A Scavenger Hunt Parenting Hack

The other day, Anton and his friend were lounging around the house. “There’s nothing to doooooo,” they lamented. “We’ve done evvvvvverything already.”

When we were growing up in Michigan, my own mom would have waved her hands and said, “Go play,” and I would have grumbled off to read my book between the back of the sofa and the wall. But since I’m a softie, we decided to help…

…with a scavenger hunt! It was our beloved sitter’s brainchild, and the boys were then shooed outside to take photos and not return until the list was complete. They were delighted. I mean, an ice cream truck! That’s a real challenge!

Cute dog

Flowers

Funny license plate

Something that looks interesting! (Side note: Is everyone in NYC twinning rn???)

The boys happily wandered around outside for a full hour, while our house remained blissfully quiet. Thank you to our brilliant sitter Marit for this stroke of genius!

How do you help your kids stay occupied? Any pro tips? I’d love to hear…

P.S. ‘I’m Bored’ jar, and how to help a stoic kid open up about feelings.