If you have a preschooler, you have probably heard it: “I’m bored.”
And while our first instinct might be to quickly find something for them to do, boredom can actually be a good thing.
Preschoolers don’t need to be entertained every minute of the day. In fact, having some unstructured time is an important part of childhood. When children aren’t given something to do, they have an opportunity to practice problem-solving, creativity, decision-making and persistence. They learn that they can come up with an idea, try something, change their plan and try again.
Boredom also helps children become more comfortable with not always being immediately entertained or stimulated. That ability to sit with “I don’t know what to do” and eventually find something can build independence and resilience.
In other words, you don’t have to fill every quiet moment. Sometimes, leaving a little room for boredom is good for a growing brain.
Let them be bored
You don’t have to immediately offer an activity, turn on a show, or pull out a craft. Try saying, “I wonder what you could come up with.”
It may take a little time, but children often surprise us when they have the opportunity to use their own ideas.
Go outside
A walk around the neighborhood, a trip to the backyard, or simply looking for bugs, rocks, leaves, or interesting sticks can turn into an afternoon of exploration.
For preschoolers, a simple walk can become a nature scavenger hunt, a counting game, a story-making adventure, or a chance to notice something they’ve never seen before.
Give them a few simple materials
You don’t need a Pinterest-worthy activity. A cardboard box, some tape, a pile of leaves, playdough, paper and crayons, or a bowl of water can provide hours of open-ended play.
The goal isn’t to tell your child what to make. It’s to give them materials and let them decide what happens next.
Follow their ideas
One of our favorite things about preschoolers is the way a simple idea can grow.
A pile of blankets becomes a fort. A cardboard box becomes a rocket ship. A walk becomes a dinosaur hunt.
That kind of imaginative play is important work. Children are practicing problem-solving, communication, creativity, planning and persistence without realizing they’re learning.
So the next time you hear “I’m bored,” you don’t necessarily need to fix it.
Sometimes boredom is just the beginning of an idea.
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