"Mom, I'm bored, I have nothing to do." It is only a few weeks into summer vacation and the thrill of not having to go to school is wearing off. You can help your kids turn their boredom into a family project by giving summer time, toys and games to kids in hospitals, homeless or domestic violence shelters, or foster care transition homes through the FamilyCares Bored? Game Giveaway (as in "Are you bored?"). By gathering items, creating activity books, decorating the packs or boxes and giving them away, your kids will use their creativity and time to think about other children who may be even more bored then they are!
Kids in shelters have often left most of their possessions behind. Toys are a low priority on these families' "needs" list. Toys and games in shelters and hospital playrooms get a lot of use. Playrooms are often in need of new toys and games.
Bored? – Game Packs
Materials Needed:
- Container – size and kind depends on what you are including in pack- could be a freezer size zip lock bag for small items; a draw string bag, a heavy duty shopping or gift bag, shoebox, or a plastic box with a lid.
- Toys and games such as:
- Small balls
- Jump Rope
- Play Doh
- Game Books- Mazes, Dots
- Water Colors
- Beads & string
- Playing Cards
- Whiffle or Nerf Balls
- Crayons/Markers
- Colored pencils/pens
- Small cars/trucks
- Bubbles
- Sidewalk chalk
- Coloring Books
- Kids Magazine
- Craft Paper
Steps Included:
- Decide on your recipients. Call social services to find a local family shelter, domestic violence shelter, or foster care transition home. Ask if you could deliver Bored? – Game Packs or a Bored? – Game Box.
- At a low income-clinic or a hospital, ask for the child life specialist. There might be a family in your town that could use a Bored? – Game Pack or Box. (Sometimes making the contact at the organization is the most difficult part – you might have to make a few calls before you connect with someone who can help you.)
- Discuss with your children what you will make and why there is a need to make the individual packs or a box. See Books below.
- For fast family fundraising idea, check out FamilyCares Caring Camp Collection.
- Decorate the packs or box with summer time motifs.
- Make your own activity books. Create mazes, connect the dot pictures, and print coloring pages from the computer for kids to color. Leave some blank pages for the recipient kids to use.
- If you make one box for the organization, you can also include new games, such as Checkers, Candy Land, Monopoly, Scrabble, Chutes & Ladders, Puzzles, Whiffle Balls and Bats, Nerf Balls, Soccer and Basketballs. If they have a sand box – include pails and shovels.
- Ask the family homeless shelter, if you could make a “play date” with some of the kids to play games at the shelter.
- Give away the Bored? – Game Packs or Boxes!
Books
Bunting, Eve, Fly Away Home
DiSalvo Ryan, Dyanne, Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen
McCourt, Lisa. The Braids Girl
