Sask. kids share everything you need to know about combating boredom this summer

Do dandelions belong in a garden? How do you stay safe while cooking? How do you combat boredom during the summer months? 

CBC Saskatchewan is hearing from children this summer in a miniseries featuring advice from kids for kids (and adults). This week it's all about combating boredom during the hot weather.

What does boredom look like and mean for you? 

For Isaiah Lovelace, boredom means having nothing to do and "you just mostly just sit there and think of something to do and you can't do anything else." 

Ever Olaechea Payant said boredom is "when you're just sitting somewhere and you're talking to yourself and you're saying, hmm, what should I do right now? I don't know what to do. Like, there's nothing for you to do." 

Five-year-old Diego Mendez said that when he's bored, "I feel like eating food." He also plays with toys. "We have a lot of Lego. So much Lego."

Louis-Pascal DeVink Guérette said for him, boredom is like emptiness. "Having absolutely nothing to do, not being able to find anything to do and I think this can be represented in many people in many different ways."

What do you do when you get that feeling? 

Isaiah said he plays video games, but "if I'm not allowed to play any more video games because I've had too much time, then I'd probably go outside and play with my friends."

"I have lots of things in my room, so I usually just like go like, 'Oh, this looks interesting, I'm going to play with this," Ever said.

Louis-Pascal said he likes to go for a walk and think. "I start to think a lot more, my head starts getting a lot more active. I become a lot less mindful of my surroundings. I just become engulfed in my head, really."

What are three three activities that kids could try indoors?

Isaiah says kids "could do a little workout in their basement, make an obstacle course with your parent's furniture and stuff, or make a floor with pillows, blankets and a couch."

Ever said kids could try to "bake cookies or something that could always be a fun experiment. They could also make a craft … They could take like some pictures around their house and they could make a mural of pictures. That would be fun."

Louis-Pascal recommends asking your parents if there's anything you can help with or playing a game, "whether that's with a friend, your brother, or with the whole family. And just, yeah, have some fun." Louis-Pascal said people can also think about what they want to do in the future. 

What are three activities kids could try outdoors? 

"They can make an American ninja warrior course on the playground. They could pretend like they're on an island and go exploring," Isaiah said. "Or they could pick weeds in their parent's yard and charge them $5 for every weed they pick."

"One of the activities I've been wanting to do is doing the Coke and Mentos experiment," Ever said. "They could also learn how to do something new, like ride a bike if they don't know how to, and they could just like take some walks outside. That's always nice."

Louis-Pascal recommends going for a walk or a bike ride, or "organize a game with the family. So get a game of volleyball or spike ball going or walk to the park and play a game of soccer or play with Frisbees. Really anything simple and fun."

What's your advice for kids if they do have days with nothing to do this summer? 

Ever said she would recommend finding something fun and "then make some plans. Maybe you could, like, have some plans with your friends."

Diego said kids should play with toys, such as a "fire truck, police car and tow truck." 

Louis-Pascal recommends contacting friends ahead of time to "get together and do something, have some fun, go for a bike ride to the park." Alternatively, kids can find tasks to do around the house. "Get your things organized and come up maybe with a system of how to get your things together."