100 Bored Jar ideas + free printable
Just as we’re starting to get into some kind of routine with homeschooling, the Easter holidays are about to land! Now, I don’t know about you, but I am really looking forward to not having to juggle working from home and homeschooling at the same time. However, this also means the boys will not have a set routine to stick to, which inevitably means I will hear the phrase “I’m bored” throughout the day.
I have decided to try to combat this by creating a Bored Jar. I saw the idea on Instagram and thought it was worth trying.
What is a Bored Jar?
A jar containing several labels with ideas for fun activities and things to do when the kids say they’re “bored”. The idea is for them to pick one out of the jar to do. The jar can be used again and again for the easter holidays, summer holidays, Christmas, etc., and you can tailor each new jar for the time of year too, and it can be a great source of much fun and hilarity.
But why should you create a Bored Jar for the whole family?
Firstly, they’re a great source of ideas for those days when inspiration is running low, and you can compare your great ideas and inspiration when it hits and keep adding to the jar over time so you never run out. They are perfect for those times when keeping the kids busy seems like hard work, and you don’t have any time for them to veto all your ideas when they’re inevitably bored. Plus, Bored Jars are great for helping kids learn new skills and independence and facilitate them using their imagination. They get to do fun things and fondly remember their time off school as they make adventures or crafts using the entire house as their canvas (within reason, obviously).
Bored Jar Ideas
Below are just some of the ideas in our Suburban Mum Bored Jar, ready for Easter. Of course, due to the current COVID-19 lockdown situation, all of these are based around the house. However, The Mad House also has some fantastic ideas in her Bored Jar post for both indoors and outdoors. There are Bored Jar ideas for tweens and young children alike, and the beauty is that they can be easily adapted to your child’s age and abilities.
Download Bored Jar Printable here
- 30 mins on your computer console
- 30 mins YouTube
- Bake a cake
- Build a Den
- Play football in the garden
- Tidy your room
- Play Dress Up
- Watch a movie
- Paint a picture
- Vacuum the house
- Draw a self-portrait
- Create a Bug Hotel in the garden
- Scoot around the block
- Make paper aeroplanes
- Conduct a Science Experiment
- Make your own slime
- Design and make your own board game
- Play hopscotch in the garden
- Make Jelly
- Play a board game
- Colour in a book
- Create an indoor/outdoor obstacle course
- Play a card game
- Have a race
- Play Top Trumps
- Play musical statues
- Design your own flag
- Make your own pizza
- Cook something of your choice
- Create your own family coat of arms
- Make a Hot Wheels track/play with toy cars
- 30 mins outside on the trampoline
- Make your own video
- Build something with LEGO
- Make finger puppets
- Learn how to make a volcano
- Draw around your brother or sister
- Design your dream bedroom
- Make a bird feeder
- Have an ice cream or sweet treat
- Make your own family tree
- Use a paper plate to make a craft
- Write a poem
- Wash the car
- Make fingerprint animals
- Read a book
- Go for a walk
- Listen to a story
- Make a bookmark
- Draw on the patio with chalk
- Make cards
- Craft with mum
- Draw a picture of our house on the outside
- Do a 30-minute workout
- Facetime your friends
- Make biscuits
- Do a jigsaw
- Play a game of chess
- Make popcorn
- Create your own comic book
- Borrow a camera and take photos
- Make a rainwater collector
- Create your own Pokemon character
- Make a marble run
- Create an animal out of cardboard
- Ride your bike
- Draw a map of your house
- Make your own playdough
- Find five toys to give away
- Design your own food menu
- Do 10-star jumps in every room of the house
- Find rocks and paint them
- Make your own treasure map
- Write five things you love about each member of your family
- Do potato printing
- Have an indoor picnic
- Make salt dough
- Write and post a letter to your friends
- Learn a magic trick
- Hunt for bugs in the garden
- Make Hot Chocolate
- Play Hide and Seek
- Make dream catchers
- Make something out of origami
- Make chocolate brownies
- Draw a robot and label all its parts
- Play Hangman
- Practice trying your shoelaces
- Draw a family portrait
- Build a fort with blankets
- 30 minutes of free play
- Take photos of 5 favourite things around the house
- Have a Nerf battle
- Do a word search
- Make a mug cake
- Draw a picture blindfolded
- Face paint each other
- Do some bubble painting
- Make your own flipbook
- Interview a family member
Download our Bored Jar List!
To make it really easy, I have created a free printable that you can download of our Bored Jar ideas so you can just print them out, cut them up and pop them into a jar with minimum effort.
Download Bored Jar Printable here
Pin it for later:
If you’re looking for something different to do, you could look at starting a collection of enamel pins or patches – there are so many different types to choose from. Pick things that interest you – like your favourite film, book, music. You can even get customer enamel pins and custom patches made online if you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for.
We hope you found this post useful and that the free printable comes in handy for a fun activity or two you hadn’t considered, whether you have a treasure hunt, try bubble painting, or do a jigsaw. Let me know if it’s a success, and have a fantastic day using our bored Jar ideas.