Many parents hear the words “I’m bored” more often than they would like. Here’s how boredom can actually help children develop imagination and creativity.
Have you ever used your face as a canvas for children’s creativity?
I have.
At one point my forehead had a glitter star, my cheeks were covered in stickers, and someone had decided my nose was the perfect place for a smiling dinosaur.
I could hardly move my face without something falling off.
But when I looked at the children standing in front of me, absolutely delighted with their work, it was completely worth it.
Moments like that remind me of something important about children.
They don’t always need complicated activities.
Sometimes they simply need space to imagine and create.
Of course, not every moment is quite so joyful.
Every parent and grandparent also knows the other moment.
A small voice appears behind you and says:
“Mum… I’m bored.”
If you have children, you will know that moment well.
And if you are already cooking, answering messages, or trying to drink a cup of tea while it is still warm, it can feel like one more thing you have to solve.
Suddenly you feel responsible for coming up with something exciting.
A game.
A craft activity.
A trip somewhere.
I know that feeling very well.
I’m a mum of three and now Nanny Lou to seven grandchildren.
Over the years I have been the one organising games, inventing activities and trying to keep everyone happy.
I have also been:
The one rolling down a grassy bank with children laughing behind me.
The one helping build a tent from blankets and chairs that somehow took over the entire living room.
And yes… I have genuinely been the one lying on my back under the coffee table because a small voice decided it was now a spaceship and I was apparently the pilot.
Those moments are wonderful.
But here is something I learned along the way.
You don’t always have to fix boredom.
When children have a little time with nothing planned, something interesting starts to happen.
Their minds begin looking for ideas.
They invent games.
They create stories.
They build whole imaginary worlds from cushions and blankets.
Sometimes, when a child says they are bored, imagination is simply waiting to wake up.
Not long ago one of my grandchildren wandered into the room and said those familiar words.
“Nanny Lou… I’m bored.”
I was halfway through making a cup of tea.
So instead of jumping up to organise something, I simply said:
“Hmmm… I wonder what you could invent.”
Then I carried on.
For a few minutes nothing happened.
Then I heard a chair move.
A cushion was dragged across the floor.
A blanket appeared.
Within minutes the living room had turned into a cave, a jungle base and a pirate ship all at the same time.
No instructions.
No planning.
Just imagination waking up.
Parents today are doing so much.
Work.
School runs.
Meals.
Laundry.
Messages.
Everything.
So when a child says “I’m bored”, it can feel like one more job on an already long list.
But boredom does not always need fixing.
Sometimes it is simply the starting point of creativity.
And while children are busy inventing their own games, parents sometimes gain something very valuable too.
A small moment to breathe.
Occasionally a child really is stuck and needs a little help to get started.
That help does not need to be complicated.
Sometimes it is just a question.
“What adventure could happen today?”
Or
“If this room became somewhere else, where would it be?”
Questions help children think.
Before long the sofa becomes a pirate ship.
The carpet becomes the sea.
And suddenly the adventure has begun.
Screens often get blamed for everything these days.
But a good story or a thoughtful children’s programme can inspire imagination in wonderful ways.
Children often watch something and then act it out later with toys or games in the garden.
And sometimes, quite honestly, a little screen time simply gives parents a chance to catch their breath.
That matters too.
The key is balance.
Stories can inspire imagination.
But children also need time to create their own adventures.
When I started writing stories about Weebert, our tiny scrap-built robot who lives in our kitchen-table world, I noticed something interesting.
Every adventure began the same way.
Weebert was bored.
He wandered around asking the other Berts what he should do.
And each of them gave the same gentle advice.
“If you use your imagination, you won’t be bored.”
Of course, once Weebert starts imagining things, extraordinary adventures begin.
Sometimes involving flying sheep.
Children’s greatest adventures rarely begin with carefully planned activities.
They usually start in simple moments.
A quiet afternoon.
A child looking around the room.
And the words:
“I’m bored.”
The next time your child says they’re bored, it might actually be the beginning of their next adventure.
Give that moment a little space and something wonderful often follows.
A game.
A story.
A world built entirely from imagination.
And sometimes…
a grandparent under a coffee table flying a spaceship.
If you enjoy stories that celebrate imagination, creativity and gentle adventures, you can explore free Weebert stories on our website and YouTube channel, or discover the Weebert books online.
Because every adventure has to start somewhere.
And very often…
…it begins with the words
“I’m bored.”
What do your children invent when they say they’re bored?
Sometimes the most wonderful adventures begin in the most ordinary moments.
