Been there, done that! As the mom of five, I've heard the "nothing to do" lament quite frequently and this was long before any lock-down or quarantine. I would threaten house or yard work as a boredom cure, but these are not normal circumstances. The complaint is real, particularly if your child is not one who reads or will entertain themselves with art projects for endless hours. I think we worry about too much screen time and young minds stalling out. So, what is the answer?
Thankfully, many venues are beginning to open up and one of the best options is Indiana's state park system. A local park is great for blowing off steam on the playground, but taking the time and effort to visit one of our great state parks is a wonderful option for a day trip. There are 35 state parks throughout Indiana. It's very likely that one or two are near you. Many have hiking and biking trails and nature centers to explore. Check out pool and lake offerings too. A day trip provides the opportunity to make a plan, investigate, and discuss our activity options. So, if you make this a planned activity for perhaps a week from now then you can spend time with the kids looking at the parks you might visit. What activities sound good? One wants to hike, the other wants to go to the nature center and mom hates bugs and would rather be by the water? You can do all three by planning out your time. Then everyone can do something they like and maybe learn to like the things they thought they might not enjoy.
Admission to state parks is very reasonable. Most have camping options if you want to give that a try and several have lodges or camping cottages for rent. It's time to break out of the regular routine. Give everyone something different to think about. It's like changing the conversation from complaining about being bored to making a plan for an adventure. And, don't forget Indiana Dunes National Park. It's like visiting the ocean!
Explore Indiana! Stress less, explore more!