It’s easy to slip into the habit of thinking that family fun time together means going out – to the theme park, to the cinema, to watch a match….. And that, of course, means spending money. With many families strapped for cash at the moment, it’s worth rethinking the activities that you share in as a family and planning for some fun time together at home. If you can already hear the groans of protest starting from the kids, here are some ideas that may transform those protests into enthusiasm!
Fun time cookin’; courtesy of Ban Vas Uyen
- For younger children, cooking a special meal together that they have helped to plan and prepare can be messy but a great source of both education and fun. Get them to decide on a meal with their favourite foods, and then to design a menu and a table setting. Encourage them to have fun embellishing a dish with special vegetable shapes or patterns with pasta (dad can help with this!) A great thing about this activity is that you get to eat the results!
- Plan to brighten up a kid’s bedroom with stencils or murals. Takes some courage on your part, but if the kids are old enough not to spray paint around the whole room, it’s an idea that they love, as a way of personalizing their own space, with the whole family helping.
- How about all those daily or weekly chores that just have to get done? Involve the family in the weekly shop so that the drudgery turns into fun. Play “guess the price” as you’re drawing up a shopping list, and when you’re at the supermarket, delegate finding particular products to individuals.
- For some reason, dads and kids love the visit to the local tip! So get them sorting all the rubbish that needs to go, with prizes for the fastest bagger-up, or for the cleanest and tidiest bedroom once the rubbish has been taken out!
- Design a treasure hunt around the house and in the garden – even older kids love this, once they’ve had their chance to register a cynical sneer at the idea. You could also suggest turning the tables – so that they get to design the treasure hunt for their parents. Creates great hilarity and many crows of delight from the kids as you and their dad miss the obvious clues.
And once the family reverts to their usual individual activities of playing computer games, chatting to their friends on Facebook, or watching the big match on television, and you are free to relax…. How about indulging yourself with a spot of bingo with online bingo 888ladies. There site has had a makeover and is launched today (25 November). You can see more at their facebook page.
After organising all that family fun you deserve to give yourself a treat
