35 Non-Boring Ideas for Your Boredom Jar

Collage of non-boring ideas for your boredom jar

"I'm bored!"

The phrase every parent dreads. And while we've given you lots of awesome ideas over the years, you don't always have access to your phone. Shocking, I know!

At times of crisis, you need a boredom jar (or box, or envelope). Fill your jar with popsicle sticks or cards, each with a fun activity written on them. Then the next time you hear the dreaded words, you can direct your kids to the boredom box!

Jump to:

Cardboard box coloring

a child draws on the leaf of a cardboard box with crayons. A pile of crayons sit in front of them — Source: And Next Comes L

As And Next Comes L points out in their post, when you buy a toy that comes in a big box, your kids will want to play with the big box. So boredom jar idea number 1 is cardboard box coloring.

Pencil box boredom buster

sheets of paper are inside a purple lunchbox, with foam stickers of bugs and sheets of car stickers to the side — Source: Craftulate.com

If you need to be more mobile, or you threw out your last giant cardboard box, then this portable idea from Craftulate is a better choice. You can customize the contents based on your child's preferences.

Cardboard marble labyrinth

a boy wearing glasses, shorts and a t-shirt holds a cardboard maze, guiding a marble around the walls — Source: Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

For those times when they're studying Greek myths in school, or you just need a project that will take them longer than 5 minutes, this maze is what you need. Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls has a great addition to your boredom jar.

Finish the drawing

Definitely, one to keep on your bookshelf, this fabulously creative book by Jess Erskine will give your children hours of drawing fun.

Sidewalk chalk

a girl in a purple dress lays on her front on the sidewalk drinking from a juice box through a straw. A box of crackers sits by her side and a chalk outline surrounds her — Source: Playtivities

Ready to chuck them all outside for the afternoon? Then put some of our sidewalk chalk games in your boredom jar. Cheap and simple, but so much fun for all ages.

Giant slingshot

a boy in a yellow spiderman shirt sits behind the legs of a chair. He is pulling back a slingshot and squinting at the camera — Source: Playtivities

Two activities in one? Sign us up! Learn how to make a giant slingshot and set up your own backyard practice range.

Pillow sumo wrestling

a boy looks ot the left of the screen. He is wearing a blue captain america shirt stuffed with pillows — Source: Playtivities

Sure, siblings love each other, but sometimes it's helpful to have creative ways to channel their less positive feelings! Pillow sumo wrestling is the family game you need in these situations.

Photo challenge

a girl in a white shirt with hearts and a straw hat faces the camera holding a camera up her face as if taking a photo — Source: Playtivities

Whether you have older kids that you can send out around the neighborhood or younger ones that you only trust as far as the front door, a photo challenge is a great way of keeping them busy.

DIY paper tetris

a piece of paper with "Paper Tetiris" on the top has been divided into squares. Colored block shapes have been fitted into the grid adn spare shapes sit to the side — Source: Playtivities

Don't worry; this one doesn't need batteries or a console. You can whip out this paper Tetris when you're enforcing a screen break, or the wifi has mysteriously gone down.

Puzzles

a man, woman and girl sit in front of a pile of jigsaw pieces on a table — Source: Shutterstock

Sometimes, in fact, often, the simplest ideas are the best. You can keep your complicated computer games. What a long afternoon really needs is a jigsaw puzzle. Make sure you write this one on a couple of your boredom jar popsicle sticks.

Play restaurant

a small table has a bunch of orange flowers in a leopard print vase on top of it. Taped to the front of the table is a white sign that reads "Restaruarnt OPEN Please come in" — Source: The Kindergarten Connection

Probably more suitable for younger children, this dramatic play guide from The Kindergarten Connection is great fun, whilst providing opportunities to develop reading, math, and social skills.

Making paperchains

A hand holds the end of a colored paper chain — Source: Threading My Way

Not just for Christmas, paper chains are a fabulous way to occupy little bored hands. Threading My Way has some even better ways to make them fun.

Dancing Frankenworms

a girl in a yellow shirt smiles at a glass of liquid with jelly snakes floating in it — Source: Playdough to Plato

We've mentioned Frankenworms before when we've rounded up the best STEM activities for you. But it's worth another shout out because it's so darn fun! Head to Playdough to Plato for your guide.

Puffy finger painting

two hands are covered in foam. A sheet of paper is also covered in colored foam. 4 paper plates hold different colored foam — Source: Girl Loves Glam

Ok, so this one probably needs supervision, but it'll definitely keep your little ones busy on a rainy afternoon. Girl Loves Glam shows you how to make the puffy paint, and how to have fun with it.

Playing doctors

a girl in a blue shirt with long brown hair holds the end of a stethoscope up to the chest of a soft toy rabbit who is wearing a surgical mask — Source: Shutterstock

Make your make-believe even more believable with these printables from Kids Activities Blog. Name labels, prescriptions, and patient forms will help your little physician have fun.

Helping with dinner

a group of children sit around a table. A black girl in a red shirt is holding a ball of mozzarella and pulling it apart while the other children watch. A jug full of cheese and egg is to the side — Source: Little Sprouts Learning

They say that if a child helps make a meal then they're more likely to eat it. I don't know, my son wouldn't eat broccoli even if he'd grown it himself! But having them help with dinner is a great boredom jar activity. Little Sprouts Learning has some fun ideas to inspire you.

