Slache Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 Monica in Switzerland presented an idea a while back of offering her children a list of constructive things to do in their free time and I believe she called it worthy pursuits (sorry for any details I got wrong). I want to make my own list now and wanted all of your help. Please list any ideas you have. audiobooks reading writing writing games math games making art making music and song writing planning and putting on a play, magic show or comedy act construction projects science projects nature study Geopuzzles Smartglobe games exercise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 Go outside and make a fairy house or village. Plant and care for a seed. Braid your sister's hair. Make doll/stuffed animal clothes. Crochet or knit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renai Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 Carve soap into interesting sculptures, surprising mom Fold rolls of paper towels into origami figures, surprising mom Make potions with a mix of kitchen and outdoors materials/ingredients, check edibility, but not with mom Train dogs to climb ladder, surprising mom Howl like a wolf at random times, annoying mom I've got a few more like these, if you like... 1 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted April 20, 2019 Author Share Posted April 20, 2019 2 minutes ago, Renai said: Carve soap into interesting sculptures, surprising mom Fold rolls of paper towels into origami figures, surprising mom Make potions with a mix of kitchen and outdoors materials/ingredients, check edibility, but not with mom Train dogs to climb ladder, surprising mom Howl like a wolf at random times, annoying mom I've got a few more like these, if you like... I... um... thanks? I... I think I've got it... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 I'd definitely get more specific with the art... things like photography, make a lego or toy animation movie, make a collage, paint, draw, etc. I don't know how you feel about screens for worthy pursuits, but I certainly always thought learning to code was in this vein. Also, electronics projects like making things with the Rpi or the Arduino or, when they were younger, the Snap Circuits. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 (edited) Napping! Just thinking. Cooking (with permission) Building a blanket fort Playing an outdoor game like freeze tag or kickball. Playing a board game or card game. Working a jigsaw puzzle. Making a gift for someone, sending a card or a note. Walking the dog. Brushing the dog. Bathing the dog?! Watch birds at the feeder. Play with boats and action figures in the tub?! Have a tea party. Help mom. Target practice with nerf guns and track of your score/progress. Build an obstacle course and run it. Teach someone else how to do something. Edited April 21, 2019 by ScoutTN 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renai Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 5 hours ago, Slache said: I... um... thanks? I... I think I've got it... Well, one of the youngest's experiments DID turn out edible, so there's that. She has created her own edible cinnamon cake. I'm so proud. She just needs to remember the baking powder and salt, the only two ingredients I had to tell her to add (instead of her putting in dirt like she originally wanted to do). So, I guess the potions thing did turn out to be a worthy pursuit after all. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet2ndchance Posted April 21, 2019 Share Posted April 21, 2019 I would also leave a fancy stationery and envelopes and stickers (all printed out from free online sources or bought on clearance) for a writing center to use when they were bored along with a single sheet of story and writing project ideas and starters if they were stuck for ideas. I would change out the story and writing project ideas once in a while to keep it interesting. I also usually had a science center of sorts with a TOPS science book and the needed supplies for them to use when they were bored. Lentil Science was a hit with elementary age kiddos, we had all different ones they used in middle school. Once they could use it properly and safely, the microscope was freely available for them to use along with a curated collection of prepared slides to look at like these. Telescope, binoculars, magnifying glasses, bug collecting containers... these were all freely available when my big kids were little and I'm working on making them available to my last little guy. I also had the ultimate boredom cure. When they would come to me saying they were bored, I would put them to work doing chores that no one wants to do... scrubbing baseboards, cleaning out closets and under beds, cleaning the toilet thoroughly from top to bottom, not just the daily scrub... for some reason they stopped telling me they were bored lol! Every once in a while though they would forget and all I would have to do is say in a cheerful voice, "Oh you're bored? Do you want me to find you something to do?" and suddenly they remembered that they had found themselves something to do, lol ;-) 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emba Posted April 22, 2019 Share Posted April 22, 2019 Cooking is the first one that springs to my mind. Also sewing or other craft projects, drawing, writing letters and cards. DD has an address book with friends and family and a letter writing box with colored pens, stickers, blank notecards and pretty stationary from Dollar Tree., and some stamps. I also have an art cabinet with paints, crayons, colored pencils, and how to draw books. We have a couple of books of card games, and lots of board games. Even if no one wants to play with her, she can play solitaire. i haven’t done, but just thought of, making a creative writing center with a composition book for each kid, fun colored pens, and a jar with fun writing prompts on slips of paper, maybe some Rory’s Story Cubes. Also if you’ve got more than one willing to play, you could have kids do a writing game like exquisite corpse or a cooperative story where they take turns writing paragraphs. putting together models doing science experiments from a kit or book. extra chores for money or screen time. I have acquired (secondhand) lots of experiment, craft, kids activity books, how to draw, and kids cookbooks over the years just so my kids of reading age would have resources for when they were bored and wouldn’t have to come pester me about it. Those who utter the phrase “I’m bored” are given chores. We have very limited screen tome here, and i consider basically all play a worthwhile pursuit, especially outside. Also reading, of course, but one of mine will binge read for hours if I let him, so I make him find other, more active things to do after awhile. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted April 23, 2019 Share Posted April 23, 2019 We had a similar type of list. Some of the things on it: programming in Scratch or with her robots learning a new art skill (via her art books or an art video or some other prompt) Zometool challenges playing with molecular modeling projects/suggestions from books like This Book Thinks You’re a Math Genius or This Book Thinks You’re an Artist anything to complete a DIY.org project learning/practicing calligraphy or other hand lettering techniques playing on Burning Cargo practicing piano or doing a lesson on Hoffman Academy projects from science kits on hand 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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