There are exactly 52 weekends in 2016. How are you going to spend these days.
Kids are young only for a short time, and weekends, if they are holidays for you, can be planned to fit in some good fun activities with your children. Believe me, the pressures of the rest of the week melt away after spending quality time with your kids.
Their appreciation for this quality time may not be very visible in the short term and if asked to be away from their iPad and phone, many a kid may at first have some perfect alibis to not participating in them.
If we persist on following through this list, the advantages will be apparent and you can expect full cooperation from them. They will learn important lessons on how to deal with life and its problems, by being with you and they will brighten up your child's mind and spirit.
1. READ A BOOK TOGETHER: Select some age appropriate books from the library and read together. For older kids the parents can read their own books while the kids read their own. The small ones may need a read aloud time. Another idea is to select a kid’s book and each person read out one chapter aloud. This will improve concentration and improve creativity and imagination.
2. MAKE A SHORT FILM ON YOUR CAMERA : You can use your smart phone camera to make this film. It can be on any topic; it can be a dub smash or a small play the child has thought the plot of. Whatever it is make it fun and have a blast making that movie. Some resources are
3. GET A DVD AT HOME AND ENJOY WITH POPCORN : Make caramel popcorn and put them in a cover and enjoy a movie at home
Make these Popcorn boxes like the ones you get in the theatres and fill it up with caramel popcorns
Box template ; draw the template on cardstock and cut it out : a template is available here.
4. CREATE A FAMILY BLOG : create a blog together for the family in blogger and you can update it regularly with important events in the family and family photos. If you give admin rights to all the family members all can update with their own story. Blogger is one of the best platforms to make a free blog.
5. GO WINDOW SHOPPING -Window shopping is more appropriate and that too for a small duration as kids tend to get very tired being along with adults when they go shopping. Walking along the passages of the malls looking at the shops admiring their different ware can be as therapeutic as shopping itself
6. GARDENING : give one pot to each kid and some seeds ; Let them do all the work with your supervision then give the responsibility of taking care of the plant when it sprouts
3. GET A DVD AT HOME AND ENJOY WITH POPCORN : Make caramel popcorn and put them in a cover and enjoy a movie at home
Box template ; draw the template on cardstock and cut it out : a template is available here.
5. GO WINDOW SHOPPING -Window shopping is more appropriate and that too for a small duration as kids tend to get very tired being along with adults when they go shopping. Walking along the passages of the malls looking at the shops admiring their different ware can be as therapeutic as shopping itself
7. GO TO A MUSEUM : Museums can teach and entertain even the adults ; go with an open mind and learn about a different world together with your kids.
8. PLAY A CARD GAME : Cards are entertaining and teach kids a lot of social skills like taking turns etc. check out this site for some easy games
9. VISIT THE NEIGHBOURING PARK and walk around.
10. HAVE A PILLOW FIGHT
11. GO ON A HIKE : Hiking is a long and vigourous walk in the countryside. Plan ahead for a single day hike and go with all protective gear and food and water
12. BAKE DAY : Bake a batch of cookies from the start to finish; Make sure that the kids are involved from the start from the making of the batter so that they have a feeling of accomplishment.
13. MAKE HOMEMADE PLAYDOUGH : take cookie cutters and make interesting Shapes together
14. BEACH FUN : Go to the beach and make sandcastles
15. MAKE BUBBLES : Make a bubble solution and go out and blow huge bubbles
16. MAKE FALOODA : Falooda is a super delicious – I don’t know whether to call it a drink or a dessert – The layering of jelly rosemilk and dry fruits is something kids can do with great enthusiasm.Recipe
16. SWIMMING : Go to the pool with the kids and enjoy a swim.
17. HOUSE VISIT : Go for a house visit to one of your elders in the family .
18. PHOTO ALBUM : Create a photo album of 2015 events ; it is nt enough that you have your photos in your phone or google drive ; to see them in print I a different feeling. Buy a good looking small album; print out the important pictures and arrange them in proper order in the album so that when you look back after some years it is a good feeling to see all your memories in pictures.
