5 Ideas for a Family Fun Weekend
Whoever said that having kids would be easy, well, they probably weren’t speaking from experience. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a blessing and I love the little munchkins to bits, but when it comes to planning activities to tire the little monsters out, you can fairly quickly run out of fresh ideas.
Luckily, I’ve found that I don’t necessarily need new ideas – I need something with enough variety and craziness to keep the kids wanting more of the same! And so, after much trial and error, crying, sobbing and sulking, I’ve managed to comprise a list of my top five family – or better, kids’ – weekend activities.
A Coastal Road Trip
Take your family on a cruise, visit a neighboring town and stop at various beaches along the road. I’ve found that my kids get all hysterical when I announce that we’ll be spending the weekend exploring the shores and eating out somewhere new.
Raise the Anchor!
Now, we’ve only done this once, but they won’t stop pestering me about it, so I guess we’ll be revisiting the adventure again, very soon. Back in December, we went parasailing along the coast on Saturday, and then went actually sailing on Sunday. I don’t know how far we went, and how long we stayed out there, all I know is that the family loved it, and I hurled twice. So much fun.
DIY for the Brave
Yes, I actually let my kids fix, make and break things in the backyard. This one is only for the brave parents among you, because things will be flying and kids will be screaming all day. But, it’ll be worth it, as it will tire them out, while helping them develop their motor skills and cognitive functions by creating new things. In one weekend, we built a new dog house, painted it in all kinds of crazy colors and put up bird nests and feeders in the trees. Talk about cheap workforce.
Jumping is Fun
Hopefully, you have a strong stomach, because kids love to jump around. Especially on trampolines. And so, my kids now have their favorite trampoline park. Just make sure not to give them food immediately before you take them running, jumping and screaming because if you don’t end up cleaning after them in the park, you will in the car.
Get Them Into Sports
What’s both fun and practical at the same time? Watching your kids fail terribly while trying out a new sport and seeing the stars in their eyes when they fall in love with it. To build your kids thirst for sports, a sense of camaraderie and a competitive spirit take them on a weekend-long sporting adventure.
Don’t just take them to basketball or football games, but have them try out different sports and martial arts, and witness a strong, competitive spirit coming to life. So far, my daughter wants to be a ballerina as well as a boxer, and my little superhero, well, he likes golf. I’m still hoping he’ll change his mind next weekend.
There are plenty of family activities your kids will love; you just need a bit of imagination. And speaking of, always remember – kids are creative, so use your storytelling prowess to inspire and excite them, and they will love every minute of it.
Gabriella Diesendorf is a freelance writer from Australia and a devoted mother of two kids, two cats, and one large dog. She loves badgering about pets, green lifestyle choices, and parenting techniques.
