I'm Bored! PDF Print E-mail

When children say “I’m bored” what do they mean?

“I’m fed up amusing myself stop doing what you are doing and give me some attention” – pretty much I think. It can also mean “I want to do something but i don’t think you’ll let me” or “I’m fed up playing with my toys and stuff”

Sometimes the “I’m bored” is an “I want a distraction” if we can stop what we are doing and give our children undivided attention that’s great. But often “I’m bored” occurs when you’re making dinner, mid feeding the baby, nappy changing or some other time when your knee deep into something.  I’ve a friend who believes that powerful things happen if a child is allowed to be bored. As they declare “I’m bored” stand back and allow them to be on the cusp of discovering new things. There is a danger in our society to keeps kids busy and distracted. It is important that children know how to just be and that they do not have to be busy doing all the time.
Staying present with the ‘I’m bored feeling’ is hard for adults but it is important for us to allow children be bored and to discover what is on the other side.

For those that need suggestions for the “I’m bored-distract me” this is a game my eldest and I came up with two summers ago when he was at the height of an ‘I’m bored campaign’.

 

I'm bored!

I’m bored game for ages 6+

 

Get some index cards or A4 paper card and divide evenly. It is important for the individual cards to be the same size and to have no distinguishing graphics. Sit down with your children and work out a list of fun stuff they like to do; cycling their bike, kicking a football, reading. Include small chores they can also do and some not so fun stuff; tidying their bedroom, unpacking the dishwasher. I also include things that are limited on the list like 30 minutes on a game console, watch a DVD, 20 minutes on the internet. Encourage them to have fun with their list. Then transfer each activity on to the index card. It is good to put time limits on the cards also. Draw, write or montage the activity. The kids could even do this.

It is important to have a balance of fun stuff, not so fun, normal and chore activities. This is most suitable for 6years+.

Keep the cards wrapped in an elastic band somewhere handy in the kitchen. How you play when the child wants to choose one, the cards are mixed up. The child picks one without being able to see the activity the first one picked goes. If they have spent the whole morning on the PC or cleaning their room you can remove those cards for the day. Resist the opportunity to manipulate the cards it makes it more fun for the child and you. Ten, fifteen and twenty minute activities work really well. After the activity is completed the cards are mixed up again and another is chosen.


The I’m bored ‘Picture me a story’

This is a great activity to get everyone involved in storytelling, it encourages ideas, help start a story, build vocabulary and conversation. It can be played with one child or many. It can be played with any age group. It is an excellent way to start sharing stories from the imagination especially if you find it hard to make stories up on the spot.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
Magazines, all sorts travel, nature, fashion, interiors, lifestyle, food, cars, motorbike mags, including newspaper supplements etc.
Scissors for various abilities
A shoe box or similar small box to fit you props into.

The first time you play this game you need to do steps 1 – 3, the second time you play this game you can just start at step 4.

  1. Give everyone a magazine including you
  2. Go through the magazine and cut out images you like. With toddlers they can point out what they like and you can cut that out for them. But if your kids can use a scissors encourage them to cut out the images. Set a timer for this activity if you wish.
  3. Place the cut images in the box. Adding images to the box can be a separate activity depending on age groups.
  4. Mix the images up
  5. Everyone picks a few images from the box. If there are only two of you playing you can pick three or four images if there are five kids playing one or two images. Vary the number of images per participant and for how long you want the activity to last.
  6. Show all the images. For tiny tots and toddlers you can start telling the story straight away from the images.
  7. With older children you can ask who wants to start the story, they might need some help or for you to do the first one, link the stories and images together.


Other things you can try
•         Make a book of your story by sticking the images into a scrapbook and filling the story in. You can all share in doing that.
•         Kids can draw different parts of the story or the ending
•         Family photos make a fun addition to the box and story lines

Thrifty hint: Keep an eye out in second hand shops for suitable magazines, ask your hairdresser, doctors, dentist or neighbours can you have old copies of their magazines.

Roisin
 
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