Family Day Ideas

Today, we want to share an easy to follow guide to help you have a memorable day as a family. Remember, the key is connection, try not to think of these ideas as tasks but rather as suggestions. Feel free to adapt them to what works for you! Ready? Here we go!

♥ Make pancakes (or another favorite)…from scratch and all together as a family.  Check out The Minimalist Baker for tons of delicious pancake recipes, including allergy friendly options. Try to be as hands-off as possible, you can teach but try just watching and listening. Once you are ready, arrange everything on a tray, complete with you favorite morning drinks.

♥ Crawl back into bed all together and eat…read to them, tell jokes or play would-you-rather.  Follow the links for ideas if you need inspiration!  Try to really listen and make eye contact, again, let them do most of the talking. 

♥ Head to the kitchen and wash up the morning dishes, everyone can have a task – wash and dry the dishes, wash down the counters, give the floor a quick sweep.  Playing your favorite music during this time is a great way to keep everyone in a fun frame of mind. The goal is togetherness not a spotless kitchen. 

♥ Time to burn off some steam and get moving!  Try this quick exercise routine, or one of your personal favorites, and get everyone’s blood pumping for the day.  

♥ DIY Spa time!  Head to the kitchen and whip up some face masks for the whole family.  Find your favorite recipe here and enjoy the wonderful relaxing experience of you child applying a gooey concoction to your face…remember, it’s about connection not perfection. Feel free to do nails and back rubs as well, and don’t forget cucumber slices for your eyes!

♥ Time to clean up! Showers for anyone that needs one and then everyone gets dressed for the day.  The catch?  Everyone is challenged to wear every color of the rainbow AND the kids will be doing their parent’s hair.  You’ve always wanted a faux-hawk, right?

♥ Lunch will be taken care of by the kids.  Take a breather while they create menus, set the table and prepare your meal.  You might end up with a granola bar, 12 cheerios and a glob of hummus but remember, it’s the thought that counts!  

♥ If getting outside is an option, now is the time to do it!  Go for a hike or simply play in the yard.  Teach you kids a sport or game that you loved as a child.  If you do not have an outdoor space or the weather is not cooperating, blow bubbles out the window and enjoy the fresh air.  Try one of this simple DIY bubble recipes. 

♥ Time to get creative! Grab a large sheet of paper or canvas and create art together.  You could each draw yourselves for a fun family portrait, draw a tree and everyone uses a favorite color to stamp fingerprint leaves or use a dice and every number you roll correlates to a different art medium (markers, paint, yarn, salt, glitter) that you will need to use on your collaborative art. Have fun! 

♥ Serve others together!   Create cards and gifts for your neighbors.  DIY playdough makes a lovely gift for families and little bouquets of wildflowers or baked goods are always a hit! Take this opportunity to talk about how your neighbors will react to their gifts and then enjoy watching the kids leave the packages on doorsteps, ringing the doorbell and dashing away.  

♥ Time for supper prep!  Why not make pizza from scratch?  Here are a few fun ideas to spice things up a little. Make your own dough and let the kids shape theirs like their favorite animal or make silly faces with their toppings.  

♥ While supper is cooking, introduce the kids to your favorite songs from your childhood or teenage years.  Take turns playing your favorites and belting them out together.

♥ After supper,  let the kids enjoy a soak in the tub and surprise them with one of these ideas!  You could also play music and use essential oils to help them unwind from the day.

♥ With everyone clean and back in their jammies, create the ultimate blanket fort for a fun family movie night!  Use every pillow you can find and make your nest as comfy as can be…throw a mattress in there and add some twinkle lights if it’s an option!

♥ Pop some popcorn with an air popper or stove top style and grab your favorite treats.  Be sure to choose a movie that everyone will enjoy, we don’t want anyone tempted to check their phones because the movie is mind-numbingly dull!  Snuggle and laugh together, watch their little faces as they repeat every line to you…connect.

♥ If sleeping together in the fort is an option, go for it!  Talk about your day, remember your favorite parts and tell each other how much you love each other over and over.  Sleep tight, family! 

 

I hope you found connection today and had fun making new memories!

-Sue