Turn “I’m Bored” into “Thanks Mom!”
3 Months of Free and Low Cost Fun for Your Children

The last day of school comes and goes. The children are now home all day. You wake in the morning with bright hopes of accomplishing your newest idea for your business. This bright sunshine feeling wraps around you as you sip your coffee outside and watch the sun rise before your working day begins. 

While enjoying the smell of the morning, you hear distant shouts from the children making breakfast. “Mom, where did you put the milk,” breaks your trance. You shout back “in the refrigerator” as you make faces that mimic the word “duh” that fortunately they can not see.

Unwillingly, you break your morning coffee tradition and sit down to work right away, hoping to get just a few sentences on your computer before the next inevitable disruptions begin. You are too late. The sound of a ball bouncing off the wall grabs your attention. You walk into your living room where your son is volleying a tennis ball on the wall right next to your $150 painting that took you a year to find. 

“Please stop doing that,” you ask your son. And then it happens. The words you hear for the rest of the day start so early in the morning: “but Mom, I’m bored!” The sounds of two girls fighting over a hairbrush almost drown out your son’s words. The baby wakes to all the noise and begins crying.

Two hours later, you have gotten your children calmed down and cleaned up. You know you need to get your idea finished today or it will be too late to publish. Snapping up your laptop and writing utensils, you walk into your bathroom and study it carefully. The toilet would make a great office chair, so you throw a blanket on it and sit down. You grab the magazine rack, empty it on the floor next to you, and use it as your laptop holder. 

Finally, the words begin to pour out of your mind and onto the screen. About 30 minutes into your work, the baby wakes from his nap and the rest of the day is spent entertaining, feeding and watching over your children.

At 5:30pm, your husband enters the house with a big smile on his face. He gives you a big kiss and tells you he had a very productive day at the office. He proceeds upstairs to change his clothes while you finish making dinner. Unknowingly walking into your make-shift office, your husband trips on a power cord on his way into the bathroom. He catches himself on the sink, jarring the toothbrush holder on the edge and spilling the pencils out into the sink. “Something needs to be done about this,” he exclaims as he hears your tear-filled story. 

No money? No problem! Here are low cost and free options to keep your children busy through the summer.

Child Exchange Days – find other mothers in your neighborhood before school is out and get to know them. When you find another parent you are very comfortable with, start putting together child swap days and take the lead. Get their schedule and share yours. If you find just one other mother to swap with you, you can keep your children very happy with friends from school while you get time to work. The days could be alternated or just hours could be alternated to give both mothers time to work on what they need.

Children’s Theme Weeks – choose a theme for a week such as dinosaurs. Make a schedule that fits around your work time. Tell your children that if they are good during your work time and keep themselves busy (including watching the younger ones) that they will be allowed to participate in theme time at x o’clock (don’t generalize on the time, and don’t forget to block the time on your schedule). They will surely want to behave if the reward is worth the effort! 

Here are some ideas to make your theme weeks grand:

Craft Time: make a craft that really fits around your theme.

Story Telling Time: read them a story, or have them tell you a story that relates to the theme.

Game Time: have them create a game, or find a game on the Internet that relates to the theme.

Library Time: take them to the library and have them help you research the theme.

Exploration Time: find a place that allows them to explore the theme.

Competition Time: make trophies or certificates or give rewards to each child based on their participation. Have a real ceremony to present the reward.

Music Time: have them write a song about the theme and perform it for the family.

Theme ideas that should last 3 months if you do one theme per week:

Dinosaurs
Colors and Art
Dora / Elmo / Character
Cars / Buses / Motorcycles
Gardening
Fun food
Space travel / space ships
Aliens
Sports
Science: elements / chemical (safe) reactions
Superheroes Hats / caps / turbans

There is no need to take the children to somewhere new every single day of the summer. Chose a place that you like to frequent, and on those special days when you have a car, or have friends with children that would like to do something fun, take the kids somewhere fun for them. Tell them the time and day you will be going from the beginning of the week and give them something to look forward to.

Here are some low cost ideas for trips in your area. This list should last 3 months or more if you choose one place per week:

Zoo – before you go, have each child choose two animals that they really want to see. Get their enthusiasm going about their two choices and doing activities around it.

Museum – paintings may not excite the children as much as statues and hands on activities. Science museums can prove to be more fun than art museums to a smaller child.

Park – have a picnic Public transportation – railway, local train, even riding a bus can seem exciting to a child if it is new to them.

Local creek / lake – feed the ducks or go fishing

A day in the city – go to another city close by they haven’t seen

Party on the patio – any patio will work, throw up some decorations and plan a party

Movies – matinee prices are typically reasonable, feed them before you go and carry a candy or sweet nutritious snack for each child in your purse

Local gardens or nursery

Window shopping at the toy store – make sure they understand window shopping and set a price if you want to buy a small toy while there

School – most schools allow the public to use their play yard and track area during the summer

Library – many libraries have a schedule of story telling time for children

Recreation Center – many local recreation centers allow free public access

YMCA – the local YMCA typically has many summer activities for children.

Church – go to church off hours, when its just your children and yourself, and volunteer to help with something fun, like making pictures for the wall or planting a new small garden.