Boredom Busters!

I think the biggest challenge in homeschooling my kids is the fact that we are together all the time!  No matter how much I love my kids, there are times when I would just like to be left alone!  I find myself stealing moments alone by hypnotizing my children with brain-scrambling television shows (Spongebob anyone?) or letting them play endless "educational" games on the computer.  The problem with these electronic babysitters is that they have very obvious adverse effects on my kids' behavior.  They go into a brain fog of sorts and don't hear me when I speak, or they just walk dazedly through their day without thinking any decisions through to the end.  So what is a homeschool mom to do with two very energetic, creative little boys on these long summer days?  I have to stop being lazy myself, put forth a little energy and creative effort, and give them the home environment that will produce the creative thinkers I want them to be!  In the interest of keeping myself motivated and (hopefully) helping those of you who are facing the same problems, I will be posting some of our summer boredom busters here as regularly as I can manage to do so!

This morning we did something that has made for lots of fun, and cost zero dollars!  We made a very simple, yet very effective light box.  All you need is an empty, clear, plastic container (I had to dump Legos out of mine), a flashlight, and a book or picture.  To assemble your light box, simply turn on your flashlight and place the container over it.  Your child can then lay the picture they wish to trace and a blank sheet of paper on top of the box, and voila! Homemade light box!

 We found that our set-up worked best on the couch with the flashlight handle wedged between two cushions.  That way, the light could shine directly up at the picture they were trying to trace.

Once the pictures are traced, they can be colored or cut out with a stand and used as paper dolls or made into a comic strip or even as part of a collage! The possibilities are as unlimited as your child's imagination.  At the moment, my boys are using their light box paper dolls as their magical pets a'la Harry Potter!
Whatever you make or do, have fun busting your summer boredom!