What to Do When You Are Bored in Class

Press for one quiet thing to do at your desk, with what it needs.

What to Do When You Are Bored in Class

  1. Turn today's notes into one diagramA pen and your notes. Boxes and arrows, no sentences. It grows for as long as the lesson does.
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Next step Home from school? Draw something to do there

How it works

When you are bored in class, the quickest fix is a pen: turn the notes into a diagram, write the lesson in ten words, or guess the teacher's next sentence. Here are 108 quiet ideas that need no phone and bother nobody.

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Four places, four kinds of idea

At your desk in a lesson (28 ideas) stays on the lesson: every card uses your notes, the board or what the teacher says. When your work is finished (28) is silent puzzles for a pen and scrap paper. Free period, lunch and recess (28) adds a friend, paper games and the yard. In an online class (24) is for a lesson on a screen at home.

What was left out

No card uses a phone, passes a note, hides something from the teacher or pulls a neighbor off task. Anything that needs a friend or a walk waits for a break.

Questions and answers

What to do when bored at school?

Use the gaps: claim squares in a game of dots and boxes at lunch, walk a lap of the yard, or ask the librarian for a book on your topic. The Free period, lunch and recess group holds 28 ideas.

What to do when you're bored in class but have to stay quiet?

Keep the pen moving on the lesson itself: number every point the teacher makes, draw a tiny picture beside each new word, or write a three-question quiz and answer it before the bell. All three are still note taking.

What to do when you're bored at school with your work already done?

Pick a silent puzzle: write the alphabet backwards, turn HARD into EASY one letter at a time, or make as many words as you can from CLASSROOM. The When your work is finished group has 28 of them.

What can you do when you are bored in an online class?

Close every tab except the class, take notes by hand and type one question into the chat. The In an online class group has 24 ideas, and one of them is to put your phone in another room.

Do these ideas break class rules?

They were written not to: each one is quiet, part of the lesson or belongs to a break, and none uses a phone. Rules differ from room to room, and a teacher's word comes first.

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All 108 ideas

At your desk in a lesson 28

  • Box every number in your notes and label it Beside each box, write what the number measures. Lasts while the numbers keep coming.
  • Catch one word you have never heard before Write it down with your best guess at its meaning, and check it after class.
  • Color-code your notes with what is on your desk Two pens or a highlighter: one color for facts, one for examples.
  • Copy the board diagram from memory A pen and half a page. Look once, draw it, then look again and fix what you missed.
  • Draw a timeline strip along the bottom of the page Works for any lesson with dates or steps. A ruler helps; a pen is enough.
  • Draw a tiny picture beside each new word The margin of your notes. One small sketch a term, all lesson long.
  • Draw the lesson as a four-panel comic Four boxes on scrap paper. Stick figures are fine; the captions do the work.
  • Explain the topic for a seven-year-old, on paper Three sentences, short words only. Harder than it sounds.
  • Find what the examples on the board have in common A pen. Write the pattern down in one line.
Show all 108 ideas (99 more)

At your desk in a lesson, continued

  • Give each paragraph of your notes a three-word title A pen. Short labels in the margin turn a page of notes into a list you can scan.
  • Guess the teacher's next sentence, then check Nothing at all. A point for each close guess; keep score until the bell.
  • Link today's lesson to last week's with one arrow Write both topics, join them, and label the arrow with a single word.
  • List one thing you knew already and one that is new Two lines in the margin. Do it again halfway through the lesson.
  • Make a memory phrase for a list on the board Any list from the lesson. The first letters become one silly sentence. A few minutes.
  • Mark your notes: star for must know, dot for extra A pen. Two symbols down the margin, kept up for the whole lesson.
  • Number every point the teacher makes A pen. Keep the count running down the margin and see where it stands at the bell.
  • Predict three things that will be on the test The back of your notes. Keep the page and check it after the test.
  • Reprint your messiest line of notes Your notes. Pick the line you could not read tomorrow and print it again underneath.
  • Start a mini glossary on the last page of your book Today's new words, one line each. Add to it every lesson.
  • Tally the word the teacher says most Pick three likely words, make tally marks in the margin and see which one wins.
  • Turn today's notes into one diagram A pen and your notes. Boxes and arrows, no sentences. It grows for as long as the lesson does.
  • Underline each word you could not explain Your notes or the textbook page. Every underline is something to look up later.
  • Write a test question for each heading in your notes A pen. Under Causes of erosion, write: name two causes of erosion.
  • Write a three-question quiz on the lesson so far Scrap paper. Answer it yourself in the last minute of class.
  • Write one question to ask before the bell A pen. Make it something the lesson has not answered yet, then ask it.
  • Write one real-life example of today's idea One sentence in the margin: where would you meet this outside school?
  • Write the lesson so far in exactly ten words The margin of your page. Count, cross out and rewrite until it is ten. A few minutes.
  • Write the two-line summary your notes are missing The bottom of today's page. Finish it before the bell rings.

