Five Boredom Busters for Kids

Though our children won't say "I'm bored" for fear of the chores that may follow, I sometimes sense that feeling in their demeanor.  While we've been quite busy so far this summer, here's what's kept their attention in the downtimes.

1.  Puzzles.  These boxes hadn't seen the light of day in months, but they recently provided an afternoon of quiet entertainment.

2.  Old magazines.  These outdated copies of Highlights presented the girls with all kinds of activity ideas - including decorating their own bento boxes which they used for an indoor picnic lunch.

Old magazines are also useful for cutting up to make collages on poster board or to decorate almost any surface.

3.  Pretend cooking.  A couple of years ago, my brother and sister-in-law gave each of the girls a kids' baking set for Christmas.  They use these in the kitchen by filling up the pans with water and pretending to bake all manner of foods. 

4.  Reading for the library's summer reading program.  While they are normally avid readers, they were really motivated to get their hours recorded in order to win their prizes.

5.  Playing school.  Of all the things they play, it's one of their favorites!  Currently their dolls are the students, with one daughter serving as school teacher and the other as school librarian, secretary and nurse.

How are your children entertaining themselves this summer?