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260: Sanity Summer Saver Series Episode 3: The 3-Bin Summer Hack: Boredom Buster, Busy Box, and Backyard Fun

• Camille Walker • Episode 260

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Hey there, fellow summer survivors!

It’s Camille from "Call Me, CEO,” and I've got something fun to spice up your sun-soaked days. It’s part of our “Summer Sanity Savers” series, dedicated to keeping that pesky “I’m bored” monster at bay! Let’s dive into an exciting boredom-busting adventure with three magical bins that can transform your home into a summer haven.

Say Hello to the Boredom Buster Bin!

This is where the magic begins! Think of it as your secret weapon against mid-summer boredom. Fill it with easy-peasy activities—coloring books, sticker pads, a deck of UNO cards, and maybe some madly lovable Mad Libs. How about adding a “Time for Us” journal? It’s something I whipped up on Amazon for parents and kids to unleash their creativity together.

Next Up: The Busy Box

When you need some ‘me-time,’ this box is your go-to. Stock it with puzzles, Legos, or some awesome kinetic sand for sensory fun. Rotate those goodies weekly to keep things fresh. And here’s a fun project—punch-needle crafts to create adorable characters and landscapes. It’s like introducing your kids to the zen of crafting!

Let’s Not Forget the Backyard Fun Bin!

For outdoor adventures, this bin is a must-have. Toss in some chalk, bubbles, water balloons, and squirt guns. Maybe a bug-catching kit for your little explorers? This bin screams “go outside and play!” Perfect for when the kids have a case of cabin fever and need to get those wiggles out.

Keep It Fresh, Keep It Fun

The trick is all in the accessibility and the element of surprise. Let your kiddos pick one bin at a time, and swap out the toys regularly to keep their interest piqued. Remember, treasures from the Dollar Store are your best friends in this game of rotation!

Wrapping Up the Fun!

These bins are your summer superheroes, swooping in to save the day from boredom blues. With them, you’ll have a bit more time to breathe, relax, and even enjoy that coffee while it’s hot.

I’d love to see how you set up your bins! Share your fun creations by tagging me on Instagram at @callmeceopodcast or @camillewalker.co. Found this post helpful? Spread the joy! Share it with another mom who’s ready for a calmer, cooler summer. Remember, sharing is caring, and I’m thrilled to have you on this journey. Until next time, stay sane and enjoy the sun!

Connect with Camille:

 Email: callmeceopodcast@gmail.com



Camille:

So the idea is that you don't fill it with everything that you have all in one week, but that you say this is the busy box and you rotate what's in there. So you want to make an impact. You're thinking about starting a business, sharing your voice. How do women do it that handle motherhood, family and still chase after those dreams? We'll listen each week as we dive into the stories of women who know. This is Call Me CEO.

Camille:

Hello, my friends, it is Camille here with Call Me CEO and this is a special series I'm doing through the summer, called Summer Sanity Savers, because summer gets a little crazy. I'm filming this on July 9th, so we are into the second month of summer and already at the spot where my kids are saying I'm bored, which I am sure if you have children, you know this and you can relate to this. So let's dive into this a little. I have an idea of some boredom bins I'm going to share with you. This is not the only boredom buster I've done. In fact, I have a list that I'm going to link to below, where it's a list of reactions or things you can do if your child says I'm bored. And I have given this list to my children and said go through this list and pick 10 things so that when you have the thought I am bored, I will give you this list. Another funny way of doing this is, if they tell me they're bored, I say, well, figure it out, I'll give you, or I'll give you, something to clean, and that usually is a good motivator for them to figure out something they want to do to help them to not be bored. So for this idea specifically this is more for maybe younger kids that need more direction. They can't go through a list and read it and figure it out on their own. Mixing up the places and the people you are with is always a good idea. Doing swaps for playdates or having an opportunity to go different places if you can. But if none of those are an option and we're just simply looking at ways to fill the boredom, this is an idea that you can try. Take it with a grain of salt. If it works for you, great. If not, that's fine too. So if you've ever had three hours into summer break and they're already saying I'm bored, this one's for you. Because what if I told you that with just three bins, you can keep your kids busy, happy and out of your hair long enough to finish the drink in your hand. So I want to introduce this by saying this is episode three of the series.

Camille:

We have already talked about how to handle screen time. That's a big thing in our house. The last one that just aired was talking about how to theme your day so that you bring in different ideas and a little bit of novelty to the different things you're doing and a little bit of novelty to the different things you're doing. This is a more tactile approach to boredom. So the idea is that you create three physical bins where you fill them with things that'll help tackle boredom. Do these bins have to look any certain way? No, I'm thinking, if you're putting together these bins, they would need to at least be the size of, say, a storage tote. That's oh gosh. How big are they? Five gallons maybe, maybe a little bigger, but this bin is going to be filled with tactile ideas for them that they can do independently or possibly with you as well.

