Image by Rudy Anderson from Pixabay
So many parents feel like they don’t get to spend enough quality time with their kids. As the kids grow older, it can be even more challenging to carve out time to spend as a family. Family life is often exceptionally busy. Everyone may be on different schedules and rushing around doing different things. So, every once in a while, it’s a great idea to block out some time and dedicate it to spending time with everyone together.
If your kids are slightly older, you probably find that even when there is an opportunity to be together as a family, your kids aren’t so keen to take part. Maybe they’d rather be scrolling through their phone, or they’re transfixed by the latest video game. This can make it really challenging to enjoy any family time at all. After all, spending a day with a moody pre-teen who has been dragged away from their video game is no fun for anyone. So, to truly get the most out of your family time and ensure that the kids are willing participants, you need to make it fun.
Take a look at these ideas, to bring some added fun to your family time:
Learn a New Skill
As a parent, most of the time you spend with your kids you’re at an advantage as you already have the knowledge needed to do most things. You’ve already been to school, and you’ve already developed all the life skills you’ll probably ever need. So, taking part in an activity that puts you all at the same level is sure to grab your kid’s interest. Taking part in activities where every one of you is a novice is a great way to bond. You’ll be learning a new skill at the same time, which puts everyone on the same level.
The activity you choose is entirely up to you. It could involve learning a new language, mastering a martial art, or even attending art classes. You could even let the kids pick the activity. The important thing is that you do it all together.
Get Creative
Taking part in creative activities together is an excellent way to spend time together, whatever the weather. Those rainy days at home, when everyone is feeling a little bored, can be made a lot more exciting if you have a creative activity up your sleeve.
There are endless amounts of creative activities that you could try with the kids. From learning how to make a dollar bill shirt and tie using origami to working together to create a family collage wall in your home. The great thing about being creative is that there are never any wrong or right answers. The whole point is simply to become engaged in your task and to let your creativity flow. You should find that the kids are happy to spend hours being creative without needing to spend any time looking at their phones. So, it can be an excellent way to cut back their screentime without them even knowing that you’re doing it.
Be Adventurous
If you’re keen to get the kids out of the house and into the fresh air, an adventurous activity is the way to do it. Depending on your preference and the equipment you have, this could involve hiking together, going for bike rides and discovering new places you’ve never visited before, or even trying geocaching, which the kids will probably love.
Camping is the perfect activity for a family adventure. Even pitching your tent up in the backyard and spending an evening under the stars is an inexpensive but really enjoyable way to be together and enjoy quality time. Another excellent at-home activity is a scavenger hunt. Setting up some clues and writing a checklist of objects for kids to find that you’ve hidden around the house or garden is a great way to bring some fun to your family time.
Making family time fun is the best way to encourage kids to spend quality time with the rest of the family. The best part is that these activities don’t need to cost you any money, but will still bring plenty of enjoyment to your time spent together. Kids grow up so fast, and these times that you spend together are precious. So, why not make a commitment and block out some time that’s reserved solely for family fun? Then the only thing you need to do is choose an exciting activity to try together and get started!
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