Many kids these days do not know how to play and it is getting to be younger and younger children. Even as infants too many moms play "for" the child. They sit and make the toy go and make exagerated gestures while the child just sits there. They shake a rattle, they read a book turning the pages or they put the child into a confining space and that is it. Many children come to care not having had a chance to explore and experiement and discover what toys can do on their own.

With some we need to walk them through the steps of using the toys. With others we need to step back and make ourselves unavailable for play so they have to play alone or with peers and not an adult.

My role is to provide activities to do not to do them. The child's role is to decide to do what is out or make their own fun instead.

What I would do as an alternative to more structured time for everyone is move from area to area in the room and offer enrichments meaning if some are pretending to be pirates then offer them extra props or if someone is buildign with blocks ask them if they need any trucks or people or animals for their stucture - if they say no fine, if they want then help them get. Take a toy from the shelf and feature it on a table - ie showcase an activity. You might even stand there and use the toy and the children will watch from a distance. After a bit walk away from the toy. You will be surprised that some of the kids will go over to the toy and start playing with it now that they know what it does.

The only ones who are truly bored are those with no imagination. We can be too tired to play, too overwhelmed/consumed mentally to concentrate enough to play but those are more adult issues not kid issues. A child that says they are bored needs to learn how to play and maybe in doing so they will find what inspires them.