At our house, being bored is not an excuse to watch TV or complain. My kids know that saying, “Mom, I’m bored,” can quickly lead to extra chores.
During a visit to a friend’s place, I noticed she had a clever system to spark imagination, teach cleaning skills, and encourage healthy habits in her kids. She called it “The Bored Jar,” and it was so effective that I asked if I could try it out and share it with others.
The idea behind a “Bored Jar” is simple: it’s a container filled with ideas for chores and activities that kids can turn to when they feel bored. Inspired by my friend, I made one for my children. It was such a hit that they fondly call it “the fun jar” and often ask to pick activities from it.
Our jar is filled with wooden tokens inscribed with various activities, exercises, and chores. I included a mix of enjoyable tasks and less-favored chores to keep things balanced and appealing. Interestingly, the younger kids tend to join in on tasks the older ones pick, which has been great for building teamwork.
The chores listed are either extra tasks outside their usual responsibilities or things that can be done multiple times a day, like sweeping the kitchen floor at our house.
The activities you put in the jar can vary based on your family’s needs, but here are some ideas from ours. You can use any container for a bored jar, even simple paper strips work. Given how rough my kids can be, I chose wooden disks and a sturdy glass jar from a thrift store. My friend uses popsicle sticks in a metal bucket.
I wrote various activities on the wooden coins and placed them in the jar. It now sits on a shelf in our living room and gets used daily.
What do your kids do when they’re bored? What activities would you add to a jar like this?
