50 easy ideas to banish boredom during the school holidays

The school holidays are in full swing and the battle to prise my son away from his tablet has commenced.

I do believe that in 2016 technology has its place – it’s important for children to learn how to use it as it’s so integral to work and life. However, it does need to be limited!

After an hour on his tablet my son’s imagination
seems to evaporate and the inevitable ‘I don’t
know what to do’ will follow.

This is where the Jar of Fun comes into play.

The idea of the Jar of Fun is not to limit their imagination – if they’re happily ensconced in a game that’s great. It’s for those moments when they’re ‘bored’ or ‘don’t know what to do’. Let one child choose a paper from the jar and then encourage the whole family to join in.

To Prepare

One evening, sit in front of the television (don’t watch Brian Cox while doing this activity, it needs something that requires little concentration!) with a jar, some paper, scissors and a pen (or laptop and printer).

Snip the paper into 50 pieces and on each of them write an activity (or you can copy and print this list if you like). Note: you DO need to be prepared to actually do these if they’re picked from the jar, so don’t write anything too ambitious. Fold the paper and place in the jar.

Here’s my list – obviously you can tweak these to suit your family/lifestyle.

• Act out your favourite story
• Bake biscuits/cakes
• Blow bubbles
• Build a Lego town
• Build/draw a train track
• Build our house out of recycled objects
• Chalk a beautiful mural on the driveway
• Choose a new book from the library
• Collect nature materials and make a collage
• Construct an obstacle course
• Copy a famous painting
• Count pocket money and take a trip to a charity or sweet shop
• Create a cafe at home with table settings and make lunch
• Create a toy car race track
• Do a jigsaw puzzle
• Draw/paint a self-portrait and create a family collage
• Dress up in funny outfits and take photos
• Explore Google Earth
• Face paints
• Fill in an activity/sticker book
• Find a game and teach someone else how to play
• Go for a wildlife spotting walk
• Go geocaching
• Go on a bike ride
• Have a disco
• Hold a teddy bear’s picnic
• Learn a magic trick
• Look through family photographs
• Make a book using your own photos/drawings
• Make a den
• Make a film
• Make animals from Playdough
• Make bead bracelets
• Make paper aeroplanes
• Make sock puppets
• Paint animals/patterns on stones
• Plan a treasure hunt
• Plant bulbs/seeds
• Play ball
• Play dominoes
• Read a book and then create a collage or model of your favourite part
• Sort through the toy baskets and take a trip to the charity shop
• Take your dolls/teddies out for a walk
• Visit a friend
• Visit a museum
• Walk to the park
• Wash the car
• Watch a film
• Write a letter to a friend
• Write a recipe (then make it)

Have fun everyone!

AND as a special Easter treat we have a very lovely competition for you.

Here’s your chance to win a fantastic Crock-Pot Thyme Slow Cooker as used (and loved) by our very own managing editor.

#win

#competition

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#delicious

#jaroffun

#schoolholidays