The weather has been so nice here this spring! All winter long, I could not wait for the weather to get warmer so that we could get outside and play. Being cooped up in the house during the winter makes us all grumpy and it was such a mood booster when we were able to enjoy the sunshine. But the novelty of playing outside quickly dissipated for my kids, so I decided to create the Boredom Jar to alleviate that problem.

Initially, my kids could not get enough of the outdoors. They were having so much fun making up games, playing at the park, and riding bikes. However, as the weeks went on, I started to hear those infamous words, “Mommmmm, I’m boooored.” Even after suggesting a couple of activities that they could do, they were still BORED after only a few minutes and wanted to watch TV or play on the iPad. And that was not going to cut it. I needed to figure out a way to get them disconnected from electronics and doing something good for them.

The Boredom Jar, as I call it, is a little vintage jar that contains tiny scrolls with an activity written on them. Each scroll is tied with some gold baker’s twine to keep the contents a secret until it is chosen. If my kids say they are bored, then they get to pick out one scroll from the Boredom Jar and they must do that activity.

I didn’t want to reward the kids with some amazingly awesome trip to an amusement park or taking them for ice cream just because they were bored, so I created some printable pages with activities that they could do on their own, as well as some chores, with minimal help from mom and dad.

When they pick something out of the Boredom Jar, they do not know what kind of activity they will be getting. Something fun? Yay! Or some kind of chore? Bummer. They know that they will be taking a chance, but hopefully, this will help in the long run teach them how to entertain themselves and come up with ideas of things to do without the need for electronics.

Almost all of the activities listed are spring, summer, or fall appropriate, which means that we will be able to use these throughout most of the year. Obviously, some of them won’t be able to be used if there is inclement weather, so they will have to pick a new scroll.

To make your own Boredom Jar, find a jar with a lid (this one is similar to mine) and click on the links below to download and print the Boredom Jar printable. Enjoy!

The Boredom Jar Printables – Page 1
The Boredom Jar Printables – Page 2

These printables are currently FREE for download for personal use only. However, this is subject to change in the future, so snag them at no cost while you still can! (View Terms of Use.)

Did you happen to see my latest contributor post over at Domestically Speaking? If not, head on over and check out these fun Book Page Candle Holders!