When your work is finished 28

  • Build a word pyramid, one letter longer each row Scrap paper. A, at, cat, cart, chart: add a letter and keep it a word.
  • Check your finished work from the last answer up Your own worksheet. Going backwards makes you read each answer and not skim it.
  • Count up in sevens as far as the page allows A pen. Write each number down, then check the last one by dividing.
  • Design a maze on one sheet of squared paper Squared paper and a pencil. One way in, one way out, three dead ends.
  • Design a new cover for your notebook on scrap paper A pen. The subject, your name and one picture that sums up the term.
  • Draw a spiral as slowly as you can A pen. Keep the gap between the lines the same all the way out.
  • Draw the way from home to school as a street map One sheet. Mark every turn, crossing and landmark you can remember.
  • Draw your pencil case from above, life size A pencil. Trace nothing; check the drawing by laying the case on top of it.
  • Fill a page with triangles, no two the same A pen. Tall, flat, tiny, tilted: keep going until the sheet is full.
  • Find ten things in the room that begin with S Your eyes and a pen. Write them down; try another letter next.
  • Fit all 26 letters into one sentence about today's lesson Scrap paper. Tick off the letters as you use them; a shorter sentence is a better one.
  • Guess the width of your desk, then measure it A ruler. Write the guess down first, then see how close you were.
  • Invent a secret alphabet of 26 symbols A pen and half a page. Write the key first, then your name in the new letters.
  • List one animal for every letter of the alphabet A pen and one sheet. Swap animals for foods, countries or sports for a new round.
  • List ten words that rhyme with LIGHT A pen. When you run out, switch to a harder word such as PURPLE.
  • Make as many words as you can from CLASSROOM Scrap paper. Three letters or more a word; aim for twenty before the bell.
  • Practice your worst handwriting letter for one line A pen. One slow line of the letter, then one at normal speed.
  • Read ahead to the next heading in the textbook The class textbook. Stop at the first word you do not know and find it in the index.
  • Rearrange the letters of your name into new words Scrap paper. Use every letter each time; they do not have to be real words.
  • Sign your name ten times with your other hand A pen and scrap paper. Compare the first signature with the tenth.
  • Sketch the classroom in a single unbroken line Scrap paper. Start at the door and do not stop until the line gets back to it.
  • Tell today in a story of exactly six words A pen. It still needs a start, a middle and an end.
  • Turn HARD into EASY, one letter at a time The back of your worksheet. A word ladder: change one letter a step, and every step must be a real word.
  • Work out how many floor tiles the classroom has A pen. Count one row and one column from your seat, multiply, and write the answer down.
  • Write a short note in mirror writing A pen. Right to left with every letter flipped. Hold it up to a window to read it.
  • Write next week's homework into your planner Your planner. Add the day each piece is due.
  • Write out the seating plan from memory, name by name Scrap paper. Every desk and every name without looking up, then check it against the room.
  • Write the alphabet backwards without stopping Scrap paper and a pen. Z to A, then again with your other hand. A couple of minutes.

Free period, lunch and recess 28

  • Ask the librarian for a book on your current topic The school library. Read the first page before you decide to borrow it.
  • Ask three people the same would-you-rather question Nothing. Keep a tally of the answers and report the result.
  • Begin a log of the books you finish this year The back of your planner. Title, author and a mark out of ten.
  • Claim squares in a game of dots and boxes Paper, a pen and a friend. Take turns joining two dots; close a box, claim it and go again.
  • Clear out the bottom of your school bag A bin nearby. Old papers out, loose pens into one pocket. Done before the bell.
  • Draw a classmate's portrait while they draw yours Two sheets and two pens. No erasing, then swap and sign them.
  • Draw a head, fold the paper and pass it on Three people, one sheet. Head, body, legs, each drawn unseen. Unfold at the end.
  • Eat lunch somewhere you have never sat before Your lunch. A different table or bench changes who you talk to.
  • Find the oldest date written anywhere in the school Plaques, trophies and photos on the walls. Bring a friend and compare finds.
  • Fold a paper airplane and pace out its flight One sheet, outside at recess. Count the paces and try to beat it with a new fold.
  • Join the game that is already going in the yard Nothing. Ask which side is short a player.
  • Learn a string figure with a loop of yarn A loop of string and a friend who knows one. Practice until you can do it without looking.
  • Learn to say hello in a classmate's other language Ask someone who speaks one. Write it the way it sounds and use it tomorrow.
  • Name five shapes you can find in the clouds A patch of sky and a friend. Take turns; no shape twice.
  • Offer to help a teacher set up the next classroom Ask first. Chairs, handouts or the board; it fills the break.
  • Pass a story back and forth, a line at a time One sheet and a friend. Take turns, and nobody may plan more than their own line.
  • Play categories with one letter and five headings Paper each. A name, place, animal, food and thing, all with the same first letter.
  • Play sprouts, starting from three dots Paper and a friend. Join two dots, cross no line, add a dot on it. Three lines fill a dot; last move wins.
  • Play tic-tac-toe, best of nine Paper, a pen and a friend. Three in a row wins a round; the loser starts the next.
  • Play twenty questions about something in the room A friend. Yes or no answers only; swap roles after each round.
  • Read every notice on the school notice board The board by the office or in the hall. Find one club, trip or deadline you did not know about.
  • Sketch a floor plan of the school with its fastest routes One sheet. Mark the office, the library, the lunch line and the quickest way between.
  • Sketch one tree in the yard from where you sit A pencil and scrap paper. Start with the trunk and the three biggest branches.
  • Tally the people who pass one doorway before the bell A pen and a friend. Guess the number first; the closer guess wins.
  • Time a friend running to the fence and back A watch or the yard clock. Swap over and compare times.
  • Trade mini lessons with a friend, one subject each A scrap of paper each. One idea, explained so the other could pass it on.
  • Walk one full lap of the school yard Nothing. Count your steps and try to match the number on a second lap.
  • Write a note of thanks to someone at school Paper and a pen. A coach, a cook, a friend. Hand it over today.

