Mommy, I'm bored.

When I was a little girl in the 1960's I remember that summers were full of lots of adventures.  We could ride our bikes all over the city and played kick ball until dark.  Even with all that freedom I would still get bored.  If I complained to my mother about my boredom she could come up with a long list of things for me to do.  Usually the list included cleaning my room. But, my mother's an artist too so it also included many creative ideas.




Summer can be a tough time for parents to keep kids entertained.  Our world is too scary to let kids run off on their own adventures.  Thankfully most communities have day camps and other activities available for all ages.  You just have to look.  Still there will be days when you'll hear "Mom, I'm bored!" Create your own list of project ideas - don't forget some housekeeping too.  Here are some suggestions:

1. Create an "Art Studio."  Gather any supplies you already own and organize them. Recycle old shoe boxes for containers and label them.
2. Draw a card for someone - mail it to them
3. Rearrange your bedroom for the best use of space
4. Clean out your closet
5. Make your own camp.  Check out my friend Hobby's Blog about Grandma Camp
6. Organize a yard sale with friends.  Donate half the proceeds to a charity.
7. Start a dog walking service.  
8. Get a book on crafts.  Kids Create is one of my favorites.
9. Create art from recycled objects like:  

Create a paper plate snake

• Using a pencil draw a spiral starting at the edge of the paper and work your way to the center.  
• Color the snake with patterns using crayons, colored pencils and markers.  Don't forget to give it eyes at on the face end!
• Color the back of the plate with random strokes.
• Cut the paper on the pencil line.
• Punch a hole for a tongue and add a pipe cleaner or string.