I am a mother of 5 easily bored children and have learned many tricks to keep boys and girls of all ages occupied for hours a time during the summer.



Let's start with toddlers and pre-schoolers. Toddlers and pre-schools are easily entertained at first but lose interest fast. You need something simple but fun to keep them occupied and interested, so here is the list of my favorites:

1. BUBBLES!! -This is the best activity for kids age 2-5 and sometimes the older kids can really get into this. Diluted dish soap is an inexpensive bubble maker and you can find all sorts of fun things around the house to make bubbles with such as a colander, string, and whisk. There are also several bubble kits that you can buy with different bubble blowing instruments provided. I love the Thames and Kosmos Bubble Builder Set especially because it makes it fun and educational for your older children who may want to get involved.

2. Sidewalk chalk and paint - These are favorites at my house. My 4 year old can spend hours drawing on our patio and driveway. Over the last couple of years Crayola has come out with some very fun upgrades to the sidewalk chalk, like sidewalk paint, stencils and sidewalk airbrush sprayers. The best part of sidewalk art is rinsing the kids off with the hose afterwards, they love the cool down and you don't have to deal with chalky handprints on your walls. Please make sure that you lather your kids down with sunscreen before an afternoon of sidewalk chalk.

3. Sprinklers - Nothing beats the boredom on a hot day like a run through the sprinklers. Once again you can use what have on hand or you can spend under $10 to get a fun kids sprinkler that has extra features. Of course you can always just give you child control of the hose and make sure all your windows and doors are shut ! (This one is actually good for all ages, but especially fun for the younger children)

4. Moon Sand ? Last but not least I will mention my new favorite activity Moon Sand. Moon Sand it a great way to bring the outdoors inside, a great activity for when it is raining or just too hot to play outside. Moon sand is moldable and never dries out. It is actually very easy to clean up, not at all like real sand that you can't seem to get cleaned up no matter what, moon sand sweeps and vacuums easily.

Now let's move on to a more challenging age, boys and girls age 7-10. Let's face it kids are prone to sitting in front of the TV, especially when they are bored. So here are some great boredom busters for elementary school kids:

1. Treasure Hunt- This one will take a little time and preparation on your part but is well worth it. Find a wooden chest and put something special in it, like a gift certificate for ice cream or a movie pass or whatever it is that your kids like. Hide it or bury it somewhere in your yard and make a map with clues along the way for them to find, if you spend a little time this activity could take a few hours and they will love every minute of it. The beauty of this is that usually they decide to make there own treasure hunt for their friends or siblings and planning that usually takes up at least 4-5 hours. We have a Melissa and Doug treasure chest that we use only for this activity and my kids love it because it is filled with dubloons and a pirate flag that they get to play with for the rest of the day.

2. Car Wash- Okay I admit that I have an ulterior motive with this one, but it really is a great boredom buster. This activity is best if you have more than one child involved, otherwise it just seems like a chore. Set your kids up with some car soap and a few buckets and sponges and a hose and sit back and let them go to town. This is great way to get your car clean and your kids can get some energy out.

3. Science Kits ? Kids love to learn whether they will admit it or not. We have all the science kits from Thames and Kosmos; they are great because the kids can learn about anything from weather to cars and motors. They are great for sneaking in some learning while school is out.

4. Make a scrapbook- What a great way to document the previous school year or even their summer, set up a time each week for them to work on their scrapbooks. Even boys enjoy this activity. Allow them to pick out their own books, paper and stickers. You will be amazed at their creativity and how much fun they have.

5. Write and illustrate your own book ? This activity will last pretty much all summer and will encourage summer learning as well. Help your kids brainstorm ideas for their book and allow them to use the computer to type up their story for a more ?professional? look (and typing practice) You can even take the completed book to the local print shop and have it bound for a finished look. Your kids will love to look back at their stories over the years.

6.Games- Never underestimate the power of the board game. Chess, checkers, dominoes are all favorites at our house. Kids may resist at first when you suggest a game but once they get into it you won't be able to get them to stop. For a fun twist have your kids create their own board game.

7. Set a family record- This one is a surefire winner! Keep your own family book of records and have the kids try to set records for things like most jumping jacks, longest handstand, cleanest room, or anything else that you can think of. When they start to utter that they are bored give them a record to break and a fun reward if they set a new record.

8. Learn magic tricks ? Get your kids a magic set and let them put on a magic show for you or the kids in the neighborhood. This one is always a hit and it is something that they can do at school or family functions to really impress people. I recommend the Melissa and Doug Deluxe Magic Set because the quality is fantastic and the tricks are great.

Hopefully these ideas will get you and your kids through the summer without the words ?I'm bored?. We have been using these tricks for the past 10 years and have successfully avoided summer boredom every year. I hope you can too. Have a great summer!