How do you spend quality time with your family? Now more than ever, it’s important to get in some good old-fashioned quality time with the whole family. So gather up the kids and get ready to have some fun: here are our suggestions for activities you can enjoy with the entire family!
Making Family Time Special in St. Louis
Here are a few of our favorite ideas to get the family together:
Cooking
Cooking with your kids, no matter their age, can be an amazing experience. Yes, even for the adults! Getting your kids involved in meal preparation is super beneficial on a few different levels. Not only can you all have a good time together, but this is also a teachable moment, an independence-building exercise, and a lifelong skill.
Try new recipes. Broaden your horizons; introduce your kids to new ingredients and cultural cuisines. Give them tasks to do so they feel involved. There’s a certain pride associated with feeding your loved ones, and it can help give your kids a self-esteem boost. Teaching kids cookery skills can—and should—start at a young age, considering skill level and comfort level, that is. Enjoy the process, and then share a tasty meal or snack, knowing it was made with love.
Arts & Crafts
Sometimes you have to get hands-on! Whether that means getting playful with paint, firing up the glue gun, or going wild with the crayons, doing arts and crafts as a family is a great way to exercise your creative muscle. Whether you’re a kid or just a kid at heart, you can have fun and make some art.
Messy Little Monster has some adorable ideas about how to make not just art, but memories. The family handprint is a cheap and cheerful way to create something together. It can also serve as a reminder of how you turned a difficult time into a moment of celebration. Involve the whole family, even the pets!
Road Trip
Hit the road, Jack! Why not take the kids on a day trip? Go to a park for a snowy winter walk, grab the toboggan and hit the hill, or go and admire the local sights. When the weather warms up, pack a picnic and find a scenic spot.
Not all road trips need to have a destination, though. Sometimes it’s nice just to get out and enjoy the scenery together. Listen to some music, get crazy, sing along, play a road game, roll down the windows, and feel the breeze. It may be better for these destination-less trips to keep them short, so the passengers don’t get bored and cranky. However, some (but not all!) babies find car trips extremely relaxing – this one might be a helpful sleep aid for new parents!
Say Cheese
Maybe the idea of handing an expensive camera to your toddler doesn’t sound like the best idea, but hear us out. Photography can be a great way to teach your kids about art and creative expression. Little ones won’t grasp the techniques of ‘good’ photography yet, but there are lots of camera-centric games you can show them to help engage their imagination. And you probably need, oh, 20 new pictures of the cat. Right?
Fortunately, it’s easy to find kid-proof cameras on Amazon if you have a very young one prone to drops. Older kids may be able to use an inexpensive point and shoot camera. The best part about this? If you’re a photographer yourself, you’ll be able to get some snaps of your little one capturing memories of their very own.
Board Games
Ah, good old board games—fun for the whole family! The board game you choose depends on the age, maturity, and patience of your kids. Still, there’s nothing quite like a board game to bring your family together – or, if you’re playing Monopoly, irreparably destroy your relationship.
So which board game should you choose for your family night in? NY Mag has assembled a definitive list of the best board games for families. It includes everything from throwbacks like Mousetrap and Battleship to enduring classics like Jenga, Chutes and Ladders, and yes, Monopoly. Regardless of age or ability, there’s a board game out there for you and your family.
What’s your favorite family activity? Did any of these ideas inspire you to try something new or dust off an old classic? We’d love to hear about it. Give us a call and share your experience today.
