The boredom season is here again, its summer and your little one is having a break from their school routine. Now, your kid seems bored to stay at home since the school schedule cannot apply at home and you are wondering what to do to keep your kid entertained. Sign him or her to holiday classes or camps? This could be an option but you can still keep your kiddo entertained at home while they take a break from the tiring school schedule. Here are some easy tips to keep your kiddo entertained.
Encourage imagination
It is important to note that your kiddo will not always be willing to toss a ball or even ride their bike when they are bored. Child psychologist based in Boston, Christopher Willards says that a bored child will always be willing to stretch their imagination and the parent or guardian should support them. Kids who love playing make-believe can easily entertain themselves. Try to encourage your kid to create a fantasy situation. For instance, if you have lots of errands to run at home, you can tag along your kiddo by suggesting that he or she becomes an alien who is learning how earthlings behave. Similarly, if you are doing laundry, you can suggest your kid becomes the mother of the house and pack their own clothes. With time, you should quit offering scenarios but ask your little one what they should pretend to be. This way, your kid will not get bored when you are busy with your errands.
Encourage playing solo
If your kid is schooling, chances are that he or she has about 20 playmates at school. However, at home, he may be alone or with just one sibling and difficulties in adjustment may lead to boredom. To deal with the situation, invest on items that will encourage playing alone. For instance, you can encourage him or her to do a puzzle or build several items with Legos. Assistance is always crucial if your little one is not used to playing solo; give him or her a head start on some of the activities they can do.
Start with few minutes like 20 and keep on adding five or ten per week until your kiddo is accustomed to the new changes. Rewarding milestones is a good in strategy in encouraging your kiddo to play alone. For instance, you can encourage playing with Legos and every time your kiddo is able to build a machine you can set a special day out. This will ensure your kid remains engaged at home. However, make sure you have the right tools and accessories to aid playing solo.
You can also encourage your little one to go out and play with a kite. A kite does not need your kid to invite his friends to have fun. All you need is to invest on a quality kite that will excite your kid when running out there, click here for more details.
Focus on creativity and activities that offer fresh thrills
In most cases, when your kiddo is bored, parents and guardians are quick to turn to the common distractions like a movie, cartoons or even handing over your phone to your kid to play games. However, these common distractions only offer instant gratification which is short-lived. Although such measures can help keep your kid occupied for a while, they also teach him or her to be less tolerant to quiet times as he will get accustomed to always responding to something, posits Dr. Epstein, a child psychologist. The best way to fight boredom is focusing on something that spurs creativity and thrills each day. For instance, you can encourage your kid to have a vegetable or flower garden. This way, your little one will be able to sow, water the seeds daily as they germinate, weed and also pick food or flowers. Such a project is a continued process and will keep your kid engaged for long while at the same time entertain him. Your kiddo can also document the whole process in a journal and the project will also trigger other likings.
Wrapping up
You see, fighting boredom among kids does not have to be a complex and expensive affair. The important thing as a parent is providing the requisite items and tools that will help in ensuring your kid des not stay idle. Think out of the box and you will realize that there is a lot that your kid can do and avoid boredom and stress.