Boredom busters

Your kids have all the toys in the world, but still they cry, “But I’m bored ....”. 

Here are some great boredom buster ideas which will have you fully armed for next time your kids think they have nothing else to do!
 

30 Boredom Busters - fun kids activities for young kids

 

1. Organise a trip to the zoo or wildlife park with your kids. Take a picnic, visit the animals and have a fun family day out.

2. Arrange a board games night or treasure hunt to suit the age of your kids.

3. Take your family on a bike ride. Head to the park or check out some easy bike tracks.

4. Make your own bubbles with your toddler & preschooler and watch them fly.

5. Blow up balloons for your kids to chase around the house or garden.

6. Camp at home. This is always fun! Put up a small tent indoors or out in the backyard and cook your kids favourite food on the bbq. If you don't have a tent, make a hut with blankets, sheets and chairs inside or outside.

7. Do some collage. Use old magazines, leaves, paper and anything you can lay your hands on to build a work of art and put it in a frame.

8. Get your toddler or preschooler to draw chalk pictures on the footpath using shop bought chalks or make your own ice chalk paints.

9. Go on a family walk. Great exercise for kids and adults, as well as a chance to get out as a family and enjoy spending time with each other. It’s free and something you can do anytime.

10. Feed the ducks.

11. Fly a kite. Wait for a windy day and head for the hills or some open space. Kites can be cheap to buy, but why not make your own?

12. Go to the beach or to a lake. Take a blanket, a picnic and a few outdoor toys to throw around.

13. Go to the library. Take your kids to your local library and choose story books together to read at bedtime or take part in one of the kids’ activities the library holds.

14. Go to the movies. Once in a while it is fun to see a movie on the silver screen with a special treat of a big bucket of popcorn. Or how about setting up a movie night at home?

15. Hunt for bugs in the garden or local park.

16. Make your own paper darts or planes and have fun flying them around the garden or inside if there's room.

17. Make some paper mache. Gather up your old newspapers and a tray of water. Make a frame out of chicken wire, a balloon or some other type of framework and see what you can create. Get the kids to paint their creation when it dries.

18 Make play dough.

19. Have a museum day. There are many types of museums with a variety of interests around New Zealand. Some museums offer hands-on displays that kids are allowed to handle and experience up close. They often run school holiday programmes too.

20. Create some pasta art. Make some coloured pasta for the kids to use for all sorts of arts and crafts activities.

21. Plant a small garden. Transform a small area of your garden or a pot by getting the kids to help plant flowers and/or veges. If it's raining outside, why not have a go at growing your own cress egg heads indoors.

22. Play at the park. Get the family together and go to a park just to play! Play on the playground equipment or take your own outdoor toys. Make a day of it and take a picnic too.

23. Play hide and seek. An old favourite, but hide and seek is such a fun game and you can play it indoors or out.

24. Put together a puppet show. Use the puppets you have or create your own and put together a puppet show. Paper lunch bags, wooden pegs and wooden spoons can all be adapted and dressed and drawn into puppets.

25. See a play. Find out what kids shows are going on at your local theatre or village hall. They’ll often have morning shows and matinees to fit in with your kids sleep times.

26. Play soccer. Playing football or soccer is great exercise and a lot of fun. You can make the teams as big or as small as you like. Play games in the garden or head to the beach or park.

27. Pack your togs and go swimming. Swimming is fun for everyone in the family (especially for the kids). Go to a local pool or set up a paddling pool at home, or even enrol them in swimming lessons.

28. Have a go at t-shirt painting. Let your kids design their own t-shirts with fabric paints or dyes. They’ll have fun doing it and will wear the shirts with pride.

29. Go on a train ride. Riding trains is a lot of fun. Find a place that has a steam engine or a small train rides for kids, or head for a family day out on a more modern version.

30. Organise some water play activities. Kids love playing with water! Load them up with water balloons, run through the sprinklers, shoot each other with water guns, and slide around on slippery plastic. And if it's too cold outside, why not have water play in the bath!
 

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