By Rachel Hoeing

How many of you have already heard “I’m bored” come out of your child’s mouth since school let out? Although it’s irritating to hear, I think one of the best learning lessons is to allow your children to be bored. Boredom sparks creativity and ingenuity. But you all know as well as I do that the spark can die out quickly. Some kids just need a jump start to get the fun activities rolling.

That is where today’s blog comes in. I asked moms and dads what their favorite summer memories were when they were younger. I asked for things that they did in or around the house. I have compiled the list below for you to keep on hand, print out, bookmark, whatever. The first time your children say, “I’m bored” or “I don’t know what to do” you can give a suggestion off this list. Hopefully they will find something that sounds appealing, and if not, lucky for you – we’ve got our Summer Bucket List which includes plenty of activities and explorations that you can enjoy AWAY from home!

99 Ways to Reply to “I’m Bored”

1. Play in the sprinkler
2. Make a slip-n-slide
3. Make kool-aid pops
4. Find a jar, poke some holes in the lid, and catch lightening bugs
5. Make the front porch a stage, play music and lip-sync
6. Play with Legos
7. Make a reading nook in your room and dive into a new book
8. Host a lemonade stand
9. Learn how to do a cartwheel, round-off, or handstand
10. Play cards – war, spiked malice, spit, uno, slap-jack
11. Make cookies
12. Draw a picture of what your dream house would look like, adding details in every room
13. Create a dance routine
14. Set up an indoor tent to watch a movie
15. Build a fort in the woods
16. Play with Barbies
17. Play four square
18. Plant a garden or flowers
19. Dress up your pet (gently!)
20. Plan a dinner for your parents and create a restaurant atmosphere to serve them
21. Play school
22. Play in the creek
23. Climb a tree
24. Catch creepy-crawlies in a box with holes
25. Play Ghost In the Graveyard
26. Build fairy houses in the yard
27. Make a volcano
28. Start a game of kickball
29. Design plans for a treehouse (maybe one day it will really be built!)
30. Eat watermelon on the porch and see how far you can spit the seeds
31. Break rocks apart to see what they look like inside
32. Play Cats in the Cradle with string
33. Build a club house, name your club, give all your friends secret names and passwords
34. Make Mudpies in the dirt
35. Fill up buckets of water and use paint brushes to paint the sidewalk and driveway
36. Draw with chalk, play hopscotch
37. Eat lunch outside on a picnic blanket
38. Camp in your backyard
39. Use a shoebox to create a habitat for imaginary animals
40. Create a Matchbox carwash (shaving cream to soap up the cars, big bowl to rinse them in water)
41. Make crafts out of duct tape
42. Hula Hoop
43. Take the dog for a walk
44. Play hand-clapping games – Miss Mary Mack, Say Say Old Playmate
45. Collect flowers
46. Ride your Bike, Skateboard, Scooter or Ripstick
47. Make friendship bracelets
48. Play Kick the Can
49. Write a letter or make a card for a grandparent
50. Set up a TV or a big sheet with a projector for an outdoor movie night
51. Find Honeysuckle and enjoy!
52. Play jump rope, double-dutch, sing songs while jumping
53. Play dress up
54. Make up a game show and record it
55. Build ramps for your bikes or skateboard
56. Play hide and seek or Sardines
57. Clean out a messy space
58. Build outdoor houses/shelters for dolls or army men and let them sleep there
59. Paint a bookshelf outside to keep in your room or playroom
60. Water Balloon Fight or Squirt-gun fight
61. Play Charades
62. Set up an obstacle course in the front yard
63. Create with Play-dough, clay, Silly Putty or Flubber
64. Catch frogs
65. Make your own flashcards for math problems or sight words
66. Investigate your yard with a magnifying glass
67. Get out the water hose for hours of enjoyment
68. Make your own bird feeder
69. Wash the car
70. Try to get around the entire inside of the house without ever touching the floor
71. Play Wall Ball
72. Collect all the toys you no longer play with and donate them
73. Take a book under a tree and read
74. Become a photographer
75. Make your own ice cream
76. Stretch out on your back in the yard and watch the clouds, at night watch the stars
77. Go on a hunt to collect trash and clean up the environment
78. Buy a bird book and try to identify the ones in your yard
79. Make your own exercise video
80. Go geocaching
81. Play Frisbee
82. Make your own beanbag toss with buckets
83. Pretend your yard is a beach. Set out chairs, umbrellas, baby pools and sand
84. Put on a magic show
85. Do a craft
86. Play tag – freeze tag, TV tag, zombie tag, flashlight tag
87. Set up a scavenger hunt for your siblings or friends
88. Play Mother May I, Red Light Green Light, Duck Duck Goose or Red Rover
89. Make up a story and act out a play
90. Melt ice on the pavement
91. Do a puzzle
92. Blow bubbles
93. Break out Monopoly or the Game of Life
94. Play Capture the Flag
95. Follow the Leader
96. Design your own board game
97. Play football, baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse or basketball
98. Make musical instruments with kitchen items and have a parade
99. Pretend you are Charlie’s Angels or The Dukes of Hazard (of course you will want to step into the current century on this one and substitute your kids’ favorite shows!)

As you may have noticed, most of the moms and dads I surveyed were children of the 80’s!  You will note that our parents were much more lenient with dangerous activities. Guess we should add a disclaimer here that TMoM is not responsible for broken bones, skinned knees, black eyes, poison ivy or anything else traumatic that may happen while attempting one of our 99 suggestions! 🙂

Enjoy and please share more ideas by commenting below!

Other blogs and directories you may use this summer!

Summer 2019 Family Bucket List
Triad Area Strawberry Farms
Splash Pads & Water Slides
Summer Camps in the Triad
VBS in the Triad
Swim Clubs & Pools
Favorite Parks, Playgrounds & Walking Trails
Day Trips
What to do with your Preschooler this Summer
Event Calendar

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