20 Stay-at-Home Boredom Busters

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I dunno about you, but before the pandemic hit, our life was super hectic! Work, school, daycare, dance, swim, playdates – it seemed like we were always running from one activity to the next. We rarely had a quiet day at home, let alone enough time at home to be bored. So when the world changed and we all had to stay at home for an indefinite amount of time, I knew I was going to need to start thinking about what we could do to keep the rugrats occupied. So today, I’m rounding up our favorite stay-at-home boredom busters – craft kits, games, and activities that help fend off the “I’m bored!” blues.

CRAFT KITS

1. My Egg Carton Animals Craft Kit – This kit is super cute and fun. It comes with all the supplies you need and a little book that shows you several different types of farm animals you can create. It even has a little paper pen you can put together to corral your animals. The girls loved this kit!

2. Illustory Book Making Kit – We’ve used this kit before and it was a huge hit! This kit gives you everything you need to write and illustrate your very own hardcover book! Create your story, mail it in (in the provided postage paid envelope), and in a couple weeks, they mail you back your very own hardbound book complete with “About the Author” section. It’s so fun to see the stories your kids can come up with and then be able to keep them forever in such a cool way.

3. Hide & Seek Rock Painting Kit – Keep your kids busy with this fun rock painting kit! Then once the rocks are dry, you can take a walk around the neighborhood and hide the rocks as a fun surprise for others to find (or just use them to decorate your own yard). Super simple way to help beat boredom.

4. Paint Your Own Suncatchers Kit – Easy and fun, this kit can make up to 20 different suncatchers (multiple uses – YAY!) The girls love decorating their windows with their creations and I love giving them an easy outlet for their creativity.

5. Glow-in-the-Dark Powerballs Kit – We haven’t used this kit yet, but I’m super excited to break it out! The girls both love balls and with this kit, they can make up to 18 of them – any way they want.

6. Shrinky Dinks Bright White 6 Sheet Creative Pack – Who else remembers playing with Shrinky Dinks as a kid? **waves hand in the air** I was super excited to share joy of Shrinky Dinks with my own girls. They were amazed, watching their little images shrink down  in the oven – like magic! And with this pack, you have 6 whole sheets to create whatever their little brains can imagine!

7. Slime Kit – Before quarantine, I swore that I would never allow a slime making kit into this house – but desperate times call for desperate measures. And thanks to adult supervision (a.k.a. me) the mess factor was not a problem. Plus, Emma loves slime, so I pretty much made her year by letting her make some.

For these and more craft kit ideas – see my Kids Craft Kits & Supplies list on my Amazon storefront

ACTIVITIES

8. Bubble Machine – What kid doesn’t love bubbles? We’ve had several bubble machines over the years, but they’ve all seemed to require a battery change every other use! Tired of having to buy new batteries I found this one on Amazon. It takes batteries (so it’s still super portable) but also includes an AC adapter so it can be plugged in! **insert happy dance here** The girls love it, I love it, everyone is happy. (We’ve decided these are our favorite bubbles to use with the bubble machine)

9. Awesome Science Experiments for Kids – I originally bought this book as part of Emma’s “homeschooling” before her school came out with their lesson plans. She loved it! We’d start an experiment, and before I knew it, she just took over and ran with it. Expanding the experiment, creating her own tests, and forming her own conclusions! We love this book!

10. Sprinkler – Sprinklers are another cheap and easy way to beat boredom (and the heat). Goodness knows that our girls are total water babies and love all kinds of water play! This sprinkler is inexpensive and has great reviews.

11. Bunch O Balloons – We discovered these water balloons several years ago and enjoy them every summer! Super easy to fill (and no tying required!), these balloons are also biodegradable, so you don’t have to worry about running around your yard trying to pick up all the little pieces of broken balloons.

12. Sidewalk Chalk – Sidewalk chalk is another easy and affordable entertainment option. It’s a backyard staple for us!

13. Crystal Effects Window Markers – The Easter Bunny put these fun markers in the girls Easter baskets this year and they love them! They’ve made many masterpieces on our patio doors and on the windows in their rooms. As the markers dry, the colors glaze over for a cool “crystallized” effect! Then, when you’re ready, just wash the marker off and repeat!

14. LCD Doodle Tablet – Both of the girls have these and use them all the time. Thye can draw and scribble to their hearts’ content, then push a button to clear the screen and start over. Inexpensive and hours of fun!

For these and more activity ideas – see my Fun Activities for Kids list on my Amazon storefront

GAMES

15. Disney’s Color Brain – This was an impulse purchase on Black Friday and I’m so glad I bought it! It says it’s for ages 8 and up, but we’ve been playing it with Emma just fine and she still regularly beats us! It’s a super fun game that we can play as a family that even Hubby and I enjoy.

16. Disney Princess Enchanted Cupcake Game – I was influenced to by this game by another blogger and it’s become the #1 favorite game in our house! Emma asks to play it All. The. Time. It’s quick and easy and even Charlie can get in on the action (with a little help). It’s so loved, we even took it with us when on our mini vacation to the mountains.

17. Tug of War – I grabbed this fun card game to take camping with us last summer and it was a huge hit! It’s basically just regular old War, but with cute puppies on each card. Emma still regularly asks to play this game. We love it. (We use these card holders for little hands that have trouble holding playing cards)

18. Pop the Pig – We’ve had this game for years and Emma still loves to play it. And now that Charlie’s getting bigger, she can join in on the fun too! Plus, it helps teach numbers, colors, and counting.

19. Exploding Kittens – For ages 7 and up, Emma is still a touch too young to play this game on her own, but she loves being on a team with Mom or Dad. This is another game I had purchased for our last camping trip and we all loved it. On more than one occasion, I laughed until my face hurt. I would recommend this to everyone!

20. Candy Land – This game is a classic for a reason. Easy for little ones to understand and play, this game is a favorite of Emma’s. The perfect way to while away a little time in the afternoon.

For these and more game recommendations – see my Games for the Family list on my Amazon storefront