Bored Jar Activity Ideas Plus Free Printables Post Preview: Are your kids bored and having difficulty trying to figure out what to do? I have a bunch of ideas for activities to do plus free printable bored jar activities and labels.
Now that my kids are older, I don’t have too many times when they come to me and tell me that they are bored and looking for something to do. However, I remember those days. It can be frustrating to try to come up with ideas for them. So, I’m going to try to help you out with that!
I have a new printable set with a bunch of activities to put into a Bored Jar, as well as a set of printable labels that you can add to your Bored Jar if you’d like.
Hopefully this set will add some fun and purpose the next time your kids are looking for things to do!
Related Reading:
- Teaching Kids Kindness with a Kindness Jar
- The Power of Kind Words: Using Cheer Jars to Intentionally Appreciate Your Family
- Summer Bucket List for Kids: Free Bingo-style Printable Sheet
Bored Jar Free Printables
While the Bored Jar activities list includes 36 premade activities, you definitely don’t have to use them all in your jar. You can just pick and choose which of the activities you want to include in your own Bored Jar from the printable.
The printable also includes a blank sheet for you to add your own activities or chores. You can print as many of the blank sheets as you want to, if you need more than 18 extra activities.
Make this project work for your family!
Bored Jar Activities for Kids
The free printable Bored Jar Activities for Kids includes 36 activities. From the super simple to the more involved, there is a treasure trove of very doable ideas to fill in some of those bored hours.
Plus, like I already mentioned, there is a blank page for you to fill in your activities, chores, exercises, and more.
Activities included on the Bored Jar Activities Printable
- A page of 18 blank entries for you to add your own activities, projects, exercises, tasks, or chores
- Play a board game (kids could even make their own board games!)
- Work on a puzzle
- Draw a self-portrait
- Write a short story
- Build a LEGO house
- Have a picnic
- Plant seeds or take care of a garden
- Make a sock puppet (Here is a set of DIY Sock Puppet Projects)
- Make an outfit out of newspaper
- Decorate with sidewalk chalk (Here are recipes for 10 homemade art supplies, including sidewalk chalk)
- Play charades (instructions: how to play charades with kids)
- Bake cookies
- Write a letter to a family member
- Make a friendship bracelet
- Have an egg and spoon race
- Make a paper mask
- Learn a magic trick (if you want to get a magic kit, here are some different magic trick kits)
- Play in a sprinkler or pool
- Do a scavenger hunt (here are 14 free printable scavenger hunts to help)
- Write a poem (here are some hands-on poetry projects)
- Make rootbeer floats or sundaes
- Organize your bedroom
- Organize your closet
- Paint or do an art project
- Make a video – I didn’t add more to this on the small slip, but this could be a music video for a favorite song, a how-to video, a funny video, or some other creative video idea
- Play a card game
- Build a fairy house
- Watch a movie
- Make a new recipe
- Play your favorite sport
- Ride a bike
- Make a bath bomb or homemade playdough
- Make a gift for someone
- Recycle old crayons into new ones
- Do an exercise video or dance routine
- Make a blanket fort (there is a cool “How to Make The Coziest Blanket Fort Ever” video to check out below – I love it!)
How to Assemble Your Bored Jar
This can be super simple or a little more involved. You make the choice!
For the simplest option, skip the jar altogether. Just keep the printable handy (maybe on a clipboard or attached to a bulletin board) and you or your kids can pick an activity from the list. Easy peasy.
If you have a jar to use, you can decorate it how you want or you can use the labels that are part of the free download. If you use the provided labels, you can attach them to your jar with double-sided tape or Mod Podge. (Mod Podge would work best.) You could also opt to print them on sticker paper, which would also work extremely well.
For the activities, you can just cut the printable apart and put them into your jar either folded or unfolded. Printing them on cardstock will help to keep them usable longer.
If you want them to be sturdier, you can glue, tape, or Mod Podge activities to craft sticks. Then, you can put the craft sticks in the jar. Ta da!
Bored Jar Printable Terms of Use
The Bored Jar Printable Set is a free download for personal or classroom use. When you make copies, please make sure that you keep the copyright information on all copies.
You may not sell, publish, or host this printable page on any other website. This includes that you may not upload it to your website or any organization’s website for people to download. If you want to pass along the printable to others, please feel free to share a link to this post (not directly to the printable) with others. Thanks so much! (Printables terms of use)
Download Your Free Printable Here
This printable is a completely free download available exclusively on Real Life at Home:
Download the Free Bored Jar Activities for Kids Here
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Summer Scavenger Hunt Packet
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Love this post!! It was super helpful and gave me some great ideas to try with our kids. I have three kids, ages 8, 5 and 9 months and few things are more frustrating than parents running around like chickens with our heads cut off and kids saying, “I’m bored.” I especially liked make an outfit out of newspaper. I’ve never heard of it but we’ll have to give it a try!! Thanks for the great ideas!!