Boredom Buster: THE ACTUAL LIST

(The rules and schedule are next I promise. Well soon anyway....)

I shouldn’t have done that. Teased about the big list my kids came up with. The big list that was going to save our summer boredom lives.

The goal?

Fill up 8 half hour blocks of time with activities that (mostly) do not include mom. 4 hours, people!

Category 1:

Cooking Time— This works out to be snack time and play time all rolled into one!

(one day’s half hour is spent- a)finding recipes and b) writing up a list of any ingredients we might not have in the pantry!)

Recipes on their list:

  1. Strawberry Bread
  2. Chocolate Cheesecake squares
  3. Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
  4. Fruit Kabobs with yogurt dipping sauce
  5. Nachos
  6. Carrots and Ranch, Cheese and Crackers
  7. Sadie’s famous Chocolate cookies (2 eggs, ½ cup oil, one box chocolate cake mix---presto!)

(Later they added in the brilliant idea that once a week THEY would cook dinner! I love that one!)

Category 2:

Education/School Time—Believe it or not they love this one?

Options for this half hour time slot:

  1. Reading (to self or to younger sibling) Sadie is up to book 5 Harry Potter, Sassy is reading Magic Tree House and anything by Barbara Park, (just finished “Operation Dump The Chump”).
  2. Computer Games (you can find a bazillion suggestions for great edu/games, just google it!)
  3. A couple we like are: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/ and http://www.prongo.com/ and http://www.coolmath4kids.com/
  4. Play ‘school’, usually Sadie's the 'teacher', but every so often I see 'em switch it around?

Category 3:

Sports—preferrably outside…

  1. Golf
  2. Soccer
  3. Baseball (or T-ball for TK)
  4. Learn how to play Cricket?
  5. Bowling
  6. Tennis

(Make up your own ‘yard’ versions of these games and away you go!)

Category 4:

Science—this is a lot like cooking time…

  1. Make goop.
  2. Make sidewalk paint (from cornstarch)
  3. Make homemade bubbles
  4. Dig up worms from the ‘worm factory’ AKA mom’s compost heap.
  5. Goto Library, get book on science experiments for kids (this was on the list I swear…I’m just typing it).

Category 5:

Art Time---always a favorite…

  1. Rainbow Paint
  2. Markers, crayons, regular paint
  3. Work on scrapbooks
  4. Chalk art
  5. Foam Shape art
  6. Make props for Drama (see Cat. 6)

Category 6:

Drama—(and other live action stuff)

  1. Skits
  2. Plays
  3. Commercials
  4. Magic Shows
  5. Choreograph their own Dances
  6. Fashion Shows

And then video their hard work…that’s the best part!

Category 7:

Free Time—They love this one too. (After coming up with all this other stuff, they love just hanging out)

  1. Time alone in bedroom
  2. Play in playroom
  3. Read
  4. Play in backyard
  5. Find friends in the neighborhood
  6. Barbies/Polly Pocket/Cars/Ben10

Category 8:

Bigger projects--

  1. Kid’s Camp—On the weeks we run one of these, a lot of the other categories are spent planning and preparing for this. See my post about it here.
  2. Lemonade stands fall under this one too.

At the bottom of the big list, they added a few ‘hopefuls’

  1. Go bowling.
  2. Museums.
  3. Drive to Cove Fort, Utah.
  4. Ride the train and have lunch with Dad.
  5. Visit the local ‘gardens’.
  6. Spend a day at the local Theme Park.
  7. Have cousin’s over for several days at a time.

Don’t ya love Summer time with kids?



14 comments:

Lisa said...

This is brilliant, thank you so much for sharing! I am completely lame when forced to come up with entertaining ideas on my own. This will help a bunch!

Michelle said...

What a fun list! did you put any limits on what they could come up with? I'm a tad worried I might not be in favor of some of my kids ideas!

Kellan said...

This is a fabulous list! Where was this list 6 weeks ago when our summer started - Ha!?

Have a good Monday - Kellan

Jocasta said...

Wow - I thought I was busy!

Classy Fab Sarah said...

Thank you for posting Sadie's cookie recipe - I will be making it as soon as I finish grocery shopping. Goodies, yay!

Claremont First Ward said...

Um.......I think I'm glad most of my kids are not old enough to make a list! I think I might be devastated if they had a list. "YOu mean hanging out with me isn't enough to fill your summer?" j/k. Looks like an amazing list. Recieved my tote on Saturday. Love it.

Jaime said...

Wow, that oughta keep 'em busy for a while! Great ideas!

Anonymous said...

The girls are making dinner tonight. Ham salad and chicken salad. I'm excited!

Do you really have a compost heap?

AudreyO said...

Oh my gosh, I love your lists. While I love summer for the laid back non scheduled days, I've also always found it harder to find me time. This is great, are the kids sticking to it?

Unknown said...

If I were as organized as you I would love it...Now...now, do you have a schedual for each day...and do you repeat the same schedual...and do you have a glass of wine or a margarhita at the end of the day...lol....Come Help Me Please!!

Laurie said...

Sounds like you will be busy!! Joey and Gabby are not old enough for some of this. I would LOVE if they wanted to make dinner!! That must be nice.

Beth Cotell said...

What a great list....you might have inspired me...just a little!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the ideas and love reading your blog. Keep up the good work.

Jill -Forever and Ever House said...

I love this idea!! I have a four year old daughter and I made a rainy day list and a good weather list of stuff to do. That way, I don't have to panic on the days that it rains about what I am going to do to entertain her all day!!


Oh my heck! I was featured. And it didn't hurt or anything!



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