19. SCIENCE EXPERIMENT: Set up all the apparatus and do a small experiment together to explain some scientific concept to the kids. This can be done regularly as learning by doing and observing beats all other kind.
20. MAKE A FAMILY BOOK : This family book can be filled with the details about your family members with their photos and trivia like their like and dislikes
21. BALLOON TOSS : play ballon toss with a hand made bat made of paper plate The bat can be made very easily ; glue a wooden ruler or a similar stick to a paper plate . make a couple and play toss with balloons.
22. JOKE HOUR : For one hour continuously try to say jokes taking turns. You can alternately read from a joke book. Spending an hour laughing out is great fun believe me.
23. VIDEO GAME : Play a video game.
24. POPSICLE : Make a pineapple popsicle : Get kids in the kitchen helping you making these super easy 2 ingredient (if you add sugar 3 ingredient) popsicles.
Take 2 cups pineapple and blend it with ¼ cup coconut milk. The result is a creamy posicle when done will delight your kids.
25. CARICATURE : Draw a caricature of each other. Paste them together an make a family photo.
26. INTERVIEW TIME ; Play out a quizz about each other’s likes and dislikes with a set questionnaire as in a real interview.
27. SUNSET WATCH : Go and watch sunset in a nearby beach.
28. HIDE AND SEEK : Kids of all ages love to lay hide and seek and if you join them in their games they will be your fans forever.
29. ZOO : A visit to the zoo does not need a recommendation as an all time favourite fun activity for your child.
30. CHILDHOOD STORIES : Share a story from your childhood. The kids get a feeling that they know a part of your life that they have not imagined.
31. GO TREK : Go on a mountain trekking together to a nearby hilly area.
32. ICE CREAM TIME : Visit the best ice-cream parlour in your town and go for a visit for a late night after dinner dessert. I strongly recommend the Baskin Robbins. Drool!!!!.
33. MAGIC TRICKS: Learn some easy magic tricks together. Magic always fascinates kids and some tricks are very easy to do but the reactions you get is nothing short of amazing. Learn your tricks from resources online or from books in your local library. This is a good source for some cool tricks
34. KITE FLYING : Get a kite and fly it together
35. CYCLING : You can think of renting cycles if you do not own them.
36. FORGIVENESS LETTERS : Write letters of redemption ; Ask all to think back on a person they have done an injustice to. Take a paper and write a letter to them asking for forgiveness
37. DESIGNER JEANS : Make your own designer jeans. Take an old jeans . Gather supplies like scissors, fabric paint, brushes. Refer some celebrity torn jeans pictures and try to get that effect.
38. BARBEQUE : Choose a weekend with clear skies and invite some family friends for a barbeque party
39. WATER BALLOON FIGHT : . Get some balloons and fill water. Go outside and have fun throwing them at each other. You have to fill at least 20 to have a good fight
40. JOGGING: Select a street where there is not much traffic in the early morning.
41. CHARITY: First declutter wardrobe and the kids toy storage box; choose at least 4 things you have not use in a long time to be given to charity. Giving teaches some good things to the kids like thinking about less endowed, empathy etc.
42. NATURE WALK : Go on a nature walk and take at least 10 pictures of interesting nature
43. HENNA HANDS : Decorate hands with a henna cone check out this site for some beautiful inspiration
44. DIY DÉCOR : Make a DIY decoration together with your child for your house
45. SING SONGS : Sing your favourite songs together.
46. ICING ON A CAKE : Bake or buy a cake and have fun decorating it.
47. TSHIRT PAINTING : Get some plain t-shirts in different colours. Get fabric paint and go about decorating. Get the kids to let loose their creativity on the t-shirts. Let them make their own wearable art.
48. LAKE CRUISE : Go for boating in your town - make sure to carry sunscreen and hats and sunshades
49. SPA DAY: Book your family to a home spa day. Get all the supplies and get ready to pamper each other with head massages, pedicures, manicures, facials.
