Summer is right around the corner, and with it comes the incessant “Moooooommm, I’m booooored.” You know the phrase.

Well today we have the solution! Introducing the “I’m Bored” Jar. The best part about it is that you can fill it up in advance with lots of fun and simple activities. Get your little ones to help you come up with ideas for the jar, so they’ll be extra excited to see which idea they draw.

We made two different sized jars for you to choose from with two FREE labels to print here. The smaller jar is filled with popsicle sticks that read quick and simple activities like “ride your bike” or “write a letter.” The large jar is for folded up pieces of paper containing longer and more in-depth activities such as “Write a story about a boy who sneaks on board a pirate ship with his pet iguana.”

Big Jar Supplies: glass jar with a lid, the large printable label, double stick tape or glue, colorful scrapbook paper cut into squares, and a pen.

Directions: Cut out the large circle label and attach it to the jar using double stick tape or glue. Write activities on the pieces of scrapbook paper, fold them up, and place them in the jar.

Small Jar Supplies: a mason jar, the small printable label, glue or double stick tape, craft popsicle sticks, acrylic paint, a paint brush, and a pen.

Directions: Cut out the small circle label and attach it to the jar using double stick tape or glue. Paint the ends of the popsicle sticks with acrylic paint. When the paint is dry, write activities on the sticks using a pen and add them to the jar.

So the next time you’re on a conference call, cooking dinner, or even just trying to take an after-work nap, when you hear the inevitable “I’m Bored,” you can send those kiddos off to the jar. Pretty soon, they’ll be so creatively inspired that they may just abandon their favorite phrase. Enjoy!