Bored Jar Activity Printables to Spice up your Preschool Activities

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Inside: Create a Bored Jar Activity Printables with this free printables to keep the “I'm Bored” whines away!

I know that summertime can be a lot of work with kids. I’ve had my fair share of battles with sticky hands, whining about boredom and beginning to go to the pool to get out of the heat. Though it seems like there are no easy solutions to keep your sanity this summer, these tips will help you make it through without losing your cool.

Children look forward to the freedom of being able to play whenever they want, not worrying about bedtimes and homework.

For adults, summer means more time off from work and school. But also the endless time you need to find a way to occupy your children without a screen in front of their face.

Kids are bored during the summer. There are times when they happily go outside and play, but a lot of the time they suffer from a lack of structure.

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You want your kids to have fun and create great memories, but as a seasoned mom you know that kids are prone to boredom without any structure.

That's the last thing you need to hear all day while you're trying to do other things . . .

“I'm bored!”

How do I keep my kids occupied?

Enter: Bored Jar

Too excited to wait? Grab it here!

If you're like me, you've heard of these before, but never put it to work. Until this year, of course.

You can easily fill your summer days with the usual summer activities like going to the beach, or going for walks and bike rides, or searching for bugs in the back yard.

But even with all of these fun activities, you still need to have some structure and routine to make sure the summer goes smoothly.

Part of that structure is having a go-to for when the inevitable “I'm bored” choruses begin.

I like to plan ahead for these things, because we KNOW it's going to happen. It's much easier to plan for them now, rather than scramble to figure something out when the time comes.

Summer is a great time to get out and explore the world around you.

Think of this jar as a summer bucket list, but for your preschooler.

Here are lots of summer printables for preschoolers, click to find all of them!

bored jar activity printables

Some of the links below are affiliate links. That means I may make a commission if you click and buy. Please see my full disclosure policy for more information.

Related: Silly toddler interview questions here.

Best Books on Amazon with Kid's Activities

We love reading books ahead of introducting an activity or game, and this is no different. Here are a few books I have either purchased myself or found in my local library:

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q? encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0593116194&Format= SL160 &ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thliofananuwi 20&language=en US |ir?t=thliofananuwi 20&language=en US&l=li2&o=1&a=0593116194 |
q? encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1641523921&Format= SL160 &ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thliofananuwi 20&language=en US |ir?t=thliofananuwi 20&language=en US&l=li2&o=1&a=1641523921 |

You can click any of the images above to check the price on Amazon.

I picked these books because they're full to the brim of beautiful images, thought provoking experiments, but also require things you likely won't have to head to the store and retrieve.

What is an “I'm Bored Jar” Activity Printables?

Bored Jar activities are a fun, easy way to keep your little ones entertained and occupied.

To put it simply, you'll have a jar you can put lots of different activity ideas into, and when your child is bored, they can pick something from the jar, and go on their merry way.

Things to Include in Your Summer Activity Jar

I like to make sure to include a few things: Things we can make, things we can go out and do, things they can do without me, and things they don't normally get but LOVE, like calling our favorite uncle.

summer activity jar

How to Get Started with Your Bored Jar

These are some helpful hints to get you started with your Summer Activity Jar:

Make a list. This list is of all the things each person in the family enjoys. This can be playing outside, going for a walk, or bird watching.
Kids need encouragement. Kids are all different, and so they will naturally have different things on their lists. The fun of an activity jar is doing things your siblings like today, and understanding it might be your turn tomorrow.
Check the Library. Each summer there are tons of activities the library sponsors to get kids reading, or to get you in the building. We LOVE these, my daughter has won a lot of different things from the library, from bookmarks to actual books. This is a great stop in your quest to fill your bored jar activity.
Use your resources. Check Pinterest, Web sites, and books like the ones I posted above to find activities to add to your jar.
Gather Supplies– Get everything you need ahead of time, so you won't be scrambling to get things together when they pull out a “play hopscotch” out of the jar.

What Supplies Do You Need to Create a Summer Boredom Busting Jar?

Of course, the first thing you'll need to create is the actual activities that go inside your activity jar. I created a printable for that, you can get it here:

An important note to remember

Although your kids may be begging you to do things with them, or crying about being bored, you know your child. Are they overstimulated?

Make sure you are also scheduling in quiet time as well as play time to ensure they're having the best time.

I recommend keeping a journal so you can write out what worked well and what didn't work, so next year you'll know what types of activities are best suited for your family's needs.

Grab that printable, here is the link again:

Pin this for later!

Check out the activities and printables I have available in the store!

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