Punch Out Summer Boredom
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“I’m bored” must be the most dreaded statement a parent can hear- especially if it isn’t even lunch time yet. And yes, you want to give your children the opportunity to problem solve the boredom themselves but sometimes you need to direct their energy in a positive way to avoid the problem being solved by arguing with another. Punch out boredom with this fun activity and loads of ideas.
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Build a punch board to help attract your children first. The allure of punching through tissue paper helps kids want to find something to do. To make your punch board, grab a foam board (like those tri-folds at hobby stores) or a piece of wood and cut circles slightly smaller than the width of the cups you choose to use. I use the typical red sized cups so my kids’ fists can fit inside the cups okay. You can secure the tissue paper over the opening of each cup with rubber bands so it’s reusable but I always end up tearing my tissue paper. I tape mine instead. Keep some cups ready to replace the holes so you can easily refill your board.
When you assemble your punch board, I recommend placing two activity cards in each cup so your children feel in control and will choose something they will actually do. However, the catch is if they choose to solve their boredom by coming to me instead of solving it themselves, they have to do at least one of the activities they get. No backing out!
Activities include fun ideas they might not normally think of, chores with a twist so it’s not totally awful or a variation of something they would normally do. For example:
Dust and find all the coins. Hide coins underneath objects they should be picking up and those other places that normally get ignored. Be sure to tell them the total amount they should have by the time they are done.
Make a craft stick chain reaction. This is a little tricky to figure out at first but should hold their attention for a while. Try the video tutorial on GallyKids.com
Design a bug race track. I love this one because they have to make the track then find the bugs to go on it. Keep things bug friendly and outside!
Clean out the fridge for a sweet treat. You decide the treat- it can be a popsicle, fruit snacks, a piece of fruit, scratch n’ sniff stickers, etc.
Make a secret code and send a message. This is another great two part activity that hopefully keeps yours occupied for a while.
I recommend having a limit on the number of punches they can do a day. Usually, my kids go crazy about it for a few days before they get their own creative juices going. In order to not run out of new ideas, I limit the number of times they can punch a day or week.
The goal with the punch board is to help your children understand there is always a way to solve their boredom problem as long as they are willing to try something. Expect your use of this boredom board to go in waves. There will be several days in the row followed by a few weeks off. Sometimes they just need help jump-starting their creativity again.
P.S. You can totally cut apart my activity cards and toss them in a jar instead. Keep an eye on the jar though or your children will dig through the whole thing and you’ll be out of ideas before you even start.
