How to Help Your Child Enjoy Having Nothing to Do

Being bored isn't the worst thing in the world for a child. Actually having some unscheduled time, time with no entertainment or enrichment or other activities planned, is something that every child really needs. It is this "nothing to do" time that sparks a child's creativity, as he will naturally be inclined to find something to do. As a parent, you do need to keep an eye on him to make sure that he doesn't get to creative in a way that might be dangerous, but for the most part you can be pretty hands-off as he figures out his own way. If he is really used to having every moment of his day filled up with school, sports, music and other scheduled activities, he may be a bit confused by what to do with this free time. In this case, there are a few things you can do to facilitate his enjoyment of downtime.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Blocks or Legos
• <br>Dolls or action figures
• <br>Boxes
• <br>Miscellaneous household objects
• <br>CD player and music CDs
• <br>Simple musical instruments
• <br>Outdoor area to explore

1. Provide toys like blocks and Legos. Make sure they are just the plain Legos and not the ones that are supposed to be assembled in specific ways and yield specific scenes. You want your child to be able to build her own unique creation and then tear it all down if she likes. Dolls, action figures and dress-up clothes are also good types of playthings to have on hand to encourage creative play.
2. Set up a play area filled with "untoys," such as cardboard boxes, empty plastic buckets, wooden spoons and other miscellaneous non-hazardous) household items. Such objects often stimulate children to invent or imagine their own toys.
3. Play music and see if he feels like dancing or singing along. You can also leave a box of simple musical instruments (maracas, tambourine, even a couple of spoons) out so he can play along.
4. Take a walk outside or encourage her to explore outside on her own. Observe as she chases after butterflies, picks flowers, tries to make a daisy or clover chain or climb a tree.
5. Model spontaneous, silly fun for your child. Show him that you, too, know how to entertain yourself without the TV, a book, a computer, or some type of organized activity. If you can just flop on your back on the lawn and start trying to name all the cloud shapes you see, he'll probably want to join in.

Tips & Warnings

• Let your child get a little dirty or messy. That's why they make spray-on stain remover.