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12 EASY WAYS FOR KIDS TO FIGHT OFF BOREDOM

By Becky Samford, Publisher Duluth, Norcross, Suwanee, Johns Creek & Peachtree Corners Macaroni Kid June 27, 2021

School has been out for over a month. The first rush of freedom has faded and the kids are beginning to grumble about being bored. We have compiled this list of our 12 favorite ways to beat the "dog days of summer".  

1. GO FOR A WALK 
Besides giving our brains a break from whatever is boring us, walking is one of the best exercises there is. It’s low impact, gets our heart pumping, and requires no equipment. So, lace up those tennis shoes and take a walk around your neighborhood! To add more fun, take the dog with you. He's probably bored also! Make it even more fun with our directions for a NATURE SCAVENGER HUNT.

2. BETTER YET... GO FOR A HIKE!
We are blessed in our area with a multitude of scenic hiking trails. There's no better boredom buster than a family hike in the great outdoors! Click to see our list of HIKING TRAILS AROUND ATLANTA AND NORTH GEORGIA.

3. FEED SOME ANIMALS  
Called the "crown jewel" of the Johns Creek parks system, AUTREY MILL NATURE PRESERVE is the perfect FREE place for your whole family to enjoy walking trails, a scenic wading creek, wildflowers, a gold mine, foundation stones of the old mill, plus benches and pavilion.
At the pond, there are ducks, rabbits, turtles, chickens, and goats to feed. There is a dispenser of food to feed the animals for just $.25 a handful.  On weekends, the Visitor Center is open for animal exhibits of turtles, frogs, snakes, and insects and dioramas of native mammals and birds. There is also a Special Exotic Ectotherm Exhibit featuring reptiles and amphibians from around the world such as pythons, tortoises, lizards and more from Australia, Africa, Asia, and South America.

4. COOL OFF  
No matter your age, cooling off on a hot day, feels good. Put on some shorts or your bathing suit and go dashing through the sprinkler for some old-fashion fun! Float down the river at $10 River Tubing in Duluth or visit one of the swimming pools, water parks, or FREE splash pads in our area. See our GET WET GUIDE for a complete list of locations. 

5. CLIMB A TREE
If your lucky enough to have a climbing tree in your yard it will provide hours of fun. If not, there are trees in many of our local city parks. See a list in our FREE PARKS & PLAYGROUNDS GUIDE.
For the more adventurous, including kids 4 years and up, go zip lining through the trees at TREETOP QUEST in Buford.

6. TOO HOT OUTSIDE? SEE A MOVIE  
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Regal Movie Theater has kids movie for $1 each and Studio Movie Grill has a kids movie on Monday through Friday for $6 which includes a small drink & popcorn. Plus several communities offer FREE family movies in their parks at night.
See the complete schedule at FREE (OR ALMOST FREE) SUMMER MOVIES.

6. LEARN A NEW GAME 
Challenge your brain by learning how to play a new card or board game. Competition excites many of us, and when the game is on the line, boredom doesn’t stand a chance. Besides, learning a new game allows us to interact with our friends and family. And who doesn’t like the thrill of competing against them! See 5 GAMES THE WHOLE FAMILY CAN PLAY,  SIX EASY LETTER RECOGNITION GAMES FOR TODDLERS & PRESCHOOLERS, and BORED WITH BOARD GAMES? MAKE YOUR OWN! 

For some new family games, watch the Presley family's Quarantine Olympics on YouTube for some hilarious ideas like Human Hungry Hungry Hippos, Fork Potato Challenge, Hands-Free Oreo Eating, Sock Slide Challenge, Toilet Paper Roll Bowling and Pea Racing at www.youtube.com/c/AlexPresleyVideos

7. PUT TOGETHER A PUZZLE 
Challenging our brain is an excellent way to keep boredom from taking over our life. Whether the puzzle is large or small, it will challenge you. It doesn’t have to be finished in one sitting, either. Puzzles fill those voids for days on end. Once you’re finished, donate it to a local nursing home, group home, or hospital so they can reap the benefits, too. See EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN WITH A FAMILY PUZZLE.

7. READ A BOOK
Reading is the ultimate cure for boredom. Reading enables you to travel to faraway lands, meet people from other lifetimes, battle dragons, fly to the moon, become a princess and do anything else you can imagine! Plus you can GET FREE REWARDS THROUGH SUMMER READING PROGRAMS. Need a new book... or movie or magazine or free pass? FIND A BUILDING FULL OF FREE STUFF AT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY!

8. LEARN A NEW HOBBY
If you don’t already have one, the options are endless. There are "how to" books at the library on practically anything you could want to learn from chess to a new language to sewing. There are also millions of directions on almost anything you wish to learn on YouTube from putting together a toy train to building a rocket ship! Specialty Summer Camps are also a great option for learning new skills like acting, swimming, coding, horse riding, painting and more. See our 2021 SUMMER CAMP GUIDE for some terrific options. 

9. PAINT OR COLOR
Take out your paints, colored pencils or crayons, grab your sketch book or coloring book and start coloring your world. Or grab some chalk and head outside for some sidewalk art. Either way, coloring allows us to focus our attention on creating something beautiful while boredom drifts away. 

10. WRITE A LETTER
Because of the focus on technology today, many kids fail to learn the importance of writing letters. Sadly, they don't realize that a hand written note is always preferable to an email. This summer would be a great time to write a letter to out of town grandparents or a thank you note for a birthday present. You could send a "get well" note to a sick friend or one just to say hello to someone you have not seen for a while. Cousins make fantastic pen pals!  Not only is letter writing fun, it also nurtures good penmanship and improves  grammar and spelling skills. Once kids start writing, many are surprised how much they enjoy it. The receiver will be delighted and your child will be overjoyed when they receive a return letter!
See our tips on WRITING THANK YOU NOTES for kids.   

11. CLEAN YOUR ROOM
Whenever my kids are bored and reject all my suggestions for fun, I say "well, you could go clean your room". And just like that, they find something else to do!

12. MAKE SOMETHING YUMMY
Want to know the very best, never fail, cure for boredom? It's Ice Cream!! The best part? Your kids can MAKE ICE CREAM IN A BAG IN JUST 15 MINUTES! And trust me, no one ever mentions being bored with a mouthful of ice cream! 



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