“There are no uninteresting things, only uninteresting people”
GK Chesterton
Unprecedented times.
Worrying times.
Trying times.
How many euphemisms have you come across to describe 2020? It certainly is a strange one isn’t it? It’s summer time; we were expecting that the living would be easy. But 2020 is all about the surprises.
The new normal means that dreams of international travel are just that…Dreams. Most of us are planning staycations. But with a five week break to cater for, how are we planning on keeping the children entertained without resorting to the TV-nanny? There’s something truly bleak about spending the entirety of a season glued to an indifferent screen…Isn’t there?
However, boredom is good for the brain. In an article all about beating boredom, I realize it might be a little counterintuitive to sing its praises but just bear with me. Research indicates that boredom breeds curiosity. The space created by boredom, it’s very emptiness, leaves children feeling the urge to push the envelope and explore a little more about the world around them. Boredom allows them to not just be passive recipients of information but active participants. In short, if children don’t get bored, it’s unlikely that that will want to explore how exciting the world really is.
So, how do we strike a happy balance between an activity-enriched summertime staycation and a healthy smidgeon of boredom? How do we activate curiosity? At My Swiss Story, we have some ideas…
Arty ways to beat boredom this summer
1. Create stencil art
2. Paint leaves
3. Colour in colouring books
4. Finger paint
5. Use thumb impressions to create cute animals
6. Use chalk to create art
7. Draw a self-portrait
8. Create handprint art
9. Paint using vegetable stamps (potatoes and apples work really well but why not branch out to celery and more?)
10. Follow YouTube drawing tutorials by Rob Biddulph
Crafty ways to beat boredom this summer
1. Make a marshmallow sculpture
2. Learn origami.
3. Design and make a puzzle
4. Design and make a board game
5. Plan and write a comic strip
6. Design and publish a zine
7. Create a DIY birdhouse using milk cartons
8. Plant a balcony garden and decorate the pots
9. Make a scrapbook and/or collage
10. Make DIY LEGO fidget spinners
STEM-Ways To Beat Boredom with Kitchen Science: Pose these questions and ask the young people in your life to answer them
1. Can you make elephant toothpaste?
2. How does a leaf breathe?
3. Can you make a volcano at home using an apple or a lemon?
4. Can you make rice dance?
5. Can you make an eggshell disappear?
6. Can you cultivate crystals?
7. How does yeast work?
8. Can you make fireworks in a glass?
9. How do Arctic animals stay warm?
10. Can you make a rainbow water xylophone?
Active Ways To Beat Boredom This Summer
1. Go for a walk. Switzerland is a treasure trove of wanderwegs. Why not wonder while you wander?
2. Go for a bike ride
3. Make a blanket fort
4. Have a whole-day pajama day
5. Create a pretend beach on your balcony or back garden
6. Draw with your mouth and your feet
7. Organize a paper snail race using just folded paper and a couple of straws
8. Create an indoor/outdoor obstacle course for the whole family
9. Play ‘ the floor is lava’
10. Make your own DIY Escape Room activity
More heads are definitely better than one. In order to bring ‘My Swiss Story’ readers a wide variety of suggestions and give you all as many options as possible, I asked my community on Instagram for some tried and tested ideas that have already been proved to be successful on the frontline of parenting. Here’s what some of them had to suggest.
Tips from the Community!
Jo Kennedy shared the following suggestions: make lemonade; make ice lollies; decorate t-shirts and shorts; make your own playdough; paint stones; organize a treasure hunt, make soap-bubble pictures and finally, invest in the summer activity pass for children. For example, the ZVV Ferienpass in Zurich allows children aged 6 -16 free entry to the zoo, a number of museums as well as free use of public transport and entrance to swimming pools. All this god just a nominal amount!
Make sure to check out the summer activity pass wherever you are in Switzerland. I assure you, the ferienpass is incredibly useful and very rewarding. Nearly all cantons offer them.
To learn more about the Ferienpass for Zurich, click here
Deepika K came up with the idea of using lemon rinds as floating boats while Ankita Singh suggested making mandalas and creating zentangles. Perhaps, when you are out for a walk, you might like to make mandalas from leaves, sticks and stones?
But what about us? The parents. Well, as Sushmita aka @wildberriesandfables put it: have children, never get bored! When is there the time?
Wishing you all a peaceful and uneventful summer holiday!
Nayana x
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