Summer Boredom Busters for Kids

Summer is just getting started and chances are you have already heard the dreaded “Mom, I’m bored”. Not to worry though, here you will find some summer boredom busters to keep your kids busy all summer long.

Here are some great boredom buster that are especially fun in the summer! These activities will keep your kids busy and happy.

More summer fun ideas:

Shaving Cream Fight

A shaving cream fight in the backyard is an excellent way to beat summer boredom! Pick up a couple of cans of foam, not gel, shaving cream at the dollar store, and let your kids go to war. Just make sure they keep the fight below the shoulders, shaving cream in the eyes is nobody’s idea of a good time! Turn on the hose or the sprinkler for some additional fun, and to wash off the shaving cream.

Squirt Gun Watercolors

Squirt gun watercolors are a fun way to make some beautiful art. Just set up an easel in the backyard with some paper, you can use watercolor paper but plain copy paper will work too. Fill your squirt guns with watercolor paint and let your little Picasso’s loose to create their own works of art. If you don’t happen to have squirt guns laying around, you can easily substitute a spray bottle.

Microwave Puffy Paint

Here is a great indoor activity that you can save for a rainy day. Mix together 3 teaspoons of baking powder, one cup of flour, a teaspoon of salt and enough water to make the mixture the consistency of pancake batter. Put your batter into several zip-top bags and add a few drops of food coloring to each. Squeeze the bags to mix the color in, then cut a tiny hole in the tip of your bags so the paint can come out. Let your kids make paint designs on paper, and when they are done place each painting in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds and watch the paint puff up. Bonus, your paintings are completely dry when they come out of the microwave!

Rainbow Ice Painting

This activity is one that you will probably want the kids to do outside. Fill some ice trays with water and liquid watercolors or food coloring and stir. You will probably want to freeze your ice paint the night before doing this activity. Once your ice paint is frozen head outside with an old white sheet, table cloth, or even some white t-shirts and let the kids create a work of art. As the ice paint melts the colors will bleed onto the fabric leaving beautiful designs, and it will keep the kids cool as they play!

Make a Movie or Music Video

Encourage your kids to write out a script, find some props and costumes, and make their own movie. Once rehearsals are over you can film their movie with your tablet or cell phone. If filming a movie doesn’t grab their attention, suggest recording a lip sync video of a favorite song. They will have a blast watching their videos, and you will have a memory of this summer for years to come.

Make Slime

There probably isn’t a kid on the planet that doesn’t like to make and play with slime, and it can provide hours of entertainment. There are tons of easy slime recipes available online, and most of them only require ingredients that you already have around the house. Once your slime base is made, let the kids have fun adding food coloring, glitter, beads, confetti, or whatever else they think might be fun in their slime.

Make Dinner Together

Gather your kids and let them help with dinner preparations. Dinner can be something fun and simple like a taco or potato bar, or make your own pizza’s. Not only will your kids learn valuable self-reliance skills, but you will also have the benefit of some fun and memorable family time together.

Create an Obstacle Course

Send the kids outside and have them create their own obstacle course. Let them use their imaginations and see what they come up with. They might have to army crawl under a lounge chair, hop through a hula hoop, or leap over a walkway. Let them create whatever they would like, and then see who can complete the obstacle course in the shortest time.

Board Game or Video Game Tournament

While you certainly don’t want your kids on their screens all of the time, a board game or video game tournament can be a fun way to pass the time. Each board or video game can represent a round of the tournament and the winner can pick the next game. Have a set number of rounds and whoever wins the most rounds is the winner of the tournament and they can choose the first game for the next tournament!

Bake a Treat

Bake a treat together like cookies, brownies, or a cake! When your treat is finished cooking and cooling, you can all sit down for a delicious dessert. You could also serve your treat as a family movie or game night snack.

The lazy days of summer can feel especially long when your children are constantly telling you that they are bored. Use these summer boredom busters to help keep the cries of “I’m bored” at bay. Don’t forget that in addition to these activities, you can encourage your kids to read, play educational games, or help out around the house. What are your favorite summer boredom buster activities?