Boredom in Class

I've been subbing for a while now. Every now and then I get a job where there is a long prep period, or a lunch next to a prep, or both. I even had a couple days where I was there all day and didn't see any students. This can get boring real fast. I'm sure many of you can relate to this on some level or another. We all have our ways of passing the time. Here are my ways.

1. Eat lunch
2. Go home (if there is enough time)
3. Listen to music (Ipod or once, a record player)
4. Play with classroom manipulatives (blocks, tiles, mystery boxes, etc.)
5. Surf the net
6. Walk the halls
7. Read a book
8. Clean the room
9. Play pen golf

The last one needs some explanation. I'm not sure how I got around to making this game, but it happened. It's like a mix of golf and quarter football. Here is a more in depth look.

Pen Golf

To play you need a capless Bic pen (or any writing utensil that rolls well), a meter or yard stick, and a floor with tiles. The pen is the "ball", the ruler is the "club", and the classroom is the arena. The desks are obstacles or hazards, the walls and tiles determine the boundaries.You have four strokes to go from two tiles out from the wall over to within one tile (plus any fraction of tile) of the opposite wall, without touching the opposite wall (i.e. being over). If you touch the opposite wall or fail to get the pen completely within the "1 tile" boundary you lose. Every time you hit the pen, it counts as a stroke. If you decide to move the pen and/or reorient the pen after a stroke this will cost you a stroke, unless it is just after the first stroke (tee off). If you decide to move/orient the pen at any point in time, the move/orientation may not make the center of the pen any closer to the opposite wall than the pen was on it's original lay.

To make each game different, you can play back and forth or move the obstacles around for more challenges. So if you find yourself bored in a tiled room let me know how well it goes.