*This is a collaborative post.
Family time really is the most cherished of times. But for many busy parents, we only realise this when our children have left the nest.
So, if you are lucky enough to have kids that still live at home, make every effort to spend quality time with them while you still can. After all, they’ll soon have work responsibilities that consume them just as much as yours. They may even set up a home away from their parents, in the same way you might have done, and have kids of their own that will immediately become their primary focus.
When it comes to spending time with your children, there are plenty of hands-on, family-friendly things you can do that are not only a lot of fun but also can help foster their creativity and problem-solving abilities and enhance their ability for self-expression.
Perfect for when they are bored on rainy days or when you just want to make memories with them, here are some of the brilliant activities you can do as a family that all members will love!
1. Craft Projects
If you are looking for a way to bond as a family while encouraging your children to be creative, you can’t beat crafting.
The great thing about craft projects is that you don’t have to spend lots of money to do them. For instance, with some old magazines, newspapers, or photos, you can make a vibrant collage together.
Alternatively, you can use air-dry clay or polymer clay to sculpt figurines, bowls, or ornaments or redecorate old boxes for storage.
As kids love crafts, it’s a good idea to have a dedicated craft space set up at the ready with materials like glue, scissors, glitter, and paints, which they can use at any time. Here are some more ideas for craft activities you can all do together.
2. Take Art Classes Together
Craft projects can be messy. So, if you don’t want to be faced with a big tidy-up job after doing your creative activities, you should think about going somewhere else to do them. One good option is the Pinot and Picasso art sessions that are run throughout the country.
Although they were originally designed as a way for adults to socialise and enjoy wine, the company also runs family classes where you can all explore your creative sides. Best of all, you’ll even be able to take the masterpieces you make back home with you!
3. Cooking and Baking Together
They say the kitchen is the heart of the home, which is why cooking and baking in it with your children is such a wonderful thing to do.
Cooking together teaches children important life skills, such as self-sufficiency, and the scope of what you can make is endless. Pizzas are always a popular option, as kids love to decorate the bases with their favourite sauce and toppings while learning how to make bread or pasta lets them get really hands-on, too.
Then, of course, there are cakes and cupcakes, which involve decorating with frosting, sprinkles, and edible decorations. Just make sure you don’t make the kids too full of sugar, though!
Here are some healthy recipes you can make with them.
4. Gardening
Gardening is another hands-on activity that kids love to do if you’ll let them. Not only does it give them an appreciation for nature, but it also teaches them patience and responsibility.
Kids will love getting their hands dirty and watching their efforts bloom over time, and there are plenty of gardening projects they can get involved in. They include decorating plant pots before planting seeds or flowers and starting their very own vegetable patch with easy-to-grow vegetables like carrots, tomatoes, or beans.
Overall, gardening can provide your children with several benefits, including a sense of accomplishment, and even give you something tasty to eat or beautiful to look at, too!
5. Music and Dance Jam Sessions
You can’t beat a good song and dance as a family. So, why not break out the karaoke and belt out your favourite tunes?
Alternatively, you can get your groove on as you play some instruments, which can be real ones like guitars and keyboards or makeshift apparatus, such as shakers made with rice and empty bottles and drums derived from pots and pans.
Overall, singing, dancing, and playing music as a family is a surefire way of leaving everyone in high spirits while bonding in an enjoyable way.
6. Board Games
Ask any member of Gen X about board games, and they’ll probably spend hours waxing lyrical about what wonderful memories they have of playing the Game of Life, Cluedo and Trivial Pursuits. Therefore, if you want to spend some quality time with your children having fun, then you should play with them on a regular basis.
Some board games like Pictionary have a very hands-on, creative element due to people needing to draw clues to the answers of words or phrases.
But if you don’t have any at hand, you can always play Charades, which requires you all to think on your feet as you out movie titles, animals, or professions without speaking.
What do you enjoy as a family?
