If you let your kiddos spend every hour of every day playing video games you won’t hear “I’m bored” from them much. Of course, you also don’t want them wasting away in front of the TV so you set limits on how much they can play each day. That’s when the inevitable moaning about “There’s nothing to do” starts and this DIY summer boredom box for kids comes in.
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Make life easier this summer break! Anytime your child complains about being bored, or some variant thereof, send them to this DIY summer boredom box for kids. Click To Tweet
Wondering how to keep the kids occupied all summer long? See our list of Summer Activities for Kids of All Ages!
We have partnered with some savvy blogging Mom’s and Grandma’s to bring you a collection of summer fun ideas to do with kids of all ages from Pre-K up to those precious teens. Be sure to scroll all the way down for even more ideas!
Stop Summer Boredom in Its Tracks
We’re only a week into summer break and my kiddos are already complaining about being bored. There is a lot of excitement about summer, but losing the structure of the school day can really throw kids out of whack (even if they won’t admit it).
As much as I love hanging out with my kiddos, I still have work I have to get done each day. From making meals to cleaning extra messes, my workload definitely isn’t any lighter during the summer.
That’s why I wanted to be ready for those moments when the kids can’t think of anything to do on their own. This summer boredom box is an easy way to give the kids something easy to do without having to hover or mediate constantly.
Make sure to keep some supplies on hand that correspond with your boredom box activities. For example, I have “Blow Bubbles” on one of the discs so I have a secret stash of extra bubbles the kids don’t know about for when this comes up. Some other easy supplies to keep on hand are notebooks, glow sticks, and water balloons.
DIY Summer Boredom Box Materials
- Empty Tissue Box
- Multiple Colors of Tissue Paper
- Mod Podge
- Flat Paint Brush
- 50-100 2-inch Unfinished Wood Discs
- Black Permanent Marker
- Letter Stickers or Paper Letters that Compliment Your Tissue Paper Colors
Step 1
First, tear or cut your tissue paper into smaller pieces. They should be at least 2 inches by 2 inches.
Note:
- I chose the colors peach, green, hot pink, and light pink because I wanted a tropical summery vibe for our box.
Step 2
Next, cover a small area of your tissue box in Mod Podge.
Step 3
Then press pieces of tissue paper onto that same area of your tissue box.
Note:
- The design on my tissue box actually complimented my theme so I went with it. If you don’t like the design on your box and don’t want to add 50 layers of paper and Mod Podge, paint your box in a base coat of white before starting step 2.
Step 4
After the pieces are pressed onto the box, go over them with more Mod Podge.
Step 5
Continue adding layers of Mod Podge and tissue paper until your tissue box is completely covered. Don’t cover the opening of the tissue box.
Step 6
Once the box is completely covered set it aside to dry.
Tip:
- Keep the box from sticking to your drying surface by placing it upside down on a full water bottle during drying.
Step 7
While your tissue box dries, pull out your wood discs.
Step 8
Use the same tissue paper pieces as you did on the box to cover 1 side of 50 or more discs.
Note:
- I chose to use one color per disc but you can totally mix up the colors on each disc.
Step 9
Set your tissue covered discs to the side to dry.
Step 10
While the discs dry, add letters to your box to spell out “Boredom Box” on one side.
Step 11 (Optional)
You can also add decorative stickers suck as flowers or palm trees for more embellishment on the box.
Step 12
After your discs are dry, carefully trim the excess tissue paper from around the edges.
Step 13
Next, write boredom-busting activities on the discs with a black permanent marker.
Note:
- See below for examples on what to put on your discs.
Step 14
Lastly, add all of your discs to your DIY summer boredom box and place in an area that is easily accessible to the kiddos.
What to Write on Your Discs
I used this list of 75 Screen Free Summer Activities for Kids to put on the boredom box discs. The activities are things that don’t involve a screen like putting on a puppet show, playing with sidewalk chalk, or writing a letter to someone.
Although I have strict time limits on video games, I did include one single disc that gives the kiddos an extra 30 minutes of game time. It’s kind of my golden goose surprise for the kiddos.
In addition to the fun activity ideas, I also included some chores. I feel that this encourages kids to entertain themselves but, also, it’s important that they help out around the house a little extra during the summer.
Anytime your child complains about being bored, or some variant thereof, send them to this DIY summer boredom box for kids. Once they choose a disc, have them do the activity and return the disc to the box for reuse. This way the box will last all summer long, no problem!
Don’t Forget to Pin It!
Now, let’s see what else we can add to our Summer Activities list! New ideas are added every day this week so Pin this post and check back every day.
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