Host a tea party

a pink tin tray holds 3 pink cups and saucers, and a pink teapot — Source: Our Family Lifestyle

Not all of us are comfortable letting our kids go to town on our stove. But hosting a whimsical tea party is mess-free. See how Our Family Lifestyle did it here.

Fill a time capsule

an asian girl in a red dress places a rolled up piece of paper into a cardboard tube labelled "Time Capsule" She is surrounded by a tartan sheet and soft toys — Source: Shutterstock

Will the children of the future still have Playstations? Will they understand what we mean by streaming? Why not give them a hint with your very own time capsule? Bury it in the garden, or just keep it in the garage until you move out!

Talent show

A boy and a girl stand next to each other on a yellow background. The boy has darker skin and is holding a small guitar — Source: Shutterstock

No boredom jar is complete without the instruction to put on your own talent show. Sing a song, tell a joke, or just do a funny walk! Find out how to put on the best performance on a budget with Our Family Lifestyle.

Dominoes

Outdoor games that are easy to play are key to your boredom jar. Keep some giant dominoes in the shed or a small box in your kitchen drawer and you can enjoy a relatively peaceful 45 minutes!

Make your own treasure hunt

a sheet of paper showing a basic blueprint of a house layout — Source: 123 Homeschool 4 Me

You can encourage your kids to practice their geography skills as well as keep them from getting bored with this great treasure hunt game from 123 Homeschool4Me. It's easy to prepare and reusable!

LEGO challenge cards

2 cards bordered in color and lego brick images with instructions on them — Source: The STEM Laboratory

LEGO is the perfect anti-boredom activity, and with these LEGO cards from The STEM Laboratory you have ready-made activities for even your most stubborn little one.

Make paper boats

4 colored paper origami boats on a purple background — Source: The Purple Yarn

The best boredom jar activities are those that don't need a lot of setup or loads of materials. These paper boats from The Purple Yarn simply require sheets of paper. You can have races, decorate them, and generally have a good time!

Make a bug hotel

hanging from the side of a shed are two bundles of twigs and pine cones held together with ribbon — Source: Red Ted Art

Some kids are happy pottering about in the backyard all day, while other need a little bit of direction. Add "make a bug hotel" to your boredom jar and Red Ted Art will take them through the simple process.

Build a blanket fort

a blanket fort in a living room with cushions, soft toys and books inside — Source: Pretty Providence

Making a fort is the activity of choice whenever my son has a friend over. We've had so many combinations of cushions, blankets, pegs, and furniture fitted together. Pretty Providence claims to know how to build the best blanket fort you've seen. It's worth checking out!

Get arty

2 paintings made up of colored dots of paint. One is of a tree, grass and sky, the other is of a rising sun over grass — Source: Projects With Kids

Want to fit some culture into your weekend? This art activity from Projects With Kids will teach your little ones about Pointillism, and keep them busy for hours.

Windchime craft

the text reads "Wind Chimes for kids" the image is of a eind chime made of twigs, string and beads — Source: Pinterest

You can build a wind chime out of pretty much anything you find lying around. I've seen them made out of old kitchen utensils and even broken toys. Find inspiration on Pinterest for your own boredom-busting musical decoration.

Monster rocks

stones have been painted different colors and decorated with monster faces — Source: The Inspiration Edit

I'm in love with these cheeky monster rocks from The Inspiration Edit! Sure, they're supposedly for Halloween, but I'd happily have them decorating my backyard all year round!

Read a book!

A girl in a white spotted shirt reads a book sitting in a window — Source: Shutterstock

Ok, so it's not groundbreaking. But occasionally your child needs a little push to get stuck into the imaginary worlds that sit on their bookshelves. Maybe stick this on more than one of your boredom jar popsicle sticks.

Salt painting

3 sheets of white paper with raised line paintings. One of a butterfly, one of a group of flowers, one of a rainbow — Source: The Best Ideas For Kids

With snowflake designs for winter, bursting flowers for spring, and rainbows all year round, The Best Ideas For Kids has all the best ideas (duh!) for your salt painting!

Sensory bins

4 images of storage boxes full of tiny toys and items — Source: Happy Toddler Playtime

Ready-to-go portable activities are a mom's best friend for long days and road trips. Happy Toddler Playtime has some great ideas for travel-friendly sensory bins for younger kids.

Playdough modelling

6 balls of different colored playdough — Source: Surviving A Teacher's Salary

You've probably read your fair share of playdough recipes. But we love this one from Surviving a Teacher's Salary. The best part? It's edible, so you don't have to worry about taking your eyes off your little ones for 5 seconds!

Mini zoo busy bag

a tin holds plastic toy animals and fencing. To the side is a partially created zoo — Source: My Baba

Another activity that you can have on a shelf, ready-to-go when boredom strikes. This mini busy bag (or tin) from My Baba is a great customizable idea for all ages.

Popsicle stick puzzles

popsicle sticks have been placed together to make different shapes — Source: Everyday A Little Grace

If your house is anything like mine then you'll have popsicle sticks leftover even after you've filled your boredom jar with all of our awesome ideas. So then you can create these easy puzzles from Everyday A Little Grace. Look how eco-friendly you are!

Clothespin color matching

3 rectangles of card have colored circles around the edge with matching clothespegs pinned to them. A bowl of clothesppegs sits to the side — Source: Chalk Academy

Let's finish up with another one for the smaller people because we all know they have the shortest attention spans! This color-matching activity from Chalk Academy is great fun and easy to set up. Enjoy!