Yikes, the counting clicker. My house now sounds like I live inside a clock! When there is nothing left to count, why not count the numbers on the clicker itself...fast.
Such good suggestions, thank you! And funny you say that - one cushion of our nugget is currently under the gymnastics bar, and the other is forming a slide on the stairs...!
Thank you for this list. I thrive on giving kids the opportunity to imagine, discover, build and create in this screen filled world. They need that time to explore. Thank you again.
My kids are older (12 and 15), but I enjoyed reading the suggestions. It made me think of a things that I will pass along.
If your kids use PlasmaCars like my kids did, don't have them wear new shoes. My kids would drag their feet and get a hole where the big toe is.
A science podcast my kids liked which I was delighted to know it is still around.
Wow in the world. Guy Raz used to be on it. No clue if he still is. Mindy is amazing. Note they do say bonker balls alot and talk about disgusting bodily functions.
An activity we did often was create a city on our driveway using sidewalk chalk. This was great because then they would park their bikes at the coffee shop etc.
These 2 suggestions do indeed have a screen, but it was an exception we would make that kind of didn't count for our screentime.
-Stop motion animation videos. Full on productions with legos or american girl dolls.
-Osmo ipad games. Pizza parlor. You make pizzas and customers pay and then you make change.
Lastly, the best fort making equipment we ever came across is called Antsy Pants. (Sadly I think it is discontinued). If you find any on marketplace or ebay, it might be worth buying.
Love this list and of all days, today the temp is below zero so we have e-learning. This is covid times flashback!
Thank you Jacqueline for the generosity of this piece — not just in length, but in spirit. What stood out most is how you repeatedly relieved parents of the pressure to perform play, instead offering ideas that invite children into agency and independence.
This list is impressively thorough. The whole "tired parents" framing nails it, especially the balance betwen structured ideas and letting kids actually be bored. Didnt expect the stopwatch tip to work so well but timing everything really does turn mundane stuff into a game, tried it with my nephew and he cleaned up faster than I thought posible.
the thoroughness of this list is not incidental - it is the point. you compiled it because you understand that parents do not need permission to let kids be bored, they need actual alternatives that feel doable on a tuesday when it is cold and everyone is tired. your research method - testing, polling, searching craft blogs - matters because it proves this is genuine curation, not generic advice. but the structural insight is what caught me: you keep noting that boredom is good, but you still offer 102 options. that is not contradiction, that is wisdom. you are saying yes to both - kids need space to be understimulated and also need environments set up so that boredom leads to creation instead of screens. the reminder that screens are okay is worth more than the whole list because it kills the guilt that usually stops parents from trying anything. how do you think about the difference between creating space for boredom and setting up activities that fill it?
This is such a goldmine of ideas! The puzzles and games section especially resonated with me — there's something so satisfying about watching kids work through a good puzzle without reaching for a screen. We've found that activity books with word searches and brain teasers hit that same sweet spot of keeping little minds engaged while giving parents a breather. Love how you organized everything by energy level too — that's genuinely how parents think when planning activities! Bookmarking this for sure.
My concerns are for my almost 9-year-old grandson, an only child. Can you speak to any research about children his age and how specific content affects cognitive development, especially creativity, play, problem-solving, etc.? I understand the research is mixed about mental health but I'm interested in cognitive development at this stage. Perhaps you've written about this but I'm a brand new subscriber and could use some direction.
So good!!
this is a terrific list
Yikes, the counting clicker. My house now sounds like I live inside a clock! When there is nothing left to count, why not count the numbers on the clicker itself...fast.
Okay, yes, this is a risk I had not considered...
Get a usb disco ball for disco baths and dance parties! Spotify “Start a Jam” for far away cousins.
Also, make a Nugget slide and use the nugget under the gymnastics bar! (It’s so versatile). We also LOVE our nugget chunk ( used as a coffee table).
Such good suggestions, thank you! And funny you say that - one cushion of our nugget is currently under the gymnastics bar, and the other is forming a slide on the stairs...!
Thank you for this list. I thrive on giving kids the opportunity to imagine, discover, build and create in this screen filled world. They need that time to explore. Thank you again.
My kids are older (12 and 15), but I enjoyed reading the suggestions. It made me think of a things that I will pass along.
If your kids use PlasmaCars like my kids did, don't have them wear new shoes. My kids would drag their feet and get a hole where the big toe is.
A science podcast my kids liked which I was delighted to know it is still around.
Wow in the world. Guy Raz used to be on it. No clue if he still is. Mindy is amazing. Note they do say bonker balls alot and talk about disgusting bodily functions.
An activity we did often was create a city on our driveway using sidewalk chalk. This was great because then they would park their bikes at the coffee shop etc.
These 2 suggestions do indeed have a screen, but it was an exception we would make that kind of didn't count for our screentime.
-Stop motion animation videos. Full on productions with legos or american girl dolls.
-Osmo ipad games. Pizza parlor. You make pizzas and customers pay and then you make change.
Lastly, the best fort making equipment we ever came across is called Antsy Pants. (Sadly I think it is discontinued). If you find any on marketplace or ebay, it might be worth buying.
Love this list and of all days, today the temp is below zero so we have e-learning. This is covid times flashback!
Amazing suggestions, thank you! (And yes, it makes sense to me now why my kids' shoes are destroyed in the front!)
Thank you Jacqueline for the generosity of this piece — not just in length, but in spirit. What stood out most is how you repeatedly relieved parents of the pressure to perform play, instead offering ideas that invite children into agency and independence.
Thank you!
So great! I'm definitely saving and sharing this. And thanks for mentioning that it's ok to be bored too!
Thank you!!
Saving this for sure!
These are great! Saving for the next time I see the grandkids.
This list is impressively thorough. The whole "tired parents" framing nails it, especially the balance betwen structured ideas and letting kids actually be bored. Didnt expect the stopwatch tip to work so well but timing everything really does turn mundane stuff into a game, tried it with my nephew and he cleaned up faster than I thought posible.
Thank you!! Stopwatches are truly miracle-workers
Saving and sharing!! So many great ideas to reference!
Thank you!
the thoroughness of this list is not incidental - it is the point. you compiled it because you understand that parents do not need permission to let kids be bored, they need actual alternatives that feel doable on a tuesday when it is cold and everyone is tired. your research method - testing, polling, searching craft blogs - matters because it proves this is genuine curation, not generic advice. but the structural insight is what caught me: you keep noting that boredom is good, but you still offer 102 options. that is not contradiction, that is wisdom. you are saying yes to both - kids need space to be understimulated and also need environments set up so that boredom leads to creation instead of screens. the reminder that screens are okay is worth more than the whole list because it kills the guilt that usually stops parents from trying anything. how do you think about the difference between creating space for boredom and setting up activities that fill it?
This is such a goldmine of ideas! The puzzles and games section especially resonated with me — there's something so satisfying about watching kids work through a good puzzle without reaching for a screen. We've found that activity books with word searches and brain teasers hit that same sweet spot of keeping little minds engaged while giving parents a breather. Love how you organized everything by energy level too — that's genuinely how parents think when planning activities! Bookmarking this for sure.
My concerns are for my almost 9-year-old grandson, an only child. Can you speak to any research about children his age and how specific content affects cognitive development, especially creativity, play, problem-solving, etc.? I understand the research is mixed about mental health but I'm interested in cognitive development at this stage. Perhaps you've written about this but I'm a brand new subscriber and could use some direction.
Ha! I will make sure Georgette makes some future appearances