Remember the adage that says families who play (and pray) together stay together? Here are some ideas to help you plan some fun activities with your family.

Family comes first

Years from now your children may not remember what car you drove, how much money you made or what your clothes looked like but they will, for sure, remember the fun times they spent with you and their siblings. By investing some of your time (and sometimes money too) in fun activities with your family you will be richly rewarded by thankful children who will never forget these times spent together. One rule though: lock those cell phones away and teach them the art of one-on-one communication!

Fun things to do without breaking the bank

    • Go on a breakfast picnic to a park or your nearest zoo or botanical garden, the beach or in your back yard. Everybody must help prepare the food and drinks
    • Play board games such as Monopoly, Scrabble, Pictionary or Snakes and Ladders if the children are very young
    • Work together on a giant jigsaw or crossword puzzle
    • Play “start a story”. One person starts the story, talks for three minutes and then lets the next person continue. Go round the circle two or three times and let the youngest child end the tale
    • Go on a hike through your neighbourhood and take the dogs with you
    • Make a family collage or family tree, frame it and hang it in the house
    • Make music together; children love singing and dancing along. Go really wild
    • Play soccer or any other outdoor game such as hide and seek or make up your own game
    • Pick flowers from your garden or outside in the veld and press them
    • Play “I think you’re nice because…”. Someone sits in the middle and each person gets a chance to think of a quality he/she likes in that person. They then take turns to give the first letter or sound and the rest must guess what the quality is
    • Create a weekly or monthly family newspaper on your computer. Everybody must contribute and someone must type it out and distribute it. Remember to send the grandparents a copy
    • Pitch a tent in the backyard and sleep there.

Fun things that may cost a little

    • Go to a rugby, soccer, tennis match together
    • Go on an organised hiking and camping tour
    • Visit your local zoo (try a night tour), the planetarium, art and other museums in your city/town. Join their “Friends of the…” and receive special favours
    • Join Friends of the Rail and plan a steam train trip
    • Visit a game or lion park
    • Go for a balloon ride as a very special treat.

These are but a few suggestions and although it may not appeal to everyone, the main aim of having fun is doing it together! Go ahead and create some lovely family time memories for your children.

 

Sources
100 Fun things to do with your family. Retrieved from: http://www.parentportal.co.za/Fun%20activities%20 Gauteng.aspx
100 Things to do during a money free weekend. 2008. Retrieved from: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/07/17/100-things-to-do-during-a-money-free-weekend