201 Things To Do When Children Say I'M BORED! lets you turn this book into a precious heirloom keepsake because the new edition has been revised to include space for journaling. The pages are bursting with creative ideas, games and projects AND there’s space to add your photos, drawings, and comments as you go along.

201 Things to Do When Children Say I'M BORED! can help. Finally, a collection of ideas to serve as a reminder to bring you and your children closer. Consider it your way of staying involved in the lives of your children no matter how busy you are.

BOOK REVIEW BY Janice, co-founder, 5MinutesForMom.com

When Jackson says, “I’m bored!” I am often just as lost for something creative and fun to do as he is. In those moments the day is inching along far too slowly, I draw a blank. I know there must be a ton of things I could do to transform that boring day into a memory that he will treasure but at that moment, I don’t have a clue what they are.

201 Things to Do When Children Say I’M BORED! – is a fantastic resource and an inspiration. This book is also a journal where I can record the dates and jot down notes about all of the activities we did together. The book then becomes a legacy of fun family memories.

Ideas are divided by ages with ideas for children 3-6 years, 6-11 years, and 6-16 years old. Most of the ideas in 201 Things to Do When Children Say I’M BORED! require little prep time and can be done on the spur of the moment.

#14 Search The Magazine - Set out a pile of magazines. Ask your child to flip through the magazine page by page to search for certain types of items; for examples, food, drinks, pets, shoes, cars, trucks, etc. Have some simple stickers to mark the found items. Set the kitchen timer for 5-10 minutes. When the buzzer sounds, count the stickers. (For ages 3-6)

#62 Take a Mystery Walk - Put on comfortable shoes and start walking. Flip a coin at every intersection. HEADS go right. TAILS go left.  SUGGESTION: Ask the children to guess where the final destination might be and give a prize for the closest guess. (For ages 6-11)

Other ideas take some planning, but the extra effort will show your kids how much you care about them:

#1 Backyard Zoo - Create a backyard (or sunroom, porch or garage) zoo. Have children arrange stuffed animals in specific habitats. Add props to make it REAL - twigs, leaves, rocks, etc. Give your zoo a name. Make signs, invitations and tickets. Invite people to visit. Encourage children to give mini-lectures. Doing a little research is part of the fun! (For ages 3-6)

#53 Family Picture Bingo - Collect Family photos and makes copies of small pictures of everyone in the family. Cut them out and paste a set of pictures on bingo templates - a simple 5 by 5 column box graph will do. Choose something fun to use as markers such as pennies, uncooked macaroni, or buttons. Call out categories such as “anyone the same age as you” or “anyone whose name had the letter “h” in it.” (For ages 6-16)

I know that when I take the time to do the activities found in 201 Things to Do When Children Say I’M BORED!, my kids will feel loved and cherished, and that’s fantastic!

JANICE, co-founder, 5MinutesForMom.com

“With three kids and another on the way this book will be soooooo handy!” Courtney

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“My grandson has learned the meaning and effectiveness of the whine, “I’M BORED!” Sometimes his parents are at a complete loss to find an interesting activity that also includes his little sisters. This is jsut what we/they are looking for.”  Maureen

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“This is what I need to entertain my daycare kids in the summer!” Pat

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“I don’t just want this book–I NEED it!” Zoe

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“With my son’s ADHD, I have to keep him pretty busy. This will certainly do the trick!” Lisa

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“As a mom and a teacher, I think this book is a great resource!” Roseann

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“What a fantastic looking book. I, too, suffer from brain fog when my children give me the inevitable “I’M BORED!” It’s tough, too, with children of different ages. But this book offers some great suggestions for a variety of ages and interests.” Kelly

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“I consider myself pretty creative, but even I run out of things to do every once in awhile.” Mary Helen

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“I hear this from my child at least 15 to 20 times a day --I’M BORED! It’s frustrating as a parent  trying to find things the kids want to do. Great book!” Lisa

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“I have a daughter who has a daughter who now knows what its like to be a mother; hope that made sense! She needs this book!” Nikki

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“This is a GREAT resource for interacting with my autistic son!” Krista

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“I’m so bad at coming up with fun things to do, this really helps! Thank you.” Janet

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“Jodie has done a great job at engaging children and adults alike in fun and action packed activities! This book is a must for all bookshelves of families.” Jennifer T.

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“I am not very creative so I am always looking for new ideas to keep the level of chaos managable!” Nancy

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“I’m tired of hearing how “bored” my 10 year old is. Yes, the one who has a game cube, a Wii, a TV with tons of channels and about a million DVDs in the house, plus a huge trampoline in the big backyard!” mama hood

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“The world is so different from when I was young, I can’t allow my kids to roam freely to friends homes or around the neighborhood as I did. It’s harder to keep them entertained in this digital age when TV and computers sometimes take over play and imaginations. I love having a great book that would help them and myself be more creative. Thanks!” Annette

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“This is Great! Is there a sequel?” Catherine

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“I’ve been trying to find a book like this. Sometimes I feel like I’m a bum and not doing enough with my little one…I need help in the creativity department.  Thanks for introducing me to this book.” Melody

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“This is perfect for my brood. They keep themselves entertained well enough, but I’d love to have a whole book of tricks up my sleeve.” T.T.

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“This book rocks! Thank you soo much!” Amy

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“I have the grandkids for a weekend and there’s not as much to do at home. This is the answer, not to mention how we will be spending some one on one time with them.” Alison

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“What a great resource! All parents need to be bailed out from time to time!” Christina

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“I love the book. I am a teacher and am always looking for new and exciting books to share with students and parents.” Erma

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“I’m a first time Mom. I’m going to really use this!” Gina

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“They have a gazillion toys, but somehow ALWAYS say they’re bored” Erica

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“oh my gosh if i hear im bored one more time i may have to just rip my hair out!!!” Sarah

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“My three kids are always complaining of this problem, even though we have a school playground facing our backyard!” Dawn

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“This book is great for people with little imagination and bored kids - like me!” Ed

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“My kids are good about finding (or inventing) SOME way to get into mischief when they’re bored, but this could be a lifesaver for those days when they’ve run out of obvious options and are climbing the walls.” Chrysa

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“This is a must for anyone with little ones.” Jocelyn

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“This is exactly what we need for those cold winters here in ND when the kids are stuck inside!! Thanks!!!” Tonya

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“I will definitely use this book. Raising six kids has fried my brain, and I feel like I don’t think of near as many fun things to do now as I did when my Darling Husband and I weren’t so out numbered.” Ashley

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“I was selected at random a contest winner. In the course of double-checking “just what is this” I’ve won, I went to the 201thingstodo.com website and was captivated by a whole set of useful links and things, very pertinent to my older son’s educational process and progress. Check out the “Bonus stuff” section in particular! Once again, very excellent, and thank you much!” Julie


READ THE BOOK REVIEW:
http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/773/201-things-to-do/