Are you spending your days accidentally memorizing every word of Bluey? The kids are jumping from couch to couch, screaming like goats, and you’re about four seconds from ripping your hair out..?
The first rule of boredom is to get creative. The second is to make a mess. The easiest way to navigate these rules is to gather your materials and move outside. Here’s a couple different outdoor options for the idle.
Nature scavenger hunt - Enjoy this activity if you’re seeking a calming, sensory reset. First, pick a few colors (I won’t tell you how many, be ambitious!). You can keep up with these colors in your head, or you can make a visual representation with whatever materials are on hand. My children and I painted the inside holes of an egg carton, but a piece of paper and some crayons are just as good. Next, simply enough, go outside and find things in your yard that match the colors. Easy peasy, fresh air, artistic spin - this activity is all pros, no cons.
Mud Museum - Probably the most messy of the options, this activity is sure to make the whole family laugh. Of course the first step is to make mud, but keep an eye on consistency. The point here is to make mud sculptures, so you may want several different solidities. A firmer mud mix for the core of the sculpture, a liquid mud to use as makeshift slip, and a mix that's “just right” for nothing else than to appease the three bears. Now, build your best and create a mud museum.
Extra tip: spray off with the water hose before going back inside!
To break the rules a little, (you’re a very dedicated mom, so you get a pass), here is a not-so-messy indoor idea too.
Collection Collaboration - This idea is basically a collage, but three-dimensional. First, start with a surface - a canvas, a shoebox, a piece of cardboard, basically anything durable. Then, you’ll need an adhesive. My go-to is hot glue, but tape could work as well. Finally, find quite literally anything and glue it to your surface. Fill the entire blank space with random oddities. Take this opportunity to clean out that kitchen junk drawer, encourage the children to add their broken Hot-Wheels and Barbie legs, maybe you could even convince the husband to fork over that lone toothpick that he has had on his bedside table for a week. When you’re done, your canvas should look like one of those desktop computer i-spy games from the early 2000’s.