4 Ways to Spend Quality Family Time Together

by Ivan Šuba

It may be the last thing that your kids want to do, but spending time together as a family can make a real and lasting impact on who they will become as a person.

Investing in yours and your child’s wellbeing can sometimes seem expensive. Brands and products will tell you that you need to spend lots of money to have your child entertained and happy. But, it’s simply not true! All that you have to spend is time to see the benefits that quality family time together can have for your child (and for you)!

The Benefits of Spending Family Time Together

  • Helps children to perform academically
  • Teaches effective conflict resolution and debate skills
  • Reduces stress which can significantly improve physical health
  • Improves mental health and wellbeing
  • Helps kids to learn parenting skills and healthy relationship models
  • Boosts self-confidence and self-esteem
  • Reinforces existing family rules and boundaries
  • Encourages healthy communication and fosters a sense of belonging
  • Can increase outdoor, physical, or mental activity

Now that we’ve taken a look at the benefits of quality family time, it’s time to consider how you go about doing it. Here are some of the simple (and inexpensive) ways to spend quality time with your family members.

Take it outside!

The pandemic has made staying home and indoors easy. But, what about the great outdoors? Plan a morning at your favorite local park. Or head out for a trail walk with your little ones. If your kids need more than just a walk to stay entertained, try jazzing things up with a scavenger hunt of outdoor objects, birds, or types of leaves. Depending on the weather, a pool or beach day might be the perfect remedy to shaking up the boredom.

Plan a bookworm day

Plan a cozy afternoon with some of your favorite books. If you’re looking for some new reads, take a cruise to the library or local bookstore and let your kids pick out the titles that excite them. Try to select engaging and imaginative stories that draw your kids in. A great example is popup book Dandeliophone that features unique characters. The popup book style can be a great way to engage a child. If you’re looking to go beyond reading, try taking the main characters from the popup book story and creating your own narratives with those same characters! This can be a great way to encourage creative play.

Play a board or card game

Try a board or card game for some exciting quality family time. There are lots of counting or word based games that can encourage creative play amongst your kids and yourself. Make the games day complete with some light snacks (popcorn, veggies and fruit, or a “snack-cuterie” board) to really impress your kids.

Cook or bake something new

Kids love to get creative in the kitchen. Recipes can be a great way to learn fractions (¾ cup) and to learn how to carefully follow instructions step-by-step. If you’re feeling imaginative, try a pizza night where your child gets to choose what they want on their individual pizza. Let them know that creative play with food is not only okay - it’s encouraged!

  

 Photo by: Andrea Piacquadio

 

 

Websites referenced or researched:

https://www.firefliesandmudpies.com/10-ways-spend-quality-time-child/
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