Beat Boredom these Summer School Holidays
This month we asked our community how families living in the Wide Bay can Beat boredom. With the Summer School Holidays almost upon us, we asked for some suggestions and strategies to help families beat and embrace boredom. This is what our community told us.
Challenge! Boredom is no match against a challenge. This can be suited to the people involved and for what you have access to. For example those who love drawing can be challenged to draw a monster with the most eyes or a paint a picture of the clouds. Have a group of kids of all ages? Challenge them to make the most epic cubby house out of sheets, pillows, and other household items at hand. Outdoors you can challenge them to a nature scavenger hunt and give them a list of things to spot or collect. The Bundaberg library has opportunities for lots of challenges including the Summer Reading Club, finding a new author to read, learn a new skill or read a book chosen for you. Even those who do not like competing will take part in a challenge that is achievable and allows them to discover new things and experiences.
Don’t forget this works for bored adults as well.
Jaala Beauchamp, Youth Services Librarian
We have some ideas at Access Recreation for Boredom Holiday Busters
- Backyard camping
- Visit local pools and beaches
- Christmas baking/decorate a gingerbread house
- Make salt dough ornaments
- Board games
- Family games night/puzzles
- Write letters to Santa
- Set up a Christmas Photo Booth
Cirsty Murphy, Access Recreation
Boredom, first of all I believe it is important for children to feel a sense of boredom. We live in such a fast-paced environment where children are conditioned to instant gratification and often displaying dependent behaviour as a result. Boredom can assist children in developing self-awareness, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills, which are valuable life skills.
These are some encouraging ways you can assist your child with boredom that builds your child’s independence, confidence, and a sense of agency.
- Return responsibility: When a child expresses the much dreaded “Im boooored!” Reflect and return the responsibility, “Oh you are feeling bored, coming up with an idea so you don’t feel bored is something you can do, I wonder what you could create/do/construct etc.” Returning the responsibility allows the child to problem solve and feel a sense of independence and power in the decision making. (*This is the best strategy for continual dependent behaviours).
- Have a supply of open-ended materials in the home that can be used for craft/construction and don’t have just one purpose. An assortment of building materials (blocks, lego, duplo) and inexpensive craft materials (homemade paint/glue, playdough, boxes, paper, sticky tape, paper rolls, cotton wool etc).
- Board games are fantastic!! Or even create your own board game.
- Outside play and nature play is so valuable and inexpensive. Check out Nature Play Qld for some wonderful ideas.
- Be prepared and have some collaborative discussions around ideas before the school holidays and the location of all the free play craft and construction items in the house.
Here is a little gift to you….the best and easiest playdough recipe ever!
Silky Dough
Mix in a bowl
1 cup of salt
2 tbsp cream of tartar
4 tbsp oil
Food colouring
4 cups of boiling water
(Essential oil optional)
Mix well until all salt is dissolved.
Add 4 cups of plain flour, mix well and then knead.
Most of all have fun and parents don’t put so much pressure on yourself to make sure your child has something to do or a schedule of activities every day. Boredom is a wonderful moment to be truly creative and exercise the imagination.
Jasmine Harris, Connections Play Therapy & Consultancy
We encourage our students to embrace boredom and to understand that's it's built into us humans for a reason. Boredom often leads to curiosity and gives us the opportunity to be creative enough to try something new. We encourage our students during such times to write a story, to paint a picture, to learn how to use tools and build something, to learn how to cook or, better yet, some idea of their own.
Nathan Van der Klugt, Senior Chong Kwan Jang Nim
Optometrist and father of two Anthony Mulvahil of Christensen Harbison Optometrists recommends that children spend a minimum of 90 minutes outdoors each day to maintain healthy vision. Just don't forget to slip, slop, slap and wrap! When choosing sunglasses it is important to ensure that they meet the Australian Standard for eye protection in category 2, 3 or 4. These lenses absorb more than 95% of UV to prevent it reaching your eyes. As a family to combat boredom we've previously made an adventure jar and filled it with ideas for free or low cost activities we can do either at home or in the community and then chosen one at random to do.
Anthony Mulvahil, Christensen Harbison Optometrists
There is no excuse to be “bored” living in the Bundaberg region! Get on your bikes and enjoy some time outdoors with your family while exploring coastal and bush trails. Download 10 popular rides in the region here
Rather walk? Download the 10,000 Steps routes throughout the region here.
Prefer to relax while the kids play? With over 330 parks, gardens and natural areas to discover across the region, you can find the perfect spot to relax with Council’s online Park Finder. Find a park here
Need to cool down? Escape the heat in these great community facilities. With heaps of school holiday activities available, you’ll be happy you popped in. Check out their school holiday programs here:
Have friends visiting the region? Take them to the Hinkler Hall of Aviation! With a special ambassador deal and local rates for residents of the Bundaberg region, kids and adults alike will be amazed and inspired by the life story of Bundaberg’s favourite son. Find out more here.
After you’ve discovered Bert’s love of flying, you won’t want to miss the beauty of the Botanic Gardens and dive into rich history of the Fairymead House Sugar History Museum. Check it out here:
There’s also plenty to see and do at Alexandra Park Zoo! Get up close with a quoll or see the cotton-top tamarins monkeying around. Don’t forget to say hi to resident dingoes Kupali and Lowanna and give a friendly wave to the amazing birds who call the zoo home. Find out more here.
Emma Eaton, Bundaberg Regional Council.