How to disperse boredom without a smartphone and TV: 21 ideas for kids of all ages

Psychologists say it's good for kids to get bored from time to time. This makes them look for activities, stimulates imagination and creativity. However, not all children are able to cope with such an important task on their own, so it’s good if adults have a couple of interesting ideas ready that are not related to the phone, computer and TV. We have already started making our lists, join us!

For the little ones

Games for kids should not only relieve boredom, but also develop the physical skills of the child, expand his knowledge of the world. It is not difficult at all, because for them everything is new!

Things to do when boys and girls under 5 are bored:

• Propose the children to sort the beans and broad beans or peas into different boxes, remembering the story of Cinderella.
• Move marshmallows from one plate to another with chopsticks at speed.
• Stick masking tape on the floor and compete to see who can walk the "rope" without ever stumbling or "falling". To complicate the task, you can glue the Scotch tape in zigzags and make sharp turns.
• Host a fashion show by giving the kids your own clothes. Dressing up "like mom and dad" can be a lot of fun for toddlers!
• Build a tower out of plastic cups and then have fun knocking it down.
• Show the children a movie with Charlie Chaplin, laugh together, and then try to imitate the comedian's walk.
• Read a book together or listen to audio fairy tales.
• Hide small "treasures" in the house or in the yard in advance – chocolate eggs, key chains and small toys. Draw a map and send the guys to search them.

For older children

Pencils, plasticine and puzzles can keep a child busy for a long time, but over time even they get bored. It's mom and dad's turn to get creative.

Things to do for teenagers:

• Perform a puppet show based on a simple fairy tale. Or maybe your joint imagination is enough to write your own play?
• Arrange a shadow theater. This is the case when it is not harmful to turn to the Internet to find interesting figures, and then reproduce them.
• Create a wish board by collecting photos and drawings depicting the cherished dream of each family member.
• Build a hut out of blankets and sit in it with a flashlight, telling scary (but not too much) stories.
• Have a Bubble Contest in the backyard. Or real soap statues by cutting off the bottom of a plastic bottle and pulling an old sock over it. If you soak it properly with dishwashing liquid mixed with a little water and blow into the neck of the bottle, you can blow out real foamy clouds and even simple figures. A little practice and everything will work out!
• Start a small garden by planting onions, garlic, or spinach with the children. This will not only keep the guys busy for a while, but will also allow them to gather in their own little harvest soon.
• Organize a family photo shoot, the more fun and creative is, the better is.
• Treasure hunting games will also interest teenagers, only the search radius should be wider. It is not even necessary to look for suitable places for "treasures" within the yard – you can use the familiar safe routes in the city, the nearest playgrounds and the park.

Do not want to worry about the guys who went on a treasure hunt, a bike ride or other important children's affairs? No need! It is easy to track their safety with the help of a smart GPS watch that will tell you where the child is and give a SOS signal in case of danger. True, for all its advantages, the gadget often disappoints parents with high cost, limited functionality and a tendency to run out of battery too quickly, so a parental control app like Kidsfinder is less of a problem. In addition, it allows you not only to find out where your child is, or to get information about his movements in the recent past, but also to listen to the surroundings.

In bad weather

A rainy, windy, frosty day imposes a ban on many outdoor games and walks. You literally have to show miracles of ingenuity to drag children away from computer games or resort to tough measures by limiting screen time on iPhone! Or is there a better way?

What to do with a child in an apartment:

• Bake cookies with the kids and then color them with food icing. Interesting, fun and delicious!
• Do mini golf. Cut out several holes of different widths in an old shoe box, similar to a small gate, put the box on the floor and, in turn, try to roll glass balls into the holes. The smaller the gate is, the more points are.
• Put the laundry basket on the table and throw your rolled up socks into it, like playing volleyball.
• Throw the balloon up and do not let it fall without touching it with your hands: blow, push with your shoulder, head and kick up with your foot. The one whose balloon lasted the longest won.
• Play checkers with Oreo cookies, marshmallows, candies.

Bad weather gives you a great chance to download an educational app for your iPhone, watch an instructional video, or take the whole family to a virtual yoga class. And the Kidsfinder application will again make sure that walking around the digital space brings only benefits and parents can control screen time on the iPhone.