Did you know that a child mutters the words “I’m bored” over one million times in their lifetime? We lie, but doesn’t it feel like it? 

The team at Pilot Pen said, “We asked people what their favourite anti-boredom lockdown activities for kids were and more than 61 per cent said they loved colouring, drawing and crafting. We were blown away with the range of creative pursuits and the level of imagination.”

Getting creative is one way to mix things up and keep the kids busy, so with the help from the team at Pen Pilot we’ve created a list of fun activities to get the creative juices flowing for the kids, and adults too:

1. Rock out a little rock art
Collect a handful of rocks and paint them, or write inspirational sayings on them and then hide them when you are on your family walk to put a smile on the face of strangers in your community. Our community had so much fun doing this during our last lockdown. It was exciting to see what new rocks would be on our daily walk, and also dropping off any that the kids had created.

2. Create a little Scavenger Hunt
Gather 10 items from the back garden that are a part of nature and create a piece of art with them. This is such a fun way to get the kids outside. Make the list as simple as possible. We like to add things like, find one really straight stick, a green leaf, a teeny tiny rock… and then see what the kids can create with their bits and bobs.

3. Get arty with some pets portraits
Learn how to draw your pet or your favourite animal. YouTube has some great drawing tutorials. Discover how to draw the perfect dog, cat or bird!

4. Give your bedroom a temporary transformation
Bring your imagination to life through drawings e.g. draw and colour in wild animals then stick them to your bedroom wall and you are in the zoo. You can even look through Pinterest for ideas and then get creative with some inspiration!

5. Set up some activity stations
For the little ones, make up different activity stations, e.g. colouring-in, modelling clay, cut and paste, cooking, puzzles, games – so they can move between different activities to keep them entertained. It’s like pre-school but at home!

6. Get your list on!
Write down all your favourite outings on pieces of paper and pop them into a jar. Take one out each day and adapt the activity for the lockdown rules, e.g. a day at the movies becomes Netflix and popcorn; camping becomes a tent in the back garden, discover a local walk that you’ve never done before. Place the list on the fridge for easy reference.

7. Put pen to paper to a pen pal
Write ‘old fashioned’ letters (rather than emails and texts) to relatives interstate and overseas and decorate them with colours and pictures. You can even put a little callout on your Facebook page and ask if anyone has a child that wants a penpal. Then your kids can stalk the postie for mail to arrive!

8. Do the line drawing game
Keep your pen on the paper (you’re not allowed to lift it) and see what you can draw. This is a fun way to challenge the kids, and yourself, to see what you can draw without lifting the pen.

9. Scour the recycling bin for art supplies
Not as gross as it sounds! Gather 10 items from the recycling and build a model or create a piece of art with them.

10. Do a little doodle art
Remember Mr. Scribble? He would quickly scribble on a piece of paper and then someone would have to make a picture from it. It’s the easiest art idea, and keeps the kids entertained for long enough for you to take a breather and partake in a glass of wine.

What’s your favourite creative way to keep the kids busy?