10 Things for Families to Do Together Over the Holiday Break
With many of us across the country hoping for a “normal” holiday break and now faced with another pandemic holiday instead, it’s time once again to hunker down at home with your family. And we are all well-versed in just how tough it can be to fill ALL. THAT. TIME. when you have little ones at home. Whether you’re still working from home or not, your time together is about to increase and the days might feel longer. Here are a few great things you can do together.
10 Things for Families to Do Together Over the Holiday Break
Read to each other…
Reading is a great way for school-aged kids to practice their skills, and it’s fun for parents to sit with a little one in their laps and do all the voices. It can be hard to find time during busy weekday schedules to read every night. Now is a great time to catch up and rediscover the joy of reading aloud to your family. If you need a little inspiration, this will help.
Cook & eat together…
We’re all tired of doing all of the planning and cooking. So, if you’ve always meant to teach your kids to cook, give it a go now. In need of some ideas on what types of things your kids can do? This article on age-appropriate cooking tasks can help. When you’re done, gather at the table, dish out the meal, ask each other questions, find some riddles you can rhyme off to one another, and just talk and talk and eat and eat for as long as you’d like.
Allow a little (more) screen time…
Movie nights, binge-watching a show together on Netflix, heck even playing some games on the iPad. Why not?
Get outside…
When the weather is nice, head out for a hike, go to the park, take the dog for a walk, ride your bikes, play tag. Your kids will likely be able to give you plenty of ideas on what to do once you’re outdoors.
Take naps…
The kids may not be on board with this one, but if you can manage it with your partner or other caregivers, try to sneak a nap in. Even just a 15-minute nap can give you a little boost to make it through a long day.
Make quiet time mandatory…
Everyone benefits from it, so why not try and set aside a certain amount of time each day for everyone to have a little quiet time alone. You can put together ‘quiet time boxes’ for your kids filled with new things they haven’t used or played with yet, like crafts, books, colouring supplies, quiet toys, and whatever else you can dream up.
Bring out the board games…
Nothing passes the day quite like an epic game of Monopoly. And for more great game ideas (many that can be ordered online) here’s a list of some of our favourite family board games.
Rediscover puzzles…
They’re tough, time-consuming and they’ll get your brains working. Nice!
Work on a craft…
It can be as simple or as complex as you like. Paint rocks, take up knitting, or even good old popsicle sticks and glue work, too.
Bake something…
Baking with kids is not always easy, but the end result is lovely. Cookies go a long way when trying to lift someone’s spirits. Just saying.
In all seriousness, we know many of us are still really worried right now, and maybe some of us are sick and tired of this never-ending pandemic. One thing is for certain, taking some time away from the world as much as you can and rediscovering the joy of family is a positive way to look at the situation. Love one another, guys.
