{"id":3840,"date":"2023-05-29T11:28:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-29T11:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dadstuffsite.com\/?p=3840"},"modified":"2023-06-01T15:06:55","modified_gmt":"2023-06-01T15:06:55","slug":"the-boredom-jar-30-activities-for-when-your-kids-are-bored","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dadstuffsite.com\/the-boredom-jar-30-activities-for-when-your-kids-are-bored\/","title":{"rendered":"The Boredom Jar: 30 Activities for When Your Kids Are Bored"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Boredom<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

I love my kids. I really do. But sometimes I get tired of dealing with complaints of, “Daaaad, I’m bored!”. I’m all for helping them out when I can, and I think there is value in them learning how to deal with boredom (check out some of my strategies here: 6 Tips for Getting Kids Past \u201cI\u2019m bored!\u201d<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But sometimes I don’t have the time and the kids just need to do something so I can make dinner. That’s when I turn to the Boredom Jar, a container filled with little pieces of paper with activities that’ll take 30 minutes to an hour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before I go on, I have to vent. Most searches on the topic of “activities for bored kids” stink. The suggestions people give are not realistic. The person writing the article clearly just thought of 100 random activities and didn’t try most (or any) of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’ve tried making elephant toothpaste<\/em> with your kids, you’ll know what I’m talking about. It’s about 20 minutes of the parent getting all the ingredients, a chemical reaction that takes 10 seconds, and then another 20 minutes of the parent cleaning everything up. So in total, the kids were entertained for 10 seconds while the parent spends 40 minutes prepping and cleaning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also yawn when I read suggestions like <\/em>“plant a vegetable garden” or “have a dance party.” We need real activities (some of which involve parental participation) that the kids will actually have fun doing for a while. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ground Rules for the Boredom Jar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are a couple of ground rules to set before I get to the list. First, every activity needs to be something we can do right now. No ordering specialty equipment or ingredients from Amazon. No going to the planetarium only to remember it’s only open on the weekends (I’ve definitely made that mistake). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second rule is that if the child chooses to pick an activity from the Boredom Jar, they must honor that activity. No re-dos or takebacks. If they’re not thrilled with what they picked, they have to deal with it (or help you do chores around the house…mwahaha<\/em>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now onto the list of boredom jar suggestions…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Bottle Flipping \u00e0 la Dude Perfect<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you haven’t watched Dude Perfect<\/a> on YouTube yet, check it out. You’re welcome. Simply fill a water bottle with an inch or two of water, screw the cap back on, and start flipping. My youngest can do this for hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is original content created from dadstuffsite.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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