How do you combat the dreaded B word?? There's nothing worse than dealing with constantly bored kids. Well, we have a trick up our sleeve that will help you squash that boredom and stop the nagging for good!

Boredom can become a huge problem, especially during the summer. We can hear it now… “Mom, I'm sooooo bored!!” It never fails. Without school, homework, extracurricular activities and all the other happenings of the school year, our kids just don't know what to do with themselves! Our house is the most boring place ever and they are just stumped. Bored.

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After fighting this frustrating cycle for years, we have come up with the perfect solution and it's seriously going to blow your mind! Are you ready for this? Okay, here it is… BORED STICKS! Essentially the same thing as chore sticks, but it's a boredom fix that will last.

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Alright, watch the video online HERE or keep scrolling to watch all about our bored sticks below:

Sounds like bliss, right? Now, on to a summary!

THE BORED KIDS CURE

The best way we have found to fight back against bored kids is to make these bored sticks and have them handy at all times. It's simple! Get a jar and put popsicle sticks inside, each one with a fun activity written on the side. When your kids come to you and tell you they're bored, make them reach in and grab a stick. They must spend at least 20 minutes on the activity they pulled or complete the task.

Bored sticks are the perfect cure for bored kids. Not only will they have something exciting to fill their time, it will get their creative juices flowing! They'll love the excitement of pulling a random activity from the bored sticks jar.

The only rule is… if you pull out a stick, you have to do whatever is on the stick. No exceptions. Otherwise the kids may just go through the whole pile and decide there is still nothing for them to do. Keep reading for how we use this to teach our kids a valuable lesson!

HOW TO MAKE BORED STICKS

These genius little bored sticks are SO easy to make. Grab some popsicle sticks, a sharpie and a jar… and voila! Use colored popsicle sticks to make these even more fun for kids.

If you don't have popsicle sticks, or a jar, use what you do have! Cut up slips of paper instead of sticks and use a ziplock bag instead of a jar. Easy peasy. It doesn't have to be fancy… it just needs to work!

IDEAS TO INCLUDE ON YOUR STICKS

Depending on the age of your kids, your bored sticks will probably have different activities on them. Here are a few of our favorites based on age.

BORED STICKS FOR OLDER KIDS

Don't be afraid to mix both fun activities and chores in your bored sticks jar.

• Wash the Car – Here is a great how-to for washing your car at home!
• Take out the Trash
• Write a Letter to a Family Member
• Bake Cookies – These are delicious!
• Fold Paper Airplanes
• Build a Fort
• Read a Book
• Play Hopscotch – Draw it with chalk outside or use painter's tape inside.
• Put a Puzzle Together
• Tidy the Bathroom – Or the kitchen, or the living room, or their bedroom… you get the idea!
• Ride Bikes
• Write in a Journal – Write a story, a poem or start a diary.
• Brush the Dog
• Play Hide and Seek
• Go Exploring Outside
• Think of a New Invention – Encourage them to put on their thinking caps.
• Learn a New Skill – Have them make a list of skills they'd like to learn, such as playing the guitar or learning calligraphy, and have them get to it!

The idea is for most of these activities to be things your kids can do by themselves. This will prevent you from having to stop what you are doing to help them complete their task!

BORED STICKS FOR YOUNG KIDS

Some of these activities may suit older kids as well, but they are especially helpful for fighting toddler boredom!

• Draw with Sidewalk Chalk – Make your own with this recipe!
• Blow Bubbles
• Finger Paint – Try this edible version for the little ones.
• Dance to Music
• Draw a Picture
• Make Playdough Statues – Or make your own playdough!
• Build a Block Tower
• Play with Legos
• Sensory Bin – Try these ideas!

This is just a short list of ideas to get you started—the possibilities are endless! There really isn't much a toddler can do independently, so these may require assistance.

WHEN TO PULL OUT YOUR BORED STICKS

There is never a bad time for bored sticks—they're great to have available at all times. When your kids complain about being bored, just point them in the direction of the jar!

Here's a little twist for you. Throw a few select CHORE STICKS into your bored sticks jar. Remember that rule we talked about? Whatever they pull out they have to do! And sometimes they might just get a chore. This teaches them to think twice before complaining about being bored to you. It's a risk.

Parenting Tip for You: It's okay for kids to be bored, you do not have to be their source of entertainment!

This isn't just a momentary fix for your kids, over time it will teach them to be creative with their thinking and learn to fill their time with productivity. That's a life lesson that will keep on giving for the rest of their lives.

How do you cure your kids' boredom? Let us know in the comments below!

Check out these other helpful posts!

• Check out these summer life hacks to make those days home with your kids so much easier!
• Teach your kids how to cook without stressing the mess with these fun tips!
• Use this list of best conversation starters to get them talking, even when they don't want to!