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.

There's always something to do!...it doesn't have to be active or a planned activity...reading, art and anything that inspires imagination is great...and choosing for themselves is equally important too :)

I think that it’s good for kids to be bored sometimes as it encourages to use their imaginations. Whether they are making up songs or poems, drawing imaginary creatures, making up games, creating plays/scenes or having ‘imaginary’ conversations it all helps them
to explore their creativity.

Yes. Being bored is the catalyst for lots of creativity in our house. My daughter has a little art station in her room and can usually be found there, drawing and sticking away.

I definately think it's good for children to learn how to cope with bordom from a young age. After all, they will have many times where they feel bored throughout their lives.

In many ways, times of boredom encourage the development of other life skills - patience, imagination, self reflection and autonomy.

Thankfully we don't hear the I'm bored comment too often, but I think it's good for them to use their imaginations and have to find things to do themselves.

Boredom breeds creativity...so yes it's important.

I agree, boredom leads to creativity. Now my son is a teenager, although we do lots of things together, sometimes I deliberately step back to let him do his own thing until he gets bored, it is then I notice he will start to pick up his guitar and start making up tunes, but he will also be more likely to take up a suggestion to do something creative. Over the years we have done lots of creative projects as a family, from drawing on the allotment shed windows and curtains our own unique designs, decorating plant pots or stones or doing a massive family picture where everyone including nanny and friends can join in.....a bit of paper and a few feltips can offer endless fun!

I think it’s good for children to learn how to entertain themselves from an early age. It’s good for them to develop their own hobbies and interests but I don’t think it’s a particularly good idea for parents to be constantly ferrying children around to organised activities. Reading and art/craft are always good things to encourage. I don’t want my children moaning about being bored but would instead want them to have the wherewithal to stave off boredom without having to rely on us parents.

"Only boring people get truly bored" as my grandma used to say! Now I say the same ... Telling spooky stories is a favourite with us.

i think children need time to be bored, as being entertained all the time is hard work. They need to learn how to self occupy when bored, as there wont always been something to entertain them in life as they grow up.

My daughter never really gets bored, she occupies herself all the time on her own if we're not there/ too tired/ otherwise enaged to provide an activity. I think she learnt to fill her own time when I was writing my dissertation, so my head was stuck in a book or a laptop for months, she knew not to disturb me and would get out her dolls or draw. Now she does this as she pleases, she's learnt to combat her own boredom; so she reads a lot, she gets her own toys out (and puts them away to get out other items), she is constantly drawing and looking up how to draw things step by step. We've always made sure that everything she likes is full accessible to her so she can reach her own toys, the paper, her variety of craft and drawing materials and I think that probably really helps because she can deal with her own boredom and she's developed her own hobbies without me dictating what she should be doing with her time.

I've attached a picture of her drawing this week and the entry she wanted submitted.

Thanks all for your comments! The winner of the £300 voucher prize draw is @Thistly

Wow! Thank you so much Bic, and Mumsnet! I promise I will let my kids get bored first before spending it on them!

Boredom is good (let's face it, there are aspects of parenting and work that are boring). I think it's important for DC to learn how to entertain themselves.

Yes it's great for them to be bored and discover activities for themselves. Too much whinging goes on in our house there is nothing to do. Strip them of TV and they play!