Many parents can relate to hearing, “I’m bored!” and feeling the urge to provide entertainment. In reality, boredom can be beneficial because it encourages children to think creatively and come up with their own ways to have fun.
The How To Help Your Bored Child handout teaches parents ways to respond to boredom. It suggests healthy alternatives to relying on screens and explains why it’s important to avoid the screen trap. The handout also reminds families that boredom is an opportunity, not a sign of failed parenting.
Learning to cope with boredom benefits kids and teens for years by helping them become better equipped to entertain themselves and problem-solve. A helpful way to get started is to make small changes. For example, they can replace one screen-based boredom habit each day with drawing or playing outside.
Explore additional boredom worksheets and handouts:
References:
- Nino, E. (2024, October). The role of boredom in fostering creativity in early childhood education. Early Childhood Education Research & Review. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/385418672_THE_ROLE_OF_BOREDOM_IN_FOSTERING_CREATIVITY_IN_EARLY_CHILDHOOD_EDUCATION
- Harvard Medical School. (2019, Summer). Screen time and the brain. https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/publications-archive/brain/screen-time-brain
- UNICEF. (2025, May 1). The importance of outdoor play (and how to support it). https://www.unicef.org/eca/stories/importance-outdoor-play-and-how-support-it
