Blow Those Boredom Blues Away!

Hi! I’m Shirley and I’ve been a Community Development Worker with Faith in Community Scotland since November 2019.  I have worked with children and brought up my own four children for too many years to mention.  During this time when many families are living together, in a limited amount of space without the usual option for a variety of outdoor and indoor activities away from home, I have gathered a few ideas for helpful online fun, storytelling, learning, relaxation and exercise for all the family. These include ideas for children who have additional support needs.

I hope this might encourage those who are young, and those who are young at heart, to blow those boredom blues away, roll up your sleeves and have some fun as a family! Most of these activities are also very handy for amusing the kids when you want to make your ‘tea’ or just sit in a corner and breathe for a minute (possibly with a bar of chocolate or chopped carrots and humous!)

The ideas below are useful but not necessary for taking part in online activities:

For the music activities:

If you happen to have any percussion instruments/a homemade shaker or plastic bowl and wooden spoon (drum) /a couple of spoons etc - the kids might enjoy using them when singing.

TIP: Limit the percussion time to one special song. Bring out instruments on a tray. Tell kids you will bring the tray out again for one special song during their next music session if they put instruments back on the tray when you ask them to. Tell them this before you give out instruments and get their agreement first. This keeps you sane and makes it more special for them.  (If you want to extend this percussion time then use the soft sounding instruments and keep the very noisy ones for just one song but I suggest you have an agreed limit and remove all while it still feels special).

For art activities:

It’s useful to make an art box (ask kids to colour in or decorate any cardboard box you have in the house) – put in any paper you don’t need (backs of envelopes are fine)/colouring in stuff (remember to keep paint out of reach until you are ready to supervise)/any other arty things you happen to have around the house – even small pieces of chalk/crayons or old clothes you have finished with which can be cut up into small bits of material for art/bits of old wallpaper.

TIP: Make it special when you bring out the art box! Tell the kids you will give it to them in five minutes when they have finished what they are doing/have washed their hands/gone to the loo/finished their lunch etc then do a ten second count down…..Ta Da! The Art Box Appears! Have fun!

Storytelling for Kids to hear

·         Elaine C Smith reads The Glasgow Gruffalo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq8zxYnWRW8

·         The Wonky Donkey - Scottish laughing Grandma! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yskf94MYM1I

Singing, actions and drumming for Kids to join in

·         Fischy Music https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2894054017308207&id=112032088843761

·         Rhythmbridge Happy Harry's Hedgehog Band https://youtu.be/JqgBty1Vk9E

Exercise, Storytelling and Relaxation Techniques for Kids

·         Cosmic Kids Yoga  https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga

Activities and Meditations for all kids and particularly for children who have Additional Support Needs and for their families

·         The Positive Eye Idea Machine https://www.positiveeye.co.uk/general-news/activity-shares-for-families-and-professionals-covoid19/

·         Daffodil Meditation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1kx1gykMcQ

·         River Meditation  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFAV6PdZx_Y&t=69s