20+ Easy Boredom Busters Your Kids Will Love
20+ Easy Boredom Busters Your Kids Will Love (FREE Printable!)
These easy boredom busters will keep your kids engaged for hours. They are all great ideas for having fun when you are stuck at home.
Whether it’s been raining for hours or it’s too cold to play outside, being stuck indoors can be torture for your kids. And after being stuck indoors for an extended period of time, you’re likely to hear the words “I’m bored” more than once.
Having some fun ideas on hand is a great way to keep boredom at bay! The next time your kids are stuck at home with nothing to do, be ready with these easy boredom busters your kids are sure to love.
Paint a Picture
Most kids love to paint, which makes it a great option when your kids are stuck inside. And while traditional painting is fun for a little while, sometimes you need to change things up to keep your kids engaged. If painting with a brush and watercolors isn’t going to cut it, try adding some fun new elements to the mix, like:
- Finger painting
- Painting with leaves, flowers, or sticks
- Using items from the pantry, like pasta or broccoli, to paint
- Paint with plastic utensils
- Paint a t-shirt instead of on paper
Write a Book
Help your kids get a little creative the next time they’re bored by suggesting they write a book. Give them a topic or idea for their story, then let them use their imagination to write the story and illustrate the book. Make sure they have plenty of paper, pencils, and crayons to complete their book. Then, hold a book reading so the entire family can enjoy hearing your child read their book aloud.
Have Fun in the Kitchen
Whether you get your kids involved in cooking dinner or help them make a sweet treat during the afternoon, spending some time in the kitchen is another way to keep your kids entertained when they can’t go outside. On top of helping them keep from getting board, cooking and experiment in the kitchen is also a great learning experience. In addition to helping with traditional cooking tasks, you could also have some fun in the kitchen:
- Making cookies, cupcakes or brownies
- Making homemade Play-doh or slime
- Dying rice or pasta with food coloring
Make Crafts
If you’re looking for a boredom buster that doesn’t require much adult intervention, let your kids get creative with the craft supplies. Simply set out some crafting supplies, paper, glue, scissors, and crayons and let them create something from their own imagination. Or pick a fun craft for all the kids to make together, then compare their works of art when they’re all finished working.
Related: Check out over 100 ideas for Simple Craft for Kids!
Do a Science Experiment
If your kids are looking for something to do, why not make that activity educational? A fun science experiment is a great way to entertain your kids for a while and get them learning at the same time. These easy science experiments also make great boredom busters:
- Make a volcano out of clay, add baking soda, and make it erupt by pouring in some vinegar.
- Turn a bar of soap into foam by placing in the microwave for two minutes.
Set up a Drive-in Movie
If you can’t go to the movies, bring the movie theater to your living room by creating a drive-in on the floor. Turn boxes into cars by decorating the outside and adding a cushion to the inside. Then, give your kids some popcorn and drinks and let them sit in their cars and watch their favorite movie!
Play a Game
Do you have more than one kid at home who needs to be entertained? Encourage them to play a game together! There are a variety of great kid-friendly games they can play indoors to help them pass the time, including:
- Simon Says
- Hot Potato
- Charades
- Balloon tennis
Make a Sensory Bin
Keeping little ones entertained is a little more difficult than occupying older children. If you have a toddler or preschooler at home, sensory bins are great way to help keep boredom at bay. Fill a bin with items of different textures, colors, sizes and shapes and let them explore the different items at their own pace.
Pretend Play
Another great way to keep younger kids entertained is to encourage pretend play. Give your little one an idea to start with and let their imagination run wild! There are so many different pretend scenarios you could offer your kids, depending on how involved you want to be in the pretend action. The next time your young kids are complaining of being bored, offer these pretend play suggestions:
- Restaurant
- Book store
- Toy store
- Grocery store
- Movie theater
Family Video Games
While resorting to screen time may not be optimal, turning screen time into family time by playing video games together is a fun compromise. Find a family-friendly game everyone can play together, then enjoy some time together playing a fun video game.
Check out even more ideas and download this free boredom buster printable
Your kids will absolutely love the 10 ideas above, but this printable has even more awesome boredom busting ideas!
