Creativity is key for children
The attention span of a child under the age of 15 reflects that of most kittens, especially when they are being “forced” to spend the day with boring old Mum and Dad! In case you’re having a creative block, I have a few ideas on how to get the family involved, and more importantly excited about spending time together in order to create those all important memories.
Joker Card
The idea is simple. Every member in your family takes a joker card from a pack of playing cards. When anyone shows this card to the rest of the family, they must all stop their plans and do whatever activity that person has decided for the day. Pretend paintball in the rain, teddy bears’ picnic under the kitchen table, or even a day of family shopping!
This is a fun and exciting way to spend the day, not necessarily always what you would pick to do, but that’s all part of the fun! Set a time frame for playing your card (I recommend 6 months, but smaller families my opt for 3 months), set a budget for activities, and certain ground rules (you don’t want your 7 year old playing the joker card at 3.30am on a Tuesday). Once everyone has played theirs, it’s time to start again.
Movie Night
I’m not talking about going to the movies, when you can bring the movies to you! Move the furniture round, serve freshly made popcorn, ice-cream, and drinks with straws. Even pin bedsheets to the windows to make it a black out room.
Do what you can to recreate the magic of the movies. It’s something the kids will absolutely love, and something you can all look forward to on a weekly or monthly basis. Take it in turns to pick the movie and what flavour of ice-cream is being dished up, and everyone will be happy. If it’s a rainy Saturday, the younger kids could even spend the time making some ‘tickets’ for the movie!
Mystery Car Tour
Deciding where to take the kids (or parents for that matter) on a day out can be hard work. So mix it up. Write down some ideas of where you have never been and would love to visit, or sentimental places like where you got married, or where you used to live growing up. Put the names in a hat and once a month someone pick the destination! It can be a great talking point between family members both old and young and you’ll end up creating new memories to cherish.
Annual Family Day
The name is in the title. If you have a large family that lives all over the country, try to schedule in one day a year to all make the commitment and gather for a rather special family day (not just Christmas Day).
Choose a location that’s central for all to get to and decide on an activity suitable for all ages. For example a big family BBQ on a beach, with afternoon games. It can be as well-planned or as casual as your family wishes, but the idea remains the same – spending quality time together and with those closest to you.
These are just a few ideas to get you started, remember make it fun, make it affordable and most importantly make it memorable!