Check Out These Boredom Busters for Kids
This selection of art projects and activities will inspire and teach.
Robyn Spizman Gerson is a New York Times best-selling author of many books, including “When Words Matter Most.” She is also a communications professional and well-known media personality, having appeared often locally on “Atlanta and Company” and nationally on NBC’s “Today” show. For more information go to www.robynspizman.com.
With the winter months and cold weather having arrived, kids are looking for something fun to do. Here’s some memorable boredom busters. You’ll find aisles of smiles filled with things to do like art projects, games and clever ideas at Learning Express located in Buckhead. Look for age-appropriate items that increase hand-eye coordination, develop critical thinking skills, and inspire creativity.
Begin with a Boredom Buster List – Celebrate a boring day when there’s nothing to do and encourage the kids to make a list of things to do. Your anti-boring, boredom buster list will become a treasured go-to resource that promises hours of fun and encourages kids to learn how to entertain themselves.
Create an Arts and Crafts Closet or Drawer – Fill a special area with art supplies ranging from paper to markers, crayons to stickers and more. Involve the kids in selecting a few things to add to it. Include recycled magazines for collaging, glue sticks and a variety of materials for crafting.
Have a Family Paper Plate Awards –Enjoy an award ceremony and give each family member a paper plate award. Let the kids make awards for family, friends and anyone they appreciate and value. All they must do is write the name of the award on an uncoated paper plate and decorate it. Awards could include Kindest, Most Fun, Most Thoughtful, Neatest Award, Biggest Helper, and beyond. The paper plate awards will become a tradition in your family. Drum roll please!
Get Artsy – Arts and crafts projects are the ideal way to transform a rainy, snowy or cold day into an opportunity for fun. Learning Express’s wide range of creative projects include Buddha Paint with Water for ages three and up. The Buddha Board Enso immerses kids in the creative process. Paint on the surface with water and watch as your art emerges, only to fade away, leaving a clean slate and ready to begin again.
Skillmatics Presents Peel and Press Foil Fun – A magical art and craft activity set … With a variety of themes from unicorns and rainbows to outer space, Pell & Press Foil Fun is a simple ready-to-go no mess, no stress art project. The assorted foil colors, a thin paper that’s bright and colorful, is easily pressed on the self-sticking surface once the paper is peeled. Kids can transform them into a work of art, stickers and more.
Learn to crochet! Tweens and teens will love The Woobles Learn to Crochet Kit and more than 500,000 people have learned crochet with their step-by-step video tutorials. Each learn-to-crochet kit includes a special yarn, custom-made for beginners and re-started for you to get right into practicing the main crochet stitch. Recommended for ages 12-plus and whether you are righty or left, stay patient as this is a lifelong skill worth mastering and kids ready to learn the art of crochet will get hooked.
Ready, Set, Draw – Faber-Castell presents a kit called “How to Draw Faces.” This step-by-step guide teaches the basics of drawing faces, showing kids how to know where to place facial features proportionately. It breaks drawing down to easy to do and follows guidelines so that anyone can learn to draw a face. Your young artist will be especially pleased with the simple details that make drawing a cinch.
Family Game Day or Night – Doggy Showdown from MindWare is a wonderful game for kids ages three and up ideal for boosting kids’ hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills. One child can play this game or take turns. Starting with the beginner puzzle cards, a child slides the attached pooch pieces into the order that matches your puzzle card without worrying about long set-ups or lost pieces.
Another fun card game is “Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza,” which lets players take turns saying “taco,” “cat,” “goat,” “cheese,” or “pizza,” while flipping a card face down, and the first person who slaps the pile when the spoken word matches the card wins the pile. The first player to get rid of all their cards wins the game.
Left Right Center – With three dice and at least three players or the entire family, your kids and entire family of all ages will love the game, Left, Right, Center. Each player starts with three coins, chocolate, or any item you wish to play with. Each dice you roll tells you the action you must take. “L” means pass a coin to the left, “R” to the right, and if you roll a “C,” you put a coin in the center and a dot, you get one pass. This is a game of pure luck, lightning speed and fun for an entire family.
The Splatter Studio – If you’re looking for an exciting experience and outing, book a session at The Splatter Studio which lets kids, and the entire family create works of art from a canvas to a 3-D sculpture. The Splatter Studio has a world of possibilities and will create a memorable and magical moment. www.thesplatterstudio.com
Lights, Camera, Action! Together with the kids, make family-friendly videos on your iPhone. Get ready to wish a special relative or friend a happy birthday, say thank you for gifts received during Chanukah, or get well-soon videos for someone who is under the weather.
A boring day doesn’t have to be boring. Inspiring kids to be creative will help the time purposely fly and enjoy. For more information visit: https://learningexpress.com/buckhead
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