Depending on where you live, you’re probably coming up on your child’s school being out for Winter or Spring Break (here in Canada, some school districts take 2 weeks off in March and others do a week off in February and April). If you’re looking to avoid an overdose of screen-time and encourage your kids’ creativity while taking a much-needed breath for yourself, consider one of these boredom busters to peacefully pass the time and have a minute to breathe.
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If you want to get the kids outside, this is a great tool. Beautifully designed and packed with ideas, this deck of cards was created for families, forest school leaders, kids teachers, and anyone else who wants to try forest school. The deck is divided into four suits; Team Games, Survival Skills, Forest Crafts and Connecting to Nature. From building dens and gathering wild food to making bark masks and playing Hungry Birds, the deck will help you enjoy a magical day, full all the wonder nature can offer (USA link)
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Sticker Mosaic Books
If your kids like tiny things, these will be a hit. Create 12 mini posters with a fun search-and-find activity by matching tiny stickers featuring hundreds of adorable cats, dogs, puppies, and kittens! Simply pick out a mosaic you would like to create. Then, find the page with the corresponding stickers. Sit back and start sticking to create a purr-fect mosaic masterpiece! (USA link)
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Fortune Tellers
Kids and grown-ups alike have been folding fortune tellers, also known as “cootie catchers” for generations. Now in this interactive activity book, kids can fold 24 projects with gender-neutral art and prompts. Creativity is encouraged throughout, from fill-in-the-blank fortune tellers, to writing “a letter to my future self” in a folded paper time capsule, while games such as Truth or Dare, a spin on M.A.S.H., and storytelling prompts spark social play. HOURS of play await! (USA link)
4. Super Mini Market
Have you picked up on the tiny thing theme yet?
Let your child build a supermarket that fits in the palm on your hand! (Well, almost.) Punch out the pages in this book to make an assortment of funny groceries, from cereal to cases of soda, and much more! Every package is decorated with detailed and whimsical branding full of klutzy puns and spoofs. Create 100 unique packages and then display them on the store shelves (yes, you make those too!). This wire-o book contains 12 pages of instructions, 16 sheets of package punch outs, 1 sheet of brown craft paper punch outs for grocery bags, 2 sheets of cardboard punch-outs for package filler, 1 sheet of clear double sided tape, 1 chipboard sheet to make the display shelf (USA link)
5. Make Your Own Comic Book or Graphic Novel
Do you have an aspiring artist, author, or cartoonist at home? These feature unique template pages designed to enhance the creative process, allowing comic book and graphic novel lovers to create their own characters and storylines. Enough space for hours and hours of creative fun for all ages (USA Link)
6. Continent Race Geography Educational Board Game
This interactive, brain engaging family game for kids and adults helps children learn about the continents, countries, and flags of the world as they explore the world; A perfect game for family activity, while having fun kids can develop problem solving, critical thinking and communication skills too (USA link)
7. Hover Soccer
If you’ve ever had to yell, “NOT in the house!!” to kids who needed to get their energy out but soccer balls to the tv, walls, doors, and siblings were a reality – this is a perfect compromise. I won’t bore you with science I don’t entirely understand but basically, put the 4 AA batteries in, the built-in fan on top engages and begins sucking in air and pushing it downwards, allowing the ball to “hover”. The entire outside is flanked by soft foam, so no walls, tvs, pets, or sibling will be harmed by over-eager soccer stars. (USA link)
8. Walkie Talkies
Give kids a set of walkie talkies and watch them transform into top secret navy seals before your eyes. I don’t know what it is about these old school communicators, but they can take the regular neighbourhood friend group and morph them into a group of spies, intelligence officers, or bounty hunters with lightning speed. These ones are incredible, they have a 3km range and are built to withstand the abuse kids are sure to give them. Ours have fallen down stairs with nary a scratch. You can link several sets together as well, just set them all to the same channel. We’ve even had family friends driving in the car behind us on the highway, and the kids could all talk to each other from car to car! (USA link)
9. Lemonade Stand
Okay, hear me out. It doesn’t have to be lemonade (and if you’re in my area, no one would come by in our arctic tundra, lol). But working together to create *something*, whether it’s friendship bracelets, painted rocks, fuse bead creations, sock puppets, etc to ignite their entrepreneurial spirit and create a common goal of launching their business is the goal. Making signage, deciding on pricing, building inventory, creating the structure, and deciding on employee roles is sure to excite any kid. I know if I was walking down the street and saw 8 year olds running a tattoo parlour on the sidewalk with tattoo pens & other options, I’d be immediately In.
PS. if you live in an area that has hot Spring temps, outdoor swimming options, and lemonade really IS the perfect fit, just know we’re all jealous.
10. Invention Kit & Idea Jar
I’ve written about this before, but an invention kit is likely to engage even the most stubborn kiddo. My oldest is quite analytical and wouldn’t be overflowing with invention ideas on her own. I’d offer a jar of pre-written ideas of things she could “make” with her invention kit, and let her creativity take the reins (ex. dog house, winter castle, a zoo, a dollhouse, a library, a racecar, different sizes of homes to build a neighbourhood, etc).
Want to see the comprehensive list of my favourite school break boredom busters? Click here for Canada, click here for USA
