Before you know it, the weekend or school holidays come around and the kids are looking for things to do. There are times when the kids start arguing and stirring each other up, often resulting in kids running to mum and dad with ‘I’m Bored’.
Life can be hectic and busy, and as much as we love and cherish our time with our kids when they are at home, coming up with ideas on how to ‘entertain’ the kids can be exhausting. Here are some ideas of things to do with the kids that take little to no preparation or time to organise.
Ideas to entertain the kids that take little preparation
- Go for a bush walk or a park that you haven’t been to before. Your local council should have information and maps
- Library visit: Your local library often have programs and activities for kids of all ages
- Museum visit
- Art exhibition
- Environmental conservation organisation: check if your area have a environmental or sustainable activity centre. They will often have a number of activities that kids will really enjoy such as bird watching, night walks, craft activities and information sessions.
- Go for a bike ride
- Visit your local skate park
- Have a disco party at home. Get the kids to plan and organise the disco themselves.
- Stop by your local market
- Visit your nearest zoo
- See local historic or tourist attractions such as old gaols, gold mines, waterfalls
- Visit a farm. A number of farms are open to the public and allow the public to interact during feeding times
- Visit Scienceworks or something similar in your area
- Visit your nearest aquarium
- Cooking class at home or with your local Patisserie or cake decorator.
- Find your nearest outdoor maze or botanic garden
- Visit an indoor climbing centre or inflatable world.
- Check your local civic or entertainment centre for upcoming shows and events.
- Visit a driving range or miniature golf
- Take your dog to a dog park or dog wash facility
Other ideas to break the bordom trap
- Attend a drama workshop
- Visit an amusement park or water park close by. Community Centre’s usually offer a number of activities and programs for kids
- Go to the Theatre
- Aquatic Centre: whether it is hot or cold, there are a number of swimming pools and water playgrounds to visit.
- Go horse riding
- Catch a train to a nearby town for lunch then return home
- Go carting
- Visit your nearest chocolate factory, ginger factory or lolly factory
- Learn to surf lesson
- Visit a wildlife sanctuary
- Open day at your local fire station
- Check out events at your local Wetlands Centre
- Go bowling
- Check your local council for free activities in your area such as concerts and movie in the park
- See free or cheap movies. Many theatres have special offers or free screenings at certain times
- Volunteer
- Host a board game day/night
- Have a ‘dress up’ day
- Invite school friends over for a play date
- Go rock collecting
Some other things to do
- Camp out in the backyard
- Bake cupcakes or cookies
- Have a pamper day with facials, manicure and massage
- Do some gardening
- Teach your kids a new skill
- Grab your colouring books and pencils and do some colouring in
- Declutter kids bedrooms and donate to charities
- Collect bugs: send the kids out with jars to catch and release bugs and creepy crawlies
- Have a scavenger hunt: hide items in your backyard or house, then give a list of things to the kids to find
- Build a fort with either boxes or sheets and blankets
- Go for a drive to see what you can find
- Visit the airport
- Play hide and seek
- Visit a pet store: Just warn the kids beforehand that you wont be bringing a pet home (unless you want to).
- Learn a language: check your local area for free programs otherwise search YouTube for ‘easy french tutorials’ for example.
- Check your local community centre or neighbourhood house for programs and activities
- Try a sport or activity the kids have never tried like karate, archery, guitar lesson, singing lesson.
- Set up an outdoor cinema in your backyard with handmade tickets, popcorn, lolly bar and blankets.
- Wash the car
- Go fruit picking
Have you heard of the B.O.R.E.D acronym?
Now, firstly, having bored kids can actually be a good thing and there are times that I actually encourage it. Being bored can lead to amazing collaboration among siblings, teamwork, creativity and imagination.
This leads me to the B.O.R.E.D acronym. Write this on your whiteboard or stick this somewhere on your fridge.
Have you?
- B – Been creative (make or build something)
- O – Outdoor play
- R – Read a book
- E – Exercise
- D- Done something helpful?
But this only lasts for so long and before you know it the kids are getting on your nerves, asking you ‘what can I do’ and begging you ‘to do something’. These are some ideas that you can do that take little to no time to plan and organise. We hope these ideas help.