In an online class 24

  • Answer the next question asked of the whole class Unmute or type. Going first is easier than going third.
  • Be the note-taker in your breakout room A shared page or your own paper. Read them back before the room closes.
  • Close every tab except the class Your computer. One window open until the lesson ends.
  • Copy the shared whiteboard by hand before it is wiped Paper and a pen. Your own copy stays when the teacher's is gone.
  • Doodle a border around your notes while you listen A pen. Keep it to the edges so the notes stay readable.
  • Keep a sticky note of words to look up after class A sticky note on the edge of the screen. One word a line.
  • Listen to one classmate's whole answer with eyes shut Headphones. No screen, no notes, only the voice. Then write down what they said.
  • Look out of a window for the whole break A window. Watch one thing that moves until class starts again.
  • Note the time whenever you drift, for the recording A pen. If the class is recorded, those are the minutes to watch again.
  • Put today's handouts into one folder Your computer. Every file from the lesson goes into a folder named for the class.
  • Put your phone in another room until class ends Walk it there at the break. Out of reach is easier than face down.
  • Rename today's notes file with the date and topic Your computer. A name you can find again in a month.
  • Set out water and a snack before class starts A glass and something small, so nothing pulls you to the kitchen mid-lesson.
  • Sit at a table, not on the bed, for this one class A table and a chair. See whether the hour feels different.
  • Sit closer to the router for this lesson Your computer. Fewer frozen faces makes a lesson easier to follow.
  • Sketch each slide in a thumbnail box Paper and a pen. One small box a slide, three words under each.
  • Sum up the lesson so far out loud while muted Nothing. A few sentences, to yourself. If you get stuck, that is your question.
  • Take notes by hand while the screen talks A notebook and a pen. Your hands stay busy and your eyes stay on the lesson.
  • Tally how many slides the lesson has A pen. One mark a slide; guess the total at the start and compare.
  • Tidy the part of your desk the camera can see The break between lessons. Stack the papers and clear the cups.
  • Type one question into the class chat The class chat. Ask it while the topic is still on screen.
  • Use the raise-hand button once this lesson The class software. Choose the question before you press it.
  • Write down what each speaker says in five words Paper. One line a person; a long discussion becomes a short list.
  • Write the tasks set in class at the top of a page Paper. Tick each one as soon as it is done, in class if there is time.

How this list was compiled: All 108 lines were written for this page; nothing is copied from another list. 18 of the ideas, most of them paper games for a break, are also on the random activity generator of this site in other words. The rule for getting on the list: a student can do it sitting at a desk or during a break, with a pen, paper or nothing, without a phone and without pulling a neighbor off task. Cards for a lesson use the lesson itself (the notes, the board, what the teacher says); cards that need a friend, a walk or the yard sit under Free period, lunch and recess; cards for an online class assume a computer at home. Left out on purpose: anything that uses a phone, passes a note, hides something from the teacher or breaks a usual class rule. The lines say what a card needs, and some say in words roughly how long it lasts; no times were measured. The rules of three paper games were checked on 2026-10-02 against their Wikipedia articles: dots and boxes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dots_and_boxes: players take turns joining two adjacent dots, and completing the fourth side of a box earns it and another turn), sprouts (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprouts_(game): each turn draws a line between two spots, or from a spot to itself, that crosses no other line, and adds a new spot on it; no spot may have more than three lines attached, and in normal play the player who makes the last move wins) and tic-tac-toe (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tic-tac-toe: three marks in a row, column or diagonal win). Groups: 28 for a desk in a lesson, 28 for when the work is finished, 28 for a free period, lunch or recess, 24 for an online class. Written for students of about 10 to 17 and read line by line for that age; the page does not call anything safe, and a teacher's rules come first. Licence: own work