Is it good for kids to be bored? Share your thoughts with BIC KIDS for the chance to win a £300 voucher - PLUS enter this year’s drawing competition!

[EmmaMumsnet]

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In celebration of the launch of the BIC KIDS Young Artist Award created to help children across the nation conquer their boredom over the summer months, we’re keen to hear your opinions on whether you think boredom is good for children and what you do when “I’m bored” strikes.

We are partnering with BIC KIDS again this year to challenge all budding artists aged between 5-11 to create their most imaginative drawings for a chance to see their artwork displayed on a huge billboard! Entries are open from Monday 2nd July – Sunday 5th August and 13 talented finalists will be selected by a panel of experts to represent their region in a public vote.

Rebecca Huda, BIC® UK and Ireland’s Stationery Product Manager says: “We’re delighted to be returning with our BIC® KIDS Young Artist Award for 2018. Last year’s competition was a great success and we were overwhelmed by the quality of the artwork we received. We can’t wait for this year’s imaginative entries to start pouring in, ready to be displayed across the country, there’ll be some proud parents for sure.”

As well as the priceless opportunity to have their drawings published, the 13 deserving finalists will win a hamper full of BIC® KIDS goodies, with the crowned champion receiving their very own creative arts party!

Once your children have created their masterpieces, you can enter them into the competition easily and quickly by visiting bickids.com/uk/youngartistaward and uploading the artwork before the deadline on Sunday 5th August.

Everyone who posts on this thread to share their thoughts on boredom and/or to share the drawing they have entered into the competition will be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

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NB - you will only be entered into the BIC KIDS drawing competition by submitting your drawing via the link above. However, we also encourage you to share your drawings on this thread to be entered into the £300 voucher prize draw.

Not having organized activities is good,he gets bored then goes away and uses his imagination to amuse himself]

Definitely! Out of boredom comes creativity and imagination!

I think kids are always going to be bored at some point. But this is how they learn to self entertain

My daughter doen't really get bored as there is always something that we can turn in to fun.

I think boredom is important. I'm not good at letting my children be bored though.

I don't mind a load of unstructured time when the children are old enough to entertain themselves. My 9yo will absolutely find something sensible to do and often remembers toys etc that have been long forgotten. If she repeatedly says she's bored, then there's usually lots of household tasks I offer to relieve any boredom. Strangely she finds something to do pronto.

My 3yo is totally different and I'm always ensuring he's engaged in something constructive otherwise he will be destroying the house!!! I don't always play with him though as he does need to learn to play imaginatively by himself some of the time.

I think its good to keep kids active with activities or taking them outdoors because when they are bored all they do is sit in front of the tv snacking which is not very good for them

As long as the boredom leads to proactive creativity, rather than whinging....

yes,it will teach them what it's like to be an adult!

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I don't think that it is a good thing for kids to be bored. It's a waste of creative potential. So of course we're always making sure that our children are exposed to activities and open to new experiences that stimulate their imagination and interest in the world and their surroundings, so that they will always have an interest in life and finding things that fulfill their potential.

My children are never bored they have so many toys and gadgets to play with . But, it's mainly books and pen and paper games they really enjoy as well as dressing up.

Kids shouldn't definietly be bored as it gives them time to use their imagination and builds there patience and independence.

My above comment was supposed to say 'should' rather than 'shouldn't'!

IMHO, children shouldn't be constantly entertained and kept busy. A little boredom will not do any harm. They can't expect or demand to be pandered to. It's all part of growing up and developing as an individual.

i think its important for kids to get bored sometimes. I also think its important that they learn to entertain themselves with things other than technology. To go off and do some drawing, or colouring or reading! Its what i had to do when i was younger and i dont think this generation of children are used to entertaining themselves! x

Yes, when mine is bored if I don't immediately entertain her she has to use her imagination so I think it's good she occasionally gets 'bored'. Also I do feel to some extent you can't constantly entertain them and being bored is part of life

I think that children should be able to entertain themselves, it developes their imagination and ability to initiative activities themselves. In some respects if they are bored they learn to motivate themselves to do something interesting. What they come up with is generally much better than anything I can think of. I think it is part of learning to be self sufficient and self motivating.

I allow my children to be bored. It allows them to become creative and during the time I find that all 3 of them become creative together

Is it good for kids to be bored ? I really think with all the technology around in this day and age children cannot possibly become bored, most children have a bedroom full of toys, games and distractions, they simply need to have the lifeskills to be aware that if boredom does start to look around and see what they can do to fill their time, so put the idea into their head, for example, 'if you wake up before mummy, why don't you get one of your books out, read a few pages and draw mummy a lovely picture of what you have read' - or something similar - depending on what time of the day it is. It does not have to be for hours -just 20 or 30 minutes at a time, it's a life skill which should be praised and rewarded.

Yes - it's good for your child to get bored - but only for a small amount of time - then you can give them the lifestyle choice to look around their home and see what exactly they can do to entertain themselves, when they have done this once, or maybe twice there won't be a third time - you have then given a child the confidence to look around their bedroom, home or garden and see what they can find pleasure in.

Yes i think its good for them to be bored from time to time because you cant always be entertaining them. You don't want them to be bored but its going to happen.

I think kids need a balance of organised activities (especially of new experiences or something they wouldn't dream of trying themselves) and unplanned, unstructured time. They produce the most Inventive games, stories and adventures when left to their own devices. It encourages interaction, imagination and independence!

Boredom is good as it helps them find creative ways of keeping busy. But we used to spend way more time playing outdoors back in the 80s, so it was easier for children to keep themselves busy and motivated then. Now that kids have lost some freedom I feel it is important to help them out at times like the summer holidays. We tend to go out once a day to do something outdoors: swimming, library, trip to town on the train, that sort of thing. When home they have to keep themselves busy and are encouraged to make something crafty, write or draw, or read/ look at books. In the evening they play with the neighbours' kids. In the evening often they get a programme as they are worn out by then. So - yes to telling them boredom is a part of life and it is their responsibility to fill those moments, as long as there is also lots of interaction and stimulation.

Who in life has never been bored at some point? It's not a good thing but it's also a fact of life. Kids definitely need to learn to entertain themselves but in the modern day and age that often results in box-sets or Social Media. Parents need to be pro-active in getting kids outside in fresh air, taking them swimming and getting them reading real books.