The "I'm Bored" jar

Dr. A at McMiller PDX recently blogged about using an "I'm Bored" jar to give kids something to do when they start complaining about having nothing to do. Because we, too, have a kid who sometimes can be bored playing by himself* this sounded like a jar we needed to have. And so here it is...

Our jar activities are mostly weighted towards fun with a few chores just to keep the kid honest. Here's a sampling of the fighting boredom cards used in our jar:

1. Paint the Sistine Chapel - where the parent tapes a roll of paper to the underside of the table, lays down a drop cloth, gives the kid paints and brushes, and lets him be a little Michelangelo 
2. Take ten interesting photos - this is the one that Miss E had to do (for the uninitiated, Miss E is Dr. A's daughter)
3. Find five toys to donate 
4. Make a mini movie 
5. Go on a candy hunt - I raid the candy drawer, hide pieces around our building, and set him loose
6. Make a bird feeder - we'd probably need to go to the store to get the supplies but that, too, would be something to do
7. Go to the park
8. Complete a page of math
9. Create a treasure map
10. Make pet rocks

I'm pretty sure Hen will want to look at all the suggestions and select the one that sounds the most fun but we won't let him get away with that. Oh no, we will not.

*Note: I wrote playing by himself not with himself. I'm quite sure when we hit that phase, Hen won't be bored. He'll just be in his room with the door closed a lot.