30 Activities to Do When the Kids Are Bored
When the kids are bored, never fear! When we developed our Adventure Challenge Family Edition, we came up with all kinds of fun activities for kids - and it doesn’t stop there. From a scavenger hunt to a tea party to a family game night, there are countless activities that are fun for the entire family. If you're wondering what to do when kids are bored, check out these 30 activities for some amazing ideas.
Boredom-Busting Ideas for Active Kids
#1 - Play a sport outside
It’s the oldest trick in the book - grab a ball and head outside. Whether you’re throwing a football, teaching them how to dribble, or kicking a soccer ball around, playing a sport outside is a fail-proof activity to do when the kids are bored.
#2 - Wash the car
The kids get a fun activity that teaches them a skill and makes them feel useful and important, and you get a clean car. If this isn’t a win-win, we don’t know what is. Grab the hose and some cleaning cloths and let them have at it.
#3 - Go for a bike ride
When the kids have bikes, there’s no excuse for boredom! Pile them into the car and find a trail to explore together, or just hop onto your bikes and take a tour through the neighborhood to keep them entertained (and tire them out!)
#4 - Do ‘mindful movement’ videos
Never come across these? Mindful movement videos are designed to help you calm down and connect with your body using gentle movements and breathing exercises. There are plenty of videos that are made for kids, so be sure try one out.
#5 - Play hide-and-seek
This is a classic activity for when kids are bored for a reason. You really don’t need much in the way of supplies for this fun game - just someone who can close their eyes and count down!
#6 - Make a fort
If the kids are bored, challenge them to make the best fort. How far to take it is up to you - kids will love a fort that’s just a sheet thrown over a couple of chairs or some pillows under the dining room table, but if you want to add Christmas lights, cardboard creations, and snacks - well, you could be making a memory they’ll keep forever!
#7 - Have a dance party
Another simple way to keep the kids entertained when they are bored: throw on some great tunes and have a dance party! This is one of the most fun activities - play dress up and make 'music videos' to take it to the next level.
#8 - Make an obstacle course
This could be an indoor obstacle course made of a few bottles set up in the hallway for your family pet to navigate through, or it could get way more elaborate. Take chairs and objects outside into the back yard to create an incredible challenge.
#9 - Clean and re-organize their room
Now, this might not be your kids’ all-time favorite activity for when they’re bored - but it’s a great way to put their time to use. Why complain about being bored when there’s so much good work to do?
#10 - Do a yoga or fitness class
Classes, whether in person or online, are a great option when the kids are bored. Get them to get all their energy out in a productive way - and if it’s a class you want to take, too, then that’s even better.
#11 - Go on a Lego hunt
Make it your mission to find every stray Lego in your home - and bring the kids in on it. Offer them a prize for whoever finds the most pieces and let them start turning out the couch cushions and sweeping under the tables.
#12 - Go on a scavenger hunt
With clues hidden around your house, yard, or local park, a scavenger hunt is a great way to entertain bored kids. You can put as much time into it as you want, and make it elaborate or super simple!
Boredom-busting Ideas for Kids Who Love to be Creative
#13 - Write your own story
Get those creative juices flowing when kids are bored and challenge them to write down a creative story. If they’re struggling to come up with ideas, give them prompts to work with - and then ask them for a dramatic reading of their work!
#14 - Draw murals outside with colored chalk
When kids are bored, all it takes is some good weather and a few sticks of chalk to get them entertained. Challenge them to fill up a whole panel of the sidewalk or the driveway with pictures to create a beautiful mural.
#15 - Put on a play
Tap into the creativity all kids have and get them to come up with a story for a play. Finding props, creating costumes, and figuring out characters - when they really get into it, this will stop kids from being bored for hours at a time.
#16 - Do an art challenge
When kids are bored, there’s nothing like a little competition to get them engaged. Pull up an art challenge - Pinterest is great for that - and get them to compete for the best reproduction. All you need are some markers and paper, and you’re good to go!
#17 - Make Play-Doh sculptures and put on an art show
Play-Doh never gets old - but make this feel extra-special by putting on an art show presenting all of the kids’ creations. Help them to write description cards for each piece, present them in pride of place in a room and welcome the kids in to the exclusive art show.
#18 - Collect rocks and paint them
Design garden decorations and paperweights by finding rocks outside and using simple paints to decorate them.
#19 - Create chalk dolls and dress them up
You can use chalk to draw pictures of doll outlines on the ground, and then create different clothes out of paper to dress them up. Encourage your kids to incorporate different elements from the outside world into their doll outfits - leaves, pebbles, and flowers could all make great accessories.
#20 - Write a letter to a grandparent or older relative
This is such a great activity to do with bored kids - help them to write letters to family members they haven’t seen for a while. These notes will mean the world to grandparents!
#21 - Create a toothpick tower
You can model your toothpick towers after images of real castles or historical buildings, or you can let the kids’ imaginations run wild and see what they come up with!
#22 - Do a puzzle
Puzzles come in all different pictures and difficulty levels, so there’s one out there for every age. Pulling out a puzzle is a great way to provide some low-ley entertainment when the kids are bored.
#23 - Create a ‘When I grow up’ poster
Get them thinking about their futures when you challenge them to create a ‘when I grow up’ poster. They can cut out photos from magazines or simply draw their posters, but have them dream about their future house, job, family and achievements. These posters will be priceless to look back on, so make sure you keep them!
#24 - Put together a time capsule
When kids are bored, this activity is sure to ignite their excitement. Help them gather a bunch of objects that will tell a story to their future selves - things that matter to them now or stuff that reflects the times you’re living in. For the full experience, bury your time capsule in the back yard!
#25 - Make slime
Slime is a wonderful example of sensory play, and it’s super easy to make. You can make homemade slime using just baking soda, glue, and saline solution - with a few drops of food coloring if you want.
#26 - Plan and make your own lunch
Get the kids involved in the kitchen by helping them come up with their own lunch ideas - they’ll feel so proud to have made lunch all by themselves!
#27 - Bake cookies or brownies
A baking project is such a fun activity for when the kids are bored! Get them involved with measuring ingredients and mixing the dough - and, of course, licking the bowl.
#28 - Create some snack art
Make snack time a creative activity for bored kids. Slice up some fruits and veggies and challenge your kids to make animal faces or landscapes using the shapes - you can pull up some inspiration photos to help them get the idea.
#29 - Create a gratitude or vision board
When kids are bored, redirect their attention to what they are grateful for. You can create a gratitude board by writing down their ideas, or printing out photos, and sticking it onto a sturdy piece of cardstock or a cork board. This would be a great on-going project to help kids cultivate thankfulness.
#30 - Write a letter to a soldier
Help your kids to write letters to a soldier to really make someone’s day! You can decorate holiday-themed cards or write little updates about your family’s life - it will be greatly appreciated!
Finding Activities for Bored Kids
These activities are simple, achievable, and - most important of all - fun! For more great ideas, check out our list of 29 Fun Activities to Do At Home with Kids.
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