NO TIME FOR BOREDOM: KIDS SAY NOTHING TO DO?; GET THEM TO UNPLUG, TUNE INTO NEW FUN

Afriend of mine had to teach a group of teenagers about how seeds travel so they can germinate.

Her challenge: how to teach about the topic and also keep these technology driven kids interested for more than an hour.

As a crafts teacher for younger children, her natural talents were geared towards more artistic activities. So my friend utilized her skills and had the teens decorate "seeds," or in this case, wine corks that would represent seeds.

You should have seen how fast those teens grabbed at stickers, paint daubers and colorful pens to decorate their corks.

Then my friend took the teens to the local creek. The teens were instructed to throw their corks in the water and watch as they got closer and closer to the finish line/collection point my friend had put at the end of the race, where the corks could be retrieved. The teens got really into it, following their "seeds" as some corks flowed downstream easily while others got stuck behind rocks. In the process, all of the kids not only learned something new but were entertained beyond their smartphones, MP3 players and video games.

Sometimes it takes a little bit of creativity to "trick" youngsters into having fun away from their electronic toys.

One of the hardest parts of raising kids is knowing how to keep them entertained. It's easy to let them sit in front of the TV for hours on end. But to get them up and moving, or to exercise their mind? Finding ideas to occupy them when they've run out of things to do can be a real challenge.

For Robert Correa of Novato, the answer to keeping kids occupied is as easy as giving them a list of things to do every time they say they're bored.

"Housekeeping, lawn mowing, dog walking, baby-sitting, reading, dishwashing," Correa listed off the top of his head. He suggested that older kids would find enjoyment in being taught how to cook, and any kid can fly a kite, paint a picture, ride their bike, or skate. He also noted that kids should call their grandparents when they find they have "nothing to do," just to tell their grandma and grandpa they are loved. And, of course, there is nothing like throwing an impromptu dance party in the privacy of your own living room.

"Put on some of your old records or CDs and dance together or sing together," Correa said.

Elizabeth Dalton of Santa Rosa has three boys, ages 6 and 4 years old, and 20 months, and knows all too well the importance of having something fun up her sleeve to keep her sons entertained. One activity she discovered is called geocaching, otherwise known as a good old-fashioned treasure hunt. But in Dalton's case, she gives the activity a prehistoric theme.

"I bury dinosaur toys outside and have the kids dig them out," she said.

Jessica Snowden of Santa Rosa has a different kind of treasure hunt she suggests for quick entertainment.

"Make a list of age appropriate items," she suggested, like telling younger kids to find something tall or red, and older kids to find something horizontal or bigger than a foot. As they find each item, then can check them off their pre-made list. "I have done this treasure hunt in teams for birthday parties or sleepovers," Snowden said. "I have also done it with cameras," she added, noting that cellphones and handheld video game systems worked well for this activity, allowing kids to capture their treasure through a photo instead of collecting the actual item.

Lorna Brown, owner of My Gym Santa Rosa, is known for having fun things for younger kids to do. One game she plays with kids is to blow up balloons (not helium), and give one to each child.

"Give them indoor space to bop them around, encouraging them to keep them up in the air," Brown instructed. "Let them know that if their balloon pops, then game over." She suggested that when the kids need a break from so much play, they can stop and decorate their balloons with markers.

And every kid can benefit from an "I'm bored jar." Take an afternoon to brainstorm 100 fun things to do. Add in things like making homemade playdough, taking a hike in the hills, building a fort in the living room, learning how to speak Pig Latin, writing an illustrated children's book, trying to beat your own record of bouncing a ball on a tennis racket, blowing the biggest bubblegum bubble, or anything else you and the kids can think of. Every time the kids say, "I'm bored," point them toward the jar and have them pick an activity at random.

Want more ideas to entertain your kids? See what other parents suggest at SantaRosaMom.com.

Crissi Langwell is the moderator at SantaRosaMom.com, an online community for parents in Sonoma County.