#8: Pretend You Are a Storybook Character

Think of a book you have read or had read to you. It can be any book you want. Pretend you are one of the characters. You can act out the whole story or make up your own all-new adventure.

Here are some characters to get you started if you are having trouble thinking of one:

• Franklin (is that turtle learning something new today?)
• Winnie the Pooh (is he out of honey again?)
• Harry Potter or Hermione (do they have to use their magic to save the day?)
• Elizabeth--the paper bag princess (does she have to rescue Ron from the dragon--again?)
• Dora or Diego (they are going to need help from Map and Boots to keep things safe from Swiper!)

This activity promotes creativity and imagination. It can also promote literacy.

#7: Mute the TV

Find a boring show on TV and turn the volume all the way down (mute). Make up your own words for what they are saying. Be as silly or serious as you want to be. See if you can find someone to play along--like a big brother.

You can play this game for commercials too.

This activity promotes critical thinking skills and creativity.

#6: How Long Will It Take?

This one is for in the car, bus, subway or really, anything that you are riding in.

Look out the window and guess how long it will take for you to pass something. For example, how many seconds until you pass that tree? That store? That huge red sign?

You can play this game alone or with someone else. If you are playing with someone else, see who guesses the closest!


This activity promotes math skills as well as develops visual anticipation and timing skills.

#5: Flubber

Get ready for some fun! Making and playing with flubber is one of my favourite things to do.



Here are the supplies you'll need to make flubber:
Borax (also called sodium borate and can be found in the cleaning aisle in stores)
Warm water
White glue
Container (an ice cream bucket is good)
Spoon
Measuring cup and measuring spoon

Pour 10 mL (2 tsp) of Borax and 250 mL (1 cup) of warm water into your container. Add white glue. Stir it well. Let it sit for a minute and then mix it again with your hands.

The glue turns into flubber, so the more glue you add, the more flubber you will make. Make sure you mix the glue really well--the Borax mix is what makes it ungluey. If you want a ball of flubber, form it when you take the flubber out of the water. As the flubber dries out, it becomes more firm and harder to shape--and bouncier!

Have fun!


This activity promotes math skills (when children are allowed to assist in measuring) as well as allows for safe, fun experimentation. Chemistry is fun!

#4: People Watching

This one is good if you are waiting for your parents.

Hang on, what is people watching? Well, people watching is...when you watch people!

You can people watch anywhere you find people (it might be out your front window, at school, just down the street or at the mall).

Look at the people walking around. What strange things are people wearing? How many women wear skirts and how many wear pants? How many men wear hats? What do the people you see do for a living? Are they nice, serious, goofy?

A sure way to make yourself giggle (or your friends) is to make up stories of how couples met. It is okay to be very silly. Hey! Look at that couple that met at the circus who live at the North Pole, eat only broccoli and used to work as elves for Santa!


This activity promotes the ability to self-entertain, math skills when counting as well as visual and creativity skills.

#3: Eat by Candlelight

Convince your family to gather around the supper table tonight, turn off the lights and eat supper in the glow of candlelight.

Safety First: Have an adult light the candles--you can blow them out when everyone is done supper.

This activity promotes family bonding and creates a nice memory of an activity done together--it makes the everyday activity special and memorable. :)

#2: Counting Doors

Where are you? How many doors are there?

You can start by counting how many doors people walk through. Then look around a bit more carefully. What about closest doors? How many are there? How about cupboard doors? Everywhere you look, there are doors. Dryer doors, oven doors, maybe even a pet door.

How many are there?

This activity develops math and visual recognition skills.