Help! I'm Bored!

Is your active pre-schooler starting to drive you crazy from boredom? Janine Lynn is sure to help out with these sample ideas, straight from her book, "Help! I'm bored!" Remember, busy kids are happy kids!

Pudding Paint

Make your favorite flavor of pudding, according to the directions. Then, use clean fingers or kitchen utensils to "paint" pictures or designs on a cookie sheet. Have a few licks now and then.

Two Kids Bored photo from Shutterstock

Peanut Butter Playdough

Mix together 1 C. peanut butter, 1/2 C. honey or corn syrup, and 1 C. icing sugar (or Graham Wafer crumbs, powdered milk, or flaked coconut). Use a rolling pin, cookie cutters, forks, garlic press, or your fingers to make various creatures or shapes.

Painted Toast

Stir a few drops of food coloring into 2 T. milk. With a pastry brush, paint a face or design on bread. Toast and serve.

Colored Macaroni

Sprinkle several drops of food coloring into a bowl of dry macaroni. Mix well, and spread on cookie sheet to dry. Glue different colors onto heavy paper to make a picture.

Kitchen Sandbox

Partly fill a large plastic tub with cornmeal, rice, or colored macaroni, as described above. Then, use cups, spoons, colanders, sieves, etc. to dig, scoop, and measure "sand."

Carpet Tunnel

Roll up a scrap piece of carpet or foam mattress to make a tunnel to crawl through. Tie to secure.

Radical Ramps

Build ramps or tunnels for your toy cars to run down by balancing skinny boards or tubes on chairs of stairs.

Wonderful Wet-Prints

Pour water into cake or bread pan. Dip your bare feet or hands into water and make "wet-prints" on the sidewalk.

Bagel Birdfeeder

andwich bagel between plastic lids. Thread string through hole in lids and tie a big fat knot on bottom. Hang on tree for birds to enjoy.

Counting Crunchies

In turn, two or more players shake a dice and take that number of Cheerios from a bowl. When bowl is empty, count your Cheerios to see who has the most.

Janine Lynn is a parent, author, and educator. Born and raised in Alberta, she is the author of Help! I'm Bored! - Over 300 Children's Activities for Ages 2-12. She wrote this book because she wanted all of her favorite teaching ideas collaborated into one book ready to use for any occasion. E-mail Janine at: dale&janine@3web.net.

Share your thoughts about this article with the editor: Click Here

Copyright 1996 - 2013 "The Dollar Stretcher, Inc." All rights reserved unless specifically noted.

Contact the Dollar Stretcher at:
Dollar Stretcher
PO Box 14160
Bradenton FL 34280
941-761-7805

"The Dollar Stretcher, Inc." does not assume responsibility for advice given. All advice should be weighed against your own abilities and circumstances and applied accordingly. It is up to the reader to determine if advice is safe and suitable for their own situation.

Also In This Week's Issue

• Does a commercial range belong in a home?
• 7 travel insurance tips for hurricane season
• How to handle your parents moving in with you
• 7 tips for renters
• 9 reasons your credit card was declined
• Filing Ch. 7 on your own? Avoid these mistakes
• How to pay debt while improving credit score
• Avoid making this common investing mistake
• Life insurance from marriage into midlife
• Affordable life insurance after 50? Or 60?
• How to track unclaimed life insurance money
• How to quickly boost your credit score

In The Dollar Stretcher Community

• Free water! Using a rain barrel
• Homemade smoothies

Reader Favorites

• Cleaning fiberglass showers
• Grandma's beauty secrets
• Why use a pressure cooker
• Make money at the farmers market
• Easy desserts