The Case for Boredom: Why Kids Need Empty Space in Their Days

by Alexander Tidd

I’ve come to believe that “I’m bored” is not a problem. It’s an opportunity.

That may sound odd in a world where most parents, myself included, are surrounded by a buffet of instant distractions. The second a kid sighs, we can queue up Netflix, hand over a tablet, or suggest a quick craft we saw on Instagram. But somewhere along the way, we forgot that boredom—true, sit-and-stare-at-the-wall boredom—is fertile ground for creativity, resilience, and even joy.

Why We’re Afraid of Boredom

We’ve been taught to treat a child’s boredom like an emergency. The thinking goes, if a kid is bored, they’re missing a chance to learn or falling behind somehow. Add to that the parental pressure of work schedules, extracurricular activities, and social media’s endless “fun family” posts, and you end up with the sense that your job is to fill every moment with enrichment.

But here’s the thing: if you’re anything like me, your own childhood probably had long stretches of nothing. And we didn’t just survive them—we thrived because of them.

When we were kids, boredom often meant grabbing a stick and turning it into a magic sword, building a fort out of couch cushions, or staging an elaborate backyard play for an audience of stuffed animals. It also meant calling up our friends and getting the crew together for night tag, Super Soaker fights, and much more. Those moments didn’t happen in spite of boredom. They happened because of it.

Boredom as the Spark for Creativity

Research backs this up. Psychologists have found that unstructured time encourages kids to use their imagination, practice problem-solving, and develop independence. When there’s no obvious activity, kids have to come up with something themselves. That’s when you see the cardboard box become a spaceship, or the dog become the lead in a detective mystery.

The creativity that boredom fosters is different from the creativity that comes from structured activities. A craft project or piano lesson can be wonderful, but it usually comes with instructions and a clear end goal. Free time, on the other hand, has no set path. That’s where kids learn to explore ideas without worrying about being “right.”

And yes, that might mean your kid spends half an hour throwing a ball at the wall or talking to the ceiling fan. That’s okay. Weird, aimless play is still play.

Boredom also pushes kids to become resourceful. In structured environments, problems are often set up to be solved in a particular way. But when a bored child decides to build a fort, they’re the one deciding how to balance the cushions, how to keep the roof from caving in, and how to keep their little brother from claiming it as his own.

These are the kinds of real-time problem-solving skills that don’t come from a workbook. They come from trying, failing, and trying again, all without an adult swooping in with the answer.

This is especially valuable in a world where so many solutions are just a quick Google search away. Boredom asks kids to figure it out themselves—and that builds a kind of quiet confidence.

Making Room for Boredom in a Busy World

I know, I know, a bored kid can be a lot. They trail you from room to room, asking for ideas, or lie dramatically on the floor announcing that their life is over. The temptation to flip on some Bluey is real.

But sometimes our discomfort is the real obstacle. Watching our kids struggle, even with something as low-stakes as an empty afternoon, can make us feel like we’re failing. We’ve been sold the idea that good parents are always engaging, always teaching, always providing. Letting go of that can feel like breaking a rule.

It helps to remember that giving kids space to be bored is not neglect. It’s a gift. It’s telling them: “I trust you to find your way out of this.”

If you want to protect some boredom in your kids’ lives, it takes intention. You don’t have to throw away the calendar, but you can make sure not every moment is spoken for. Maybe that means one weekend morning without planned activities, or turning off screens for an hour after school and letting the chips fall where they may.

At first, they’ll complain. Maybe loudly. But over time, kids learn how to use that unstructured space. They may even start looking forward to it—though they might never admit it to you.

And here’s a bonus: boredom can be good for us parents too. When kids are off in their own world, we get a breather. We can sip coffee without narrating a craft, fold laundry without refereeing a board game, or just… be.

In the end, the case for boredom comes down to this: life will not always hand our kids a ready-made plan. Sometimes they’ll have to make one themselves. Giving them practice now, when the stakes are low, is one of the best ways to prepare them for that future.

Boredom isn’t wasted time. It’s the soil where imagination takes root, where problem-solving skills grow, and where kids learn they’re capable of more than they think. The next time you hear “I’m bored,” resist the urge to rush in with a fix. Instead, smile, pour yourself a coffee, and let the magic happen.