Boredom always precedes a period of great creativity.

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I get asked fairly often what I do to keep my kids entertained. I guess I get asked because of my background in Early Childhood Education, and some may be shocked to hear my answer. Almost nothing. Hazel is pretty easy at this point- she’s 4 months old and entertained by everything. Ada is almost 5 and has TONS of toys… too many toys honestly. We’ve started preparing her for thinning them out when we move to the new house, and she is a little reluctant to part with them of course. We will keep working on it because I honestly believe that when children have too many “things” they become overwhelmed by them and end up not playing with any of it. It may be a little controversial, but guess what? I let my kids be bored, and guess what else? They are fine!

Why I Let Them be Bored

Have you seen an overstimulated child when they aren’t being entertained? I have seen many over my years of working in childcare, and it is not pleasant for the adult or the child. I have had to teach children how to play with blocks in preschool because they have never been left alone to play with them as babies and toddlers. I have had 1 and 2 year old children sit by the door of our classroom and cry for their iPad, and I have had older preschool children who have never used scissors, ridden a trike, or played with playdough. When a child has everything brought right to them they have no motivation to get it themselves. Of course I mean this in a much bigger context than getting a glass of water…

Think about it for a minute. If I was 2 and got handed an iPad any time I asked for it, and I could completely zone out and have no discomfort, why would I want to get up and walk across the room and actually have to build something with blocks to entertain myself?

I would argue with almost anyone that children need to be bored. When we are bored, our minds start working. When our minds are working, we get creative!

Structured Boredom

Ok, now don’t just turn your kids loose with no supervision. That’s crazy and very unsafe. I like to call my parenting style slightly structured free range… haha! What I mean by that is we have a schedule for the day. Meals and snacks happen at the same times each day, nap time for Hazel is getting pretty routine, bed time is always the same time, etc. The times in between? FREEDOM! To a safe extent of course.

I believe with every part of me that outside play is best. It is the perfect place for kids to yell, jump, climb, run, and explore their surroundings. Time spent outside, unstructured, is the best opportunity children will have to watch birds hunt for worms, see a rabbit hop out across a yard or field, and get dirty; the sensory experiences are almost unlimited. Unlimited and so necessary.

With all of my opinions on outside play, I am also very aware that we live in the Pacific Northwest… there is a rainforest a short drive away. It’s wet here most of the year, and trust me, Ada has all the rain gear and enjoys playing in the mist and rain too, just not quite as much as the sunshine. Plus she does come inside a lot more to warm up and put on dry clothes. One of her favorite rainy day inside activities is her art cart. I got the idea from a former co-worker, and honestly, it’s the best thing we’ve ever done. We bought a small metal rolling cart from Amazon and filled it with random art supplies- paper, glitter, feathers, markers, crayons, scissors, craft sticks, glue, felt, and so much more. What I love most about the art cart is that it’s completely open ended. There are no rules, no examples to follow, just lots of art supplies and a kid’s imagination. I am still often amazed at the the things Ada creates all on her own.

Another of our favorite activities to do inside is baking or cooking. I have a whole blog planned about getting your kids in the kitchen, because I feel passionately about it of course! Not only does it help them feel involved in the process of their food, which will in turn encourage them to eat a bigger variety of foods, it also teaches math and science in a practical setting. In the photo below Ada is helping me with my super easy Chicken Fried Rice.

Imagination

The bottom line, in my humble opinion, is that a healthy dose of boredom produces a more well rounded, free thinking child. When we let our children just be, they daydream and come up with plans for new games to play. They create stories and they create things. Humans were made to create. We honestly were never made to sit at a desk all day and produce paperwork. Same with our children- work sheets have their place, and as a former member of the education system, I will be the first to admit that, however the freedom to create their own work of art is satisfying. It boosts the confidence of the child, and feeds that urge that most all humans have to create and work with their hands. They also need to get dirty. Digging in dirt, picking dandelions, and examining an earth worm provides us with a deeper connection to nature, and the beauty that surrounds us.

Let them be bored and watch the wonderful things that will come from it! (Do supervise though at all times, even if from a safe distance…. sometimes we need to guide them back to acceptable creating haha)

~Tara