Make Space for Boredom This Summer

“I’m bored.”

These are the words that are often muttered within the first week of summer break. Parents cringe to hear them and often jump to action. While boredom is typically interpreted with negative connotations, we’re asking families this summer to reconsider boredom as something valuable—even necessary.

When boys are bored, their minds are pushed to think, imagine, and create. A stick becomes a sword. The backyard becomes a battlefield. A cardboard box turns into a fort, a spaceship, or a secret hideout. This kind of imaginative play is not just fun—it builds creativity, problem-solving skills, and independence.

Boredom can also open the door to meaningful friendships. In today’s over-scheduled world, children are often lonelier than ever, moving from one activity to the next without the time or space to truly connect. Jessica Smartt, author of Let Them Be Kids, encourages parents to allow for unstructured, undistracted time so that friendships have room to grow. She notes that because friendship requires patience, children must learn to be comfortable with boredom in order to become good friends. When given that space, bored children are more likely to seek out one another and build genuine connections.

Boredom also strengthens perseverance. When a boy must figure out what to do next, he learns to push through discomfort rather than avoid it. This is a critical life skill. Not every moment in school—or in life—will be exciting. Learning to manage that feeling and move forward builds resilience. Heidi Tringali, occupational therapist and author of The Readied Child, urges parents to practice “unentertained waiting” as much as possible. When given the opportunity, children will discover that their brains are far more entertaining than any device.

Boredom may be the best workout for the brain’s management system, boosting students’ executive functioning skills. When boys are left without a planned activity, they must decide what to do, how to begin, and how to carry it through. This process naturally builds skills like planning, organization, and task initiation. As they engage in self-driven play, they also practice sustaining attention, adapting when things don’t go as expected, and solving problems independently.

While we want to make space for boredom this summer, it is equally important to maintain consistent engagement with reading and math. Summer reading, in particular, plays a critical role in a child’s development. Regular reading helps maintain vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency skills that can otherwise decline over the summer months. Just as importantly, it fosters imagination and curiosity, complementing the creativity that boredom encourages. Whether it’s novels, biographies, or even magazines, giving boys the freedom to choose what they read can increase both motivation and enjoyment.

Yes, we understand that our boys may groan at the sight of the red summer learning folder. The goal is not to recreate the structure of the classroom at home, but to build simple, sustainable habits. Setting aside a consistent time each day for reading and a few minutes for math allows boys to stay academically sharp while still enjoying the freedom of summer.

In many ways, this balance is ideal. Boredom creates space for creativity and growth, while reading and math provide the steady practice needed to maintain essential skills. Together, they help boys return to school not only refreshed, but ready.

So the next time you hear, “I’m bored,” consider a different response. Instead of offering a solution, offer an opportunity:

“That’s awesome. I’m excited to see what you come up with.”