MOM- I'm bored!

Those just might be the most dreaded phrase that a Mom can hear.

MOM! I'm bored!

Now, here in Texas, we are enduring one of the hottest summers in history.  It's too hot to safely go outside (unless, of course, it's at night).  It's just too dangerous.  Our modest rent house has no trees!  Who builds a house and doesn't plant trees?  Apparently, my landlord.....

So, to keep my boys occupied during the day, we brainstormed and came up with a fun list:

1. Movie day- we have Netflix, so we have a plethora of movies on demand.  We pick a theme, and have a movie marathon.   
2. Build a fort- blankets and pillows, a few chairs, or even their bunk beds. Boys love these.
3. Legos and matchbox cars- They can spend hours building garages, towns and houses. This, however, can instantly turn any 4 year old boy into Godzilla.  Which, in turn, can really make an 8 year old mad.  But, with a little coaxing from Mom, rebuilding is fun.
4. Video Games- plan a tournament around a game.  We use Wii Mario Sports Mix.  It comes with tournaments already planned.  The players can play against each other. Mom plays the winner. Wii Sports can be used too, or if you have older kids, Guitar Hero would work too.
5. Computer time- We home school, so we use a lot of online resources to supplement their curriculum.  But, even if you don't home school, Head of the Class is a great free site to keep their brains working over the summer.  They also play Spongebob games.

So, there is a small list of free, indoor activities to keep kids, and you from getting bored this summer.