emotional, and physical development. Furthermore, we need to guide them in developing an ability to enrich their own lives independently.
While kids are in school and playing sports, the amount of time left over to fill with these epic adventures is limited. Then the long days of summer hit. No school, varied sports schedules, and a lot of time to be accounted for. There are only so many camps, trips to the beach, and strolls through the zoo a sane parent can handle.
During the doldrums between these activities, it’s difficult to find a “system” to keep kids entertained. Unfortunately, passive technology has provided a quick easy fix to this problem. Videos, TV shows, and video games keep kids “out of sight, out of mind.” As long as they are plugged in, we don’t have to hear the fingernails-on-chalkboard-like “I’M BORED.”
As we are discovering, however, plugging our kids in is delivering poor results when it comes to their health and wellness. Additionally, it is molding the way they think, focus, and occupy their idle time. God forbid kids would have to make up a game, use their imaginations, or…DO SOME CHORES!!!!!
There is a danger in bringing up a generation that believes they are entitled to non-stop entertainment from an external source. Where do problem solving, innovation, and self-efficacy come from in a culture of “someone else make this interesting for me.” Kids that are allowed to be bored turn into adults that are bored. Bored adults are societal dead weight.
On one of my recent travels I was talking to a parent from Canada who had come up with a great solution for the “I’M BORED” problem. On tiny slips of paper, they write down dozens of different activities. These range from coloring, playing a game, doing an exercise, or even household chores. If their kids get bored, they go pick a piece of paper out of the jar. Enjoyable or not, they have to do what’s on the paper.
The other options are either to entertain themselves (imagination, creativity, no technology, etc.) or tell mom and dad how bored they are and get a list of chores. The parent I spoke with said they literally haven’t heard the phrase “I’M BORED” since they implemented the exercise two years ago.
This system still provides guidance but teaches the children a sense of self-efficacy and independence. It’s not punitive in nature; the kids actually like the “lottery” idea. Even the chores are embraced as part of the game. The kids aren’t plugged in, and they stay active. They learn that there is always something to do if you want there to be.
If you are a parent who is challenged with all of the above, I’ve created an easy list for you. You can just cut these up and put them in a fishbowl. Obviously, there are some age-appropriate concerns.
You may notice I haven’t included anything for high school kids. If your high-schooler is bored, encourage them to get a job. Most teenagers love making their own money. Even if they aren’t excited about it initially, they probably will be once they get that first paycheck. What better way to teach them the necessity of hard work and the value of time?
I picked weeds for people at our church starting at the age of thirteen. I hated it more than anything at the time. But I learned that if I wanted a job I liked, I’d have to curb my life decisions in the right direction.
Here is a list of activities for your “bored” bowl. Feel free to customize this to your family. Don’t plug your kids in. Provide guidance so they realize that there are always worthwhile pursuits. Empower. Don’t enable learned helplessness. Contribute to molding a future of happy, healthy, pain free leaders that are stewards of the values that have made our country GREAT.
1. Do 100 jumping jacks
2. Read 20 pages in a book
3. Sweep the kitchen floor
4. Water all the plants
5. Draw a picture of your favorite thing
6. Write a story about you and your favorite character
7. Clean your room
8. What is the biggest fish (or anything else) on the planet? (Research and draw a picture of it)
9. Build the tallest Lego castle you can
10. Put 20 things away where they belong
11. Write a list of 20 things you like
12. What’s the dirtiest animal? (Research and draw a picture of it)
13. 30 minutes outside
14. Eat a piece of fruit
15. Do 100 push-ups
16. Do 100 sit-ups
17. Answer the following: Where was your sports hero born? What was the name of their high school? What is their favorite food? What’s their favorite thing to do besides their sport? (Research and answer)
18. Wash the car
19. Create a domino knockdown game
20. Write your grandparents or other relatives a letter
21. Write down all the ingredients in your breakfast cereal. Research what each one of them is, where it comes from, and other things that the ingredient can be used for.
What are some of your ideas on how to keep kids engaged, creative, and active this summer?
Brett Klika CEO and co-founder of SPIDERfit is an international award- winning certified strength and conditioning coach, author, and motivational speaker with over 20 years experience motivating and inspiring youngsters to a life of health, fitness, and performance.
Brett consults with schools, athletic organizations, fitness professionals, and fortune 500 companies around the world.
As a soccer coach, I occasionally like to change up our training sessions. To stray from the norm of “passing and trapping”, we do a variety of exercises involving both physical and mental activity. Randomly placed numbers in a grid on a whiteboard from 1 to 50 or and having the kids touch each number with their hands as they count up, keeps the mind working and the body upright and active. This is also a great mental focus exercise.
Love it Joe! Mental engages physical and vice-versa! Keep it up!
These are great ideas and I will put them to good use in the next weeks we have of summer for fun for all at my household. Great idea to have kids feel the independence of the choice and they are fun activities for all specially the sweep the floor , wink wink
Glad these ideas were helpful Danielle! Looking forward to continuing to offer more!