Camille:

Number one is the boredom buster bin. This bin is filled with quick, low prep activities that you can grab when your kids are bored. In this you're thinking of those very basic coloring books, sticker pad, mad Libs they still make them pipe cleaners a deck of Uno cards. Maybe it's filled with something that you've already done that your kids really like. That is like this. What I'm imagining here are card games like Cover your Assets is one that we really like. My kids also are older now so they can do phase 10, or maybe it's a small game like marbles I don't know, probably not marbles, unless they're older, because you don't want them choking. So just make it age appropriate Stuff. You already have stuff on hand that it's all in one place and ready to go. I actually have these water boards that I really like, where that's not waterboarding that's not what you were doing here. It's actually a board where they can use water and paint a flat surface that, just as it dries, it recreates Kind of like the Water Wow books, something like that. You're thinking of ideas that are easy to grab and go, so that when they say I'm bored, they go straight to this bin. This could be something that is all on your own or something that you can do with them, an idea that you can add to this boredom bin.

Camille:

Buster is my time for us journals. You can find that on amazoncom and look for time for us. It's a parent and child journal that you can do together, written by me, and it's a really fun way for them to use their imaginations as well, because it has a creative element within the prompts where they can draw or color. The prompts where they can draw or color. Hey, moms, if you feel like life is a nonstop juggling act school drop-offs, business calls, meal prep, trying to find a single moment for yourself I've got something for you. First, you need to sign up for my newsletter. It is free. I always include the episodes, what's upcoming, what is the takeaway from that week, and I will include a free recipe as well as, sometimes, activities that have to do with the upcoming events happening in today's world. But I have the mom balance playbook for free. It is a simple, practical guide to managing the mayhem of mom life so you can finally stop feeling like you're dropping the ball. It's time to bring more balance, joy and structure into your home without the burnout. And the best part, it is totally free. Head to camillewalkerco to grab your free copy now, or grab it from the link below in the show notes.

Camille:

Bin number two is going to be your busy box. This is for the golden everything. It's for the quiet, independent play when you need to hop on a Zoom, call, fold laundry or just breathe for a minute. This is where you're going to fill it with puzzles, sensory bins, kinetic sand, lacing cards or Legos, rotate items weekly so it feels new and you'll be shocked at how long it can buy you. So the idea is that you don't fill it with everything that you have all in one week, but that you say this is the busy box and you rotate what's in there. So that will take some planning on your part to try to keep the novelty alive. And, yes, that requires some forethought and can take some time. But if you present it in a way that it's something new, they may be excited about what's in there. And one thing that I just got that I'm bringing on with us to an RV trip is it's like a cross stitch, but you I can't even think of what it's called. I'll link to it in the show notes below. But it's almost like you're punching through with yarn and it creates these beautiful characters or animals or landscapes and they are so cute and many ages can do them. So think of something like that where it's busy, independent play where they can do something quiet.

Camille:

Bin number three is your backyard fun bin. This is for outdoor energy burn mode. Think chalk bubbles, water balloons, squirt guns, bug catching kits, anything that says go outside and get your wiggles out. And it's built in reset button for when everything and everyone just needs to get outside and get loud. Sometimes they just need time to get the wiggles out, and that can be really easy to do Now with these bins. I want you to think about accessibility and rotation. Let them pick from one bin at a time and switch out the contents every few days so that the novelty stays alive. And, yes, dollar store fines totally count. So with this little setup, these three bins become your summer MVPs. No more scrambling for activities or feeling like the entertainment director at a summer camp you didn't sign up to run. Like the entertainment director at a summer camp, you didn't sign up to run. These bins will help you get back a little time, a little sanity and maybe, just maybe, that warm cup of coffee or that special soda you're waiting to drink. If you try these three bin system, tag me on Instagram at callmeceopodcast or camillewalkerco, so I can see your setup.

Camille:

And if this episode helped. Please share it with a fellow mom who deserves a little less chaos in her summer. We'll see you next week for another sanity saving strategy, and make sure to share this with a friend, because sharing is caring, and I appreciate you being here. We'll see you next time. Hey CEOs, thank you so much for spending your time with me. If you found this episode inspiring or helpful, please let me know in a comment. In a five-star review, you could have the chance of being a featured review on an upcoming episode. Continue the conversation on Instagram at callmeCEOPodcast, and remember you are the boss.