50. DICTIONARY: Learn 10 new words together; Open dictionary and select 10 words randomly and learn their meaning. Don’t just stop there; make up sentences with them; in fact this is an activity which should be done every week so that by the end of the year all of you have a nice vocabulary.
51. DRESS UP: Give some of your old clothes to play dress up ; All kids love to dress up ; give them accessories and freedom to do what they want. You will be amazed at the costumes they will come up with.
52. CAR WASH: Let the kids help you in washing the car; give a sponge and a bucket of water and let them scrub the car clean to its glory.
These fun activities can be enjoyed by kids of all ages. I have listed the activities randomly. It is better if you can plan your weekend by the middle of the week and discuss it with your child and stick to the plan on weekends. If you have any hesitation, just think of the advantages in incorporating these activities into whatever other things you have planned with your time.
Do not forget to keep a journal so that by the end of the year you will have a book full of good memories of shared laughter and limitless fun.
7. GO TO A MUSEUM : Museums can teach and entertain even the adults ; go with an open mind and learn about a different world together with your kids.
11. GO ON A HIKE : Hiking is a long and vigourous walk in the countryside. Plan ahead for a single day hike and go with all protective gear and food and water
13. MAKE HOMEMADE PLAYDOUGH : take cookie cutters and make interesting Shapes together
15. MAKE BUBBLES : Make a bubble solution and go out and blow huge bubbles
16. MAKE FALOODA : Falooda is a super delicious – I don’t know whether to call it a drink or a dessert – The layering of jelly rosemilk and dry fruits is something kids can do with great enthusiasm.Recipe
19. SCIENCE EXPERIMENT: Set up all the apparatus and do a small experiment together to explain some scientific concept to the kids. This can be done regularly as learning by doing and observing beats all other kind.
21. BALLOON TOSS : play ballon toss with a hand made bat made of paper plate The bat can be made very easily ; glue a wooden ruler or a similar stick to a paper plate . make a couple and play toss with balloons.
22. JOKE HOUR : For one hour continuously try to say jokes taking turns. You can alternately read from a joke book. Spending an hour laughing out is great fun believe me.
24. POPSICLE : Make a pineapple popsicle : Get kids in the kitchen helping you making these super easy 2 ingredient (if you add sugar 3 ingredient) popsicles.
Take 2 cups pineapple and blend it with ¼ cup coconut milk. The result is a creamy posicle when done will delight your kids.
26. INTERVIEW TIME ; Play out a quizz about each other’s likes and dislikes with a set questionnaire as in a real interview.
28. HIDE AND SEEK : Kids of all ages love to lay hide and seek and if you join them in their games they will be your fans forever.
30. CHILDHOOD STORIES : Share a story from your childhood. The kids get a feeling that they know a part of your life that they have not imagined.
32. ICE CREAM TIME : Visit the best ice-cream parlour in your town and go for a visit for a late night after dinner dessert. I strongly recommend the Baskin Robbins. Drool!!!!.
34. KITE FLYING : Get a kite and fly it together
36. FORGIVENESS LETTERS : Write letters of redemption ; Ask all to think back on a person they have done an injustice to. Take a paper and write a letter to them asking for forgiveness
38. BARBEQUE : Choose a weekend with clear skies and invite some family friends for a barbeque party
40. JOGGING: Select a street where there is not much traffic in the early morning.
42. NATURE WALK : Go on a nature walk and take at least 10 pictures of interesting nature
44. DIY DÉCOR : Make a DIY decoration together with your child for your house
46. ICING ON A CAKE : Bake or buy a cake and have fun decorating it.
48. LAKE CRUISE : Go for boating in your town - make sure to carry sunscreen and hats and sunshades
50. DICTIONARY: Learn 10 new words together; Open dictionary and select 10 words randomly and learn their meaning. Don’t just stop there; make up sentences with them; in fact this is an activity which should be done every week so that by the end of the year all of you have a nice vocabulary.
52. CAR WASH: Let the kids help you in washing the car; give a sponge and a bucket of water and let them scrub the car clean to its glory.