The school year has started; for many of us that requires our children to spend more time in front of screens than we’d prefer. On top of that, we may be a little low on creative inspiration after being home for MONTHS while we quarantined to slow the spread of COVID-19.
I don’t know if I can say that my children are truly “screen-free” but we’re pretty close to it. I have 4 kiddos, ages 3-7, and our household just functions at a higher vibe when they aren’t sucked into the iPad or hours of TV. This means that my house is almost always pretty messy and chaotic. In these moments I try to remember that one day I can have spotless white couches and a quiet house… and pretty sure I’ll be nostalgic for the season I’m living now, while the kids are small.
In the meantime, what do we do to keep busy and connected while we’re still home? To help get your creative juices going again, I pulled from my bag of tricks and also my Mom Bucket List of family activities I want to do with my own kiddos!
Ten New Ideas for Family Activities
Superhero Night.
Everyone gives themselves a new superhero name and superpower… and keeps it the entire night. Make it a theme by watching a superhero movie together and doing a craft to make masks (or wear some that you already have).
Set up a mini-golf course.
Fun for all ages. Make it as big or small as you like and it’s always a bit more exciting when there’s a prize at stake. You can just lay some coffee mugs on their side as holes!
Learn magic tricks.
There are lots of videos online (seriously, how did we learn things without YouTube?) or you can find many books on the subject.
GoogleArts.
If your little one liked the Little Einstein shows (great, now the theme music is stuck in my head), this is really neat! If you are doing virtual school this could be a nice brain break idea.
Learn to sew.
This is a valuable skill that kids of any age can do, to varying degrees. One option for very small children is to buy some age-appropriate kits that will keep their attention and produce something really cute that they can be proud of making.
Flashlight Tag or hide-n-seek.
Give everyone a flashlight and have fun! I know your tweens and teens may push back on this but if you can convince them to participate, they will have a blast! If your child is scared of the dark, let them partner with a parent or sibling. You can finish the game by doing a shadow-show on the wall with the flashlights.
Write a play and act it out.
If your children are very small then you can type out the scenes while they share their story with you.
Paint or draw portraits of each other.
This one gets really silly, really fast! Remember, no peeking while someone is drawing you! Hang the masterpieces on the wall for all to admire!
Make up secret handshakes.
My kids LOVE to have a special handshake with me and I know yours will too!
Design your dream home.
Grab some paper and draw your dream homes. Include the details that would make it special to you. My kids wanted a swimming pool in the living room and an ice cream machine in their bedrooms–GENIUS!
What are some family activities that your kids enjoy?
These are cute ideas! I love to be as screen-free as possible. Thanks for sharing!
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