Five Favorites: Boredom Busters Edition

It is 11:10 pm EST, and I've got 50 minutes to knock this post out so it will qualify for the 7 posts in 7 days goal.

I was going to write a more substantial post, but this week has been . . . stressful? draining? a cross between the two? Yes, the answer is D) all of the above.  The week has had some lovely bright spots (nice to see you for brunch, Martin Clan!), but mostly it's been sad.

Don't worry, I'm trying to write all about it for Thursday's post.  I know you are excited.

Until then, I'm joining Hallie's Five Favorites link-up.  But it's actually over at Grace's this week, so go there.

Here are five fun things that are keeping boredom and fighting at a dull-ish roar this summer:

ONE

The Barefoot World Atlas App

Bun's very cool godfather (who never forgets to send a special message on Bun's baptismal day, which I can hardly remember myself!) saw this $4.99 app was being offered for free a couple weeks ago and told me to check it out.  He knows Bun's extreme love of maps and atlases, so he thought it might be just the ticket.

He had no idea what a hit he discovered, I'm sure.  Bun and Fiver have to be forcibly torn away from the iPad or they will sit and play with this app for hours.  

You can search by country, continent, or region, or you can just spin the globe and stop it at a random spot.  It gives all kinds of fun facts and interesting information about the place you picked to investigate, but the part the boys like the most is seeing what date/time it is in other countries.   It blows their minds that New Zealand is already on another day while we are halfway through ours.

If you have any map lovers, this is a pretty fun and educational way for them to use their computer/screen time.  

TWO

Spot It

We like games, but it's hard to find one that the kids can play together.  Either it's too complicated for little kids, or they can't hold all the cards, or it takes too long, or it is too babyish, or it makes the most awful noises that either scare or annoy everyone.

This game is a winner, my friends.  It is easy to play, it is fun, it accommodates multiple players, it doesn't need batteries, and it is quick.  

And it's tiny, so you don't need a big place to store it and it's portable.  Get it, seriously.

 THREE

Scrabble Slam

Do you have a great reader or word obsessed spouse or child?  Do you NOT have the time to break out a whole game of Scrabble?  Then this is the game for you.

I'd say that you need to play with a really quick speller, so this is mostly an older kid kind of game.  Francie kills this game, and Fiver doesn't do too badly himself.  Sally and Bun read quite well, but at 7 and 5, they are not quite quick enough at mental spelling to make this game enjoyable for themselves.

But for the bigger kids and adults, it's challenging and fun.

FOUR

This has nothing to do with busting boredom (except Bun's, of course), but here is the latest map from our resident cartographer.  He is branching out into color now.

Although Bun draws between 5-7 largish maps a day, this one is a favorite of mine.  

FIVE

Sherlock

I just got caught up on "Call the Midwife," but that's not something Rob watched with me. He doesn't really cotton to any kind of medical centered drama.  He deals with enough medical drama in his real life, and he usually doesn't find the depiction of his profession to be too accurate.   

(Don't get him started on "Grey's Anatomy" or even "E.R.," back in the day.)

We wanted something to watch together, so we followed many friends' suggestions and watched "Sherlock."  Benedict Cumberbatch, aside from having an epically British name, is excellent as Sherlock Holmes, but my favorite is Dr. Watson, played by Martin Freeman (of "The Hobbit").  

We've enjoyed the mysteries and acting very much, and now we are all caught up for the new season.

Boom, 11:43.  Done and done; the posting streak is preserved.

Remember, I promised quantity not quality.