Top 5 Things to Do When You Get Bored

1.       Conduct a sociological experiment

Materials needed

1.      video-recording device

2.       tree or pole

3.       $10 bill

4.       Stepladder

5.       tape

Procedure

Find a tree or pole in a well-traveled (walked) area. Find a time when traffic is slow. Using your stepladder, tape the $10 bill to the tree or pole where it will be seen but where it is just out of reach of the average person. Then hide with your camera and wait. Video the people as they walk by and see how many try to reach the bill and how many just ignore it. After the experiment, draw conclusions based on your observations, write a paper and publish it in a journal.

2.       Plan a formal dinner for you and your friends at McDonald's

Materials needed

1.       white tablecloth

2.       candles & candle holders

3.       cloth napkins

4.       silverware & china

5.       permission from McDonald's

6.       Information on napkin folding and dinnerware placement

7.       Place cards with your friends’ names on them

Procedure

Arrive a few minutes early to pick out the perfect table. Spread the table cloth, lay out the silverware and fold the napkins into the shape of an animal or flower. Set the candles up in the center of the table and light them. Put the place cards at the appropriate seats. Wait for your friends to arrive. Have everyone order their food, and enjoy.

3.       Record you and your friends critiquing an old/obscure television show or movie in the manner of Mystery Science Theater

Materials needed

1.       an old/obscure television show or movie

2.       a recording device

3.       friends

Procedure

Pop some popcorn, set up the recording device, get comfortable, play the show/movie, and begin making brilliant, insightful and hilarious comments.

4.       Make home-made butter

Materials needed
1. whipping cream (can be normal or heavy but should not be cold)
2. a jar
3. a measuring cup (not necessarily needed)
4. strong arms, able to do a lot of shaking
5. 10-20 minutes

Procedure

Measure out 1 cup of whipping cream for each ½ cup of butter that you want to make. Once you have your desired amount, pour it into the jar. (Your jar should be no more than 1/3 full.) Close the lid tightly. Shake hard. Keep shaking. Still more shaking. You should see the cream begin to separate into butter and buttermilk. The cream will begin to get “heavy,” become firm and turn yellow. You have butter at this point. You can stop here and have a good soft spread or keep shaking for a harder spread. Dazzle your family by serving your efforts at the next family meal.

5.    Make a maze/obstacle course out of silly string and race with your friends to see who can get through it the fastest

Alternative idea: Set two mazes up in the woods to protect each team’s flag. Use a blue chalk line instead of silly string. The other team must steal their opponant’s flag without getting any of the blue chalk on them.

Materials

1.    Silly string

2.    Space

3.    Trees, tables, poles, etc. to act as a foundation or outline for your maze

4.    “Mission Impossible” or “Eye of the Tiger” music

5.    Timer

Procedure

Go crazy with the silly string while setting up your maze. Play music. Take turns going through the maze as quickly as possible. Time each person. Determine a winner. Go out to eat to celebrate your mad new spy skills.