I have found 30 ideas about how to spend more quality time with kids. But for all of this fancy thing to make sense, I want you to read this first…
These days you can probably drown in the waters of online articles about parents spending less than an hour a day with their kids. Tight working schedules, lengthy commutes, daily chores definitely gets you feeling exhausted by the end of the day. And if this wasn’t enough, majority of parent actually feel guilty of not having enough time to spend with their kids.
These statistics raised a question in my mind, that it’s not the MINUTES that matters.
You might be going to cinema, playing computer games or just having a family TV night all together, but it won’t erase that guilt feeling inside of you.
YOU NEED QUALITY TIME WITH YOUR KIDS!
Disconnecting. Spending time together undistracted by any gadgets or daily routines.
YOU NEED BONDING TIME.
Let start from the very beginning of this issue: how to FIND time to bond?
Oh, and it doesn’t mean that you need to spend a dime for it. Remember, quality TIME with kids is BASED on ATTENTION and LOVE.
Jump to:
How to find time for quality time with kids?
Hearing that time spent with children has a measurable impact on their emotional well-being, behavior, or academic success was really powerful or even life changing for me. It’s one of those things you knew from the very very beginning, but only the data can help you understand the SCOPE of the issue.
And if you take at least one thing from this article, I want it to be the following: The quality of time spent with kids is more important than quantity. It means that unique, memorable activities together (NOT minutes or hours!) matter most.
If you ask me the best advice on how can a busy parent fit another minute or hour in his/her day, I would say it is routine or scheduled dates.
Just pick few days per month for a special occasion with your children. Your kiddo will be waiting for it. You will know that this day can’t be replaced by anything else (like those meetings you have at work, right?). The best part of this - You will be able to plan it in advance and it definitely gets some daily stress out of your shoulders.
Having a schedule doesn’t mean that you’re wasting that one extra hour watching your kid play video games or glancing at cinema’s screen
This “schedule” hack only works if you unplug yourself from any devices or passive activities and be fully committed to your child. Eventually you’ll see BOTH SIDE BENEFITS this activity will bring and it will feel more like a habit rather than scheduled meeting.
OK. We’ve found some time, but WHAT should we do together?
Yeah, I know. Finding the right activities that would create a bond between you and a child and wouldn’t feel “old-school” “awkward” or something “we did last time” is quite a hassle.
But I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t come up with 30 IDEAS you can do with your child during your next DATE together!
Quality time: Outdoor activities
- A trip to the park. You can make some snacks together and bring it for a picnic.
- If you are living near the beach or are planning to spend a weekend or holiday there, go for a walk and watch the sunset (or sunrise! Wow, right?!). Don‘t forget some simple yet awesome games like building the sandcastles.
- Find the coziest cafe or bakery and go there to have a talk and drink your favorite milkshakes.
- Go to thrift stores for shopping! Real life tasks and challenges will be a way to share your daily life experiences.
- Have a picnic in your backyard! Built a tent? Fort? Tree house? Cuteheads have a nice idea!
- If you feel artsy, organize aturday drawings! Enjoy the colors and shapes of nature. Take paper and pencil, go to the park and express the landscapes you see in the paper OR use our friends Thepinterestedparent super awesome landscape projects for kids’ ideas.
- Go for a walk to the flower fields. It can turn into super awesome sensory activity.
- Exercise together at home or in the park! It might turn out to be the best way to start being active again!
Quality time with kids: Play ideas
- Play tags! You may have forgotten how active and entertaining this game is.
- Play shadow puppets in the fort you’ve made jointly. Some awesome printables for shadows you can find here!
- Sing songs and dance together. Super silly and never boring! Without a doubt the best mood booster.
- Playing board games can be useful and fun activity for the whole family. One of our favorites is here!
- Ask your kid what kind of makeover will be interesting to him/her and find some DIY ideas to implement it!
- Create a video together (using mobile phone and apps). Just for fun!
- Family game night. You can choose few ideas from the list and do it during your next family game night Sounds like a perfect plan, doesn’t it?
- Have a karaoke at home. Oh… That can turn out into a weekly habit quite quickly!
100 SIMON SAYS IDEAS
Simon says cards are perfect for teachers in the classroom and it works as good ice breakers as well! Cards are created with few different categories:
- Chill out
- Animal Whisperer
- Silly
- Move Your Bones
Quality time: Educational activities
- Read a book together - at loud! My advice: choose roles for the characters from the book. Giggles guaranteed!
- Create some stories together by telling one word each. You can record it (f.e. via phone) and have some a dun “FAMILY STORIES”audio library!
- Choose the recipe and bake it together! My advice: create family recipe book, where you’d gather all the recipes you’ve made during the time.
- Made-up stories. Use different voices, toys and other things you find around yourself to make it super funny! I am sure your kid will gladly join you.
- Find an art you both love: painting, playdough, crayons other crafts.... Gather all the favorite art pieces you have made during the time and organize an art gallery opening at home!
- Learn crocheting.
- Go for swimming, tennis, basketball, ballet or other lesson together!
- Try yoga at home! Cool ideas for kids yoga can be found here.
- Create some tasting platters (olives, vegetables, fruits or something that you haven’t tried) and share the flavor experiences! In addition, you can include a funny story about the meal to encourage kids to try it!
- Once a month organize a kindness activity. Just do something good for others. No questions asked. Don't forget to share your experiences and emotions after it.
Quality time: Indoor activities
- Organize a living room sleepover! They’ll ask for more!
- Watch a movie together with delicious snacks (like popcorn with a healthy twist)
- Let your kid to choose the clothes from your wardrobe and have a photo shoot!
- Write a diary about time you've spent together. So, when the next date come, share the emotions and thoughts you and your child experienced.
I hope to inspire you to start implementing these ideas right after you finish reading this article about quality time with kids. Do not postpone it anymore. Leave the chaos behind.
I promise, the moment you see the biggest smiles on your kid faces, you won’t post-pone those quality date any longer.
Just grab an idea, plan the date and start creating unforgettable memories together with your children <3
