Check out Shannon's site,  Rocks In My Dryer, for lots of great tips for beating the boredom blues this summer!

We have a houseful of children, so the "I'm bored" complaint is pretty well known during the lazier days of summer.  I like to keep the kiddies busy in the mornings with housework and chores, garden help, and outdoor activity.  Outdoors has lots of options:  bikes, swimming, trampoline, soccer, swingset, ds' fort in the mesquite trees, puppies.  My older daughters also like to bake, which is a nice way to curb boredom.  Evenings, also, are directed more toward the outdoors.  Last summer, I taught the older kids to play cribbage, which was lots of fun.

It's the heat of summer afternoons that presents the greatest challenge in terms of boredom, those long hours from midday to late afternoon when the desert sun is brutal.  Fortunately, the kids have solved some of the boredom problem for me!  Puzzles!

Toddlers used to make puzzles very frustrating.  If anyone could get much done, little hands were eager to mess it up.  Large puzzles with LOTS of pieces weren't much of an option, as table space is limited.  The kids found a large framed picture which worked for a while, but that came to an end when someone accidentally broke the glass.  Then they found a large part of an old door, which allows them to fit bigger puzzles, and when they're tired of puzzle piecing, slides easily under the bed.  Countless hours are spent in one room or another working inexpensive second hand puzzles from the library or thrift shop. 

My Christmas watch list will include looking for puzzle mats and fun puzzles for the older kids this year.  In the meantime, an old door and used puzzles are great boredom busters.  Works for me!