I'm Bored! Why Boredom Plus a Pencil Is a Gift

Boredom is good for kids because it pushes them to create their own fun. When a bored child has paper and a pencil within reach, boredom often turns into drawing, inventing and imagining. Open-ended tools, like a shape-based drawing challenge, make that switch even easier.

Many parents feel responsible for filling every minute of a child's day. But boredom has a purpose: it is the space where creativity starts. Kids who are never bored never learn to entertain themselves.

Why boredom matters

• It sparks creativity. With nothing to do, kids invent.
• It builds independence. They learn to find their own activities.
• It encourages problem solving. "What can I do?" is a creative question.
• It balances screen time. Kids who can handle boredom are less dependent on screens.

Don't rush to fix it

When your child says "I'm bored," try: "That's OK. I bet you'll think of something." Then make sure good options are within reach. A drawing station is one of the best.

An open-ended starting point

Sometimes a blank page is too blank. A small prompt helps. Shape Drawing Challenge starts each page with one shape and lots of boxes, and kids turn the shape into whatever they like. It is the perfect boredom buster: open-ended enough to be creative, structured enough to get started.

A boredom jar

Fill a jar with drawing prompts on slips of paper:

• Draw a monster that lives in the fridge.
• Draw your teacher as an animal.
• Design a new ice cream flavor.
• Draw what your pet does when you're asleep.
• Draw a car for a giraffe.

When boredom strikes, pick one.

Set up for spontaneous drawing

Keep paper, pencils and a few drawing books in an easy spot. Kids are more likely to draw when it takes no effort to start. See set up a kids' drawing corner.

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