Coasters, candle sticks, newspaper ads, X Box controllers, shoes? (Yes, I find shoes on my coffee table… grrrrr.)
Clear your coffee table off today.
Put away all the stuff everyone expects to be there.
Now replace the old stuff with at least two of the following:
New library book
Art book (that shows paintings from a famous painter or a collection from a museum…)
Tray of items to arrange (shells, marbles, stones, fake flowers, votive candles)
Book of poems
Magnetic poetry with a cookie sheet or some other metallic surface
Keep rotating items that are on the coffee table.
Then “take five” by sitting on the couch (stop that perpetual motion for a few minutes) and page through the books. Make a poem with the magnets or arrange the supply of items into an attractive centerpiece. If you do, someone will join you. Flip through the art book and find a favorite. Put a bookmark there with your name on it (I use post-its) and leave it in the book for the next person who pages through the book. Your interest in a painting will be noticed by the next person and cause him or her to wonder what you liked about it.
Or you can just laugh out loud at the poem you read or read it aloud to whoever will listen.
A well-strewn coffee table may cure boredom; it may spark a whole new interest!
Want more inspiration to combat boredom and spark your child’s curiosity? Keep reading…
Image by Sarah Sphar (cc)
