Christmas Break Boredom Busters!

Wondering what to do to keep your little ones occupied now that the initial excitement of the festive period has died down? Try some of the following boredom busters!

All children love technology and even the smallest hands can hold onto a phone to take a photo. Teach your child how to use a camera (even if it’s your mobile phone camera) and encourage them to take pictures of what they see. You can link this activity to no.3 on our list too!

Don’t forget to teach them how to take a selfie too! ;-)

All you need is some card or paper, cookie cutters, paint and some glitter!

Dip the cookie cutter in the paint, print it onto the paper and sprinkle with glitter. Leave to dry and then help your little one write their desired message inside – easy peasy! If you have any stickers, they could be added too but don’t try to over-complicate it, sometimes the easiest ideas really ARE the best.

During Christmas, we spend much longer inside the house, so flip that and get outside! A local country park, the beach or some woodland are all good places to go for fresh air.

You can download treasure hunts such as this one from Nature Detectives or why not make up your own? What NUMBERS can we see around us? How many COLOURS can we find at the …..? Which LIVING THINGS can we get snaps of whilst on our walk?

While you’re outside, why not enjoy a quick game of hide and seek too?

Challenge your little one to make a den – use the sofa cushions, blankets, pegs and the clothes horse to prop it all up – or even repurpose some of those big boxes you got presents in! Children love making cozy spaces – once created, share favourite stories or just bring in familiar toys and teddies to play. If a space looks different, the play will be different too.

Add some fairy lights and a warm milky drink to make it even more relaxing.

I’m not going to go mad and suggest that you get the beans and spaghetti out – let’s start with something that’s a) dry and b) easy to clean up!

Get a deep baking tin, pour in some rice – add spoons, pots and a funnel and away you go! If you want to be fancy, you could colour the rice beforehand (pop the rice in a ziplock bag, add a squeeze of ready mix paint and shake to cover – it dries almost instantaneously). If you do 2 colours, then half of the fun for your little one is mixing it all up. Best of all, a brush and dustpan is all that’s needed to clear it up afterwards.

We love coloured rice at Little Learners and for grown ups, running rice through your fingers is relaxing and therapeutic!

Measuring spoons, cupcake cakes, and letter moulds can all be added for different experiences. You could also try dried lentils as an alternative. Once the colours are mixed, you can keep on playing. Pop your rice back into a tupperware or bag and it will last for ages.

Whatever you get up to during the Christmas and New Year break, enjoy the additional time with your little ones and take the opportunity to reconnect with them. If you have any brilliant boredom busters to add to this list, comment below!

See you in the new year for more messy play fun – check the website for your nearest class.

Anita xx