First things first, there is a lot going on the world right now. We go from one media storm to the next and some people believe that to write about anything other than the current events is insensitive and tone deaf. There is nothing about my intentions that would be insensitive or tone deaf, if you know me. It doesn’t mean I don’t care or am not having conversations of my own, but I think it’s okay to reserve some space in our lives for talking about something other than the current state of our nation with our children.
I’m all for talking to your kids, but I am going out on a limb here to challenge you to allow your children to be children too.
Corrie Ten Boom once asked her father what anti-Semitism meant. Without speaking a word, he handed her his large, heavy suitcase to hold. She held it for a long time before asking him to take it because it was just too heavy for her to carry. As he took it back, he explained, “Anti-Semitism is like this suitcase. It’s too heavy for a little girl to carry.”
Your job as a parent is to shoulder those heavy topics and keep things age-appropriate in your discussions with your children and around your children. That said, it’s summer, so I want to offer you a few full-family-fun activities to do at home today. Is anyone up for that?
As you probably know by now, our ages range from six to fifteen. Our six-year-old also has some slight disabilities that inhibit her participation in some activities you might think are age-appropriate for a six-year-old. So, that poses some challenges for our family to find ideas that are fun for everyone to participate in.
While it is possible to come up with some family-fun activities for at home, this is also a really good time to teach our children about compromise. After all, I tell my children regularly, “The sooner you realize that life isn’t all about you, the happier you’ll be.”
So, some activities may be more enjoyable for some than others. That’s okay! Actually, that’s part of the fun! Learning to compromise is a life skill. No, it’s not always a fun process to learn that skill, but if your children can learn a life lesson through having family fun, well, we take what we can get, right?
Remember, there are simple activities that are fun for all and they don’t have to be fancy or Pinterest-worthy. If you live in the mountains, go for a hike. If you’re like me and SO HAPPY to live where it is very, very flat, go for a walk! You can go for a bike ride, jump on a trampoline, swim in a lake, have a picnic, or make s’mores. Those are activities that should be fun for all!
But maybe those seem mundane and you’re looking for something with a little more creativity. Before I jump into that list, please let me remind you that sometimes the things that seem mundane to us, are BIG fun to children!
Five Family-Fun Activities You Can Do at Home and Include Children of All Ages
- Have a Water Fight—
When was the last time you had a water fight? It’s been a long time for me! Sure, sometimes one of them will spray the other with the hose and cause…a legitimate fight, but neither my husband nor I has participated in a long time.
Maybe you already have everything you need—Super Soakers or enough garden hoses to go around. But if you don’t, there’s no need to go out and buy a bunch of items. Instead, you can follow the directions found here to make some ammunition out of simple sponges.
Let the fun begin!
- Make a Family Escape Room Experience–
My kids love Nancy Drew books, the board game Clue, and all things Sherlock Holmes. So, why not combine those things into a fun, escape room?
For around $30, you can download and print your own family escape room experience here. If you’re on a tighter budget, or you just hate paying others to do what you can do yourself, I think you could come up with some clues of your own! I’m going to try and if I come up with something great, I’ll make it available to you. In the meantime, check out these fantastic ideas for a kids’ escape room!
- Play Outdoor Games—
Kickball is a somewhat forgotten game. It’s time to bring it back! It’s an easy, fun family activity to do at home for young children. Older kids will want to get in on the fun too! You can drag your Twister mat outside, or spray paint the circles on the lawn. Pillowcase races, egg tosses, and three-legged races are all vintage fun that need to make a comeback. When I was growing up, we frequently played croquet, which, of course, my dad always won! In any case, we had fun and made memories!
- Tie-Dye—
Regardless of whether your children have done this before, (after all, it does seem to be a camp staple) or if you’re new to this, it is a blast! There are so many methods! You can use colored t-shirts and bleach (though I might not recommend this with very young children), or order up some white t-shirts and see what designs you can come up with. In our family, we love to do this with red, white, and blue to have something festive to wear on the 4th of July.
It’s so much fun to see what each child comes up with! There are actual methods and tutorials online for certain designs, or with younger children, they just have fun adding color to make their own design.
It also doesn’t get old! We just did this last year, but our children are all itching to look up a tutorial this year so they can try a certain design.
- Start a Family Band–
Does your family have some musical instruments and a little talent? Even if the answer is “No,” you can still have a little family band! Our children all play instruments, but they don’t know how to play together. A couple of months ago, my son was playing the trap set, my daughter was strumming on the ukulele, while my other daughter blew on a referee’s whistle! It was too funny and creative to break up. You don’t have to be ready to take on America’s Got Talent (is that still a show?) But I’m telling you, it’s a lot more fun if you’re making noise right along with your kids! Pick up some Tupperware and a spoon and jump in on percussion. And be sure to allow the giggling to be the loudest instrument of all!
Most of these activities require little to no budget and little to no planning. But you MUST plan to do it! Get that into your schedule! Wrap your head around it. It’s a non-negotiable! Most importantly, have some fun with your children. You won’t get this time back…and they’ll appreciate hearing about something other than COVID and riots!
RElated: Five Quick and Easy Family Fun Nights
