50 family fun activities to banish ‘I’m bored’ from their vocabularies
Netflix can only get you so far when it comes to beating boredom on a family fun night or during summer or winter break. Whether you need one good idea or 50, we’ve got dozens of creative activities to keep your kiddos entertained, while making family time more enjoyable. Yes, this is the stuff that memories are made of.
So the next time you hear that familiar refrain — Mom, I’m bored! — you’ll know exactly what to do:
1. Crafts. Bet you didn’t know there were at least 16 things your kids could make with a plain paper plate.
2. Family mailboxes. Paint and decorate the family mailbox.
3. Vacation jar. Decorate a Family Vacation Jar in which you save change.
4. Newsletter. Create a family newsletter to send out to family and friends. This can be a monthly project.
More: 34 apology notes from kids who are totally sorry, not sorry
5. Movie night. Have family movie night and watch old family videos together.
6. Star watching. Family star-watching night. Lay outside on a blanket in the yard and look up at the stars together. Try to map out constellations together. Afterward, look up the stories behind each constellation on the Internet.
7. Cookout and camping. Enjoy a cookout and campout. Pitch a tent in your yard and cook food over an open fire (or on the barbecue). Sit in a circle and tell ghost stories.
8. Volunteering. Volunteer as a family. Help out at a school fundraiser or serve meals at the local soup kitchen.
9. Baking. Bake together. Take turns picking favorite recipes out of a cookbook and let the kids and dad join in on the fun.
10. Playground. Go to the local playground and swing together or climb the monkey bars. Kids love it when parents play like they do.
Next Up: Lock your kids in a room together
1 of 5