This blog is my place to vent and share resources with other parents of children of trauma. I try to be open and honest about my feelings in order to help others know they are not alone. Therapeutic parenting of adopted teenagers with RAD and other severe mental illnesses and issues (plus "neurotypical" teens) , is not easy, and there are time when I say what I feel... at the moment. We're all human!

Monday, August 8, 2011

108 alternatives to boredom

Here's the list of 100 alternatives to do when they're bored (instead of watching an inappropriate movie) that the kids came up with together as part of their FAIR Club assignment:

Specific to Bob:
1. Art kit (she bought for $10 at Big L*ts)
2. Summer homework

Specific to Kitty:

1. Walk in the backyard (waaay too hot to do this one right now)
2. Stretches (she learned these from her skills trainer. She's supposed to do them daily).

Specific to Ponito:

1. soccer
2. practice flute

Specific to Bear:

1. skate
2. play guitar

The criteria were it couldn't cost anything/ or at least not much and they had to be able to do it at home/Grandma's house. They were also very aware that if they say they're "bored," I have the right to choose any of these for them! *evil laugh*

Yes, I called them on the fact that some of these are really the same thing:


  1. Garden

  2. bake

  3. sew

  4. read a book

  5. make a fort

  6. paint

  7. color a picture

  8. swing

  9. play with the dogs

  10. take a nap

  11. exercise

  12. finger paint

  13. slide down the stairs (on a mat, lid, mattress...)

  14. learn how to play a musical instrument

  15. play a board game

  16. watch a movie

  17. play on the computer

  18. call a friend

  19. take a walk

  20. ride a bike

  21. write a story

  22. go outside

  23. draw

  24. dress up

  25. write/direct a play

  26. sock puppets

  27. gymnastics

  28. make jewelry

  29. puzzles

  30. play with playdoh

  31. journal

  32. pool table

  33. play with cats

  34. jump on mini tramp

  35. PS2

  36. mess with mom (when I protested this they added, "nicely")

  37. tickle fight

  38. pillow fight

  39. pick a flower or 2

  40. make a smoothie

  41. make some Popsicles

  42. write a song

  43. write a poem

  44. look for buried treasure (yes, I warned them I better not find holes all over the yard!)

  45. homework

  46. make jello

  47. seed spitting contest (I bought a watermelon for this one)

  48. paper airplanes

  49. make a movie

  50. community service - do things for neighbors

  51. take pictures

  52. use pots as a drum set

  53. plant a tree

  54. plant fruit

  55. find the abominable snowman learn 10 foreign words

  56. hang out with friends

  57. go to the duck pond

  58. volunteer

  59. go scuba diving/learn to scuba dive (some know how to, some don't - Hubby is a scuba instructor)

  60. take a shower

  61. paint fingernails

  62. make weird concoctions

  63. play in the rain

  64. clean

  65. redecorate room

  66. play in room

  67. try on clothes/ see what fits

  68. have a fashion show

  69. make a lemonade stand

  70. pen pal

  71. time capsule

  72. make a wish list

  73. have a water fight (under front trees - where all our grass is dead -we're under drought water restriction so this isn't going to happen)

  74. plan a Letter Party (these are fun! Everything starts with one letter. Ex. Pizza (Pepperoni and Plain cheese) Picnic in our PJs watching a pirate movie.)

  75. have a garage sale

  76. make a boat (I think they were talking about having bathtub races)

  77. organize garage

  78. paper boat races

  79. make a kite

  80. kite races

  81. plan a murder/ solve

  82. puppet show (technically a variation/repeat!)

  83. go to park/playground 

  84. play a sport

  85. go swimming

  86. pretend to be an airplane

  87. make a comic book

  88. climb a tree

  89. play darts

  90. make a cardboard box house (or make a blanket or sofa cushion fort)

  91. play with chalk

  92. origami

  93. try to make a bomb (later added: water or origami)

  94. Papier Mâché

  95. hide-n-seek

  96. duck, duck, goose

  97. teach dogs a new trick

  98. plant grass (cause ours is all dead and the neighborhood association is writing nasty letters)

  99. drop paint on paper

  100. jello mosaic

    I've added
  101. Go to the pool
  102. Make a fairy house
  103. Play with dolls
  104. Play pretend games - school, cafe, baby, teenagers, superheroes, princess, circus, veterinarian...
  105. Recital or talent show - gymnastics, singing, dance...
  106. Set up a scavenger hunt
  107. Set up an obstacle course
  108. Make crafts using recycled items
  109. Clean/organize room or playroom
My grandmother used to say, "Hi, Bored. I can fix that for you." Then she would list off some chores we could do. We rarely said we were bored within hearing distance of our grandmother!

Some other posts with ideas:
Attachment Challenge - Things you can do with your bored child

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