There’s nothing that makes you feel young again like being with the little ones, which is probably why you can’t stop spoiling them while letting them run around your home like it was their own personal romper room. While that’s wonderful fun, it may not be the healthiest way to spend time together, especially when there are so many engaging learning activities for you all to enjoy, whether the kids are coming for the weekend or for good.
Before your time with the little ones begins, take precautions so your home is safe. Besides keeping cleaning products and other toxic chemicals out of their reach, you should secure heavy items like bookcases to the wall, which can be done using straps, L-brackets, or other attachment devices, say the home experts at The Spruce. Televisions, meanwhile, should be placed on an item of furniture that’s designed to hold their weight.
Science Experiments
There’s a lot more to science than just memorizing facts from textbooks. Dig a little deeper into the what the internet has to offer and you’ll find plenty of hands-on experiments that teach kids how chemistry and physics work in real life. You can start here with a number of engaging activities, such as making your own homemade puffy paint.
Arts and Crafts
Arts and crafts are a wonderful way for kids to express their creativity while building their fine motor skills and just having fun, says the parenting website Mommy Evolution, which adds the ability to focus and improved self-esteem to the list of benefits for young learners. So, which project should you tackle first? That’s a tough one, as a quick Google search for “kids crafts” yields hundreds of results. To narrow it down, go through the sites with the little ones until they find something that catches their attention.
Games
You’re probably not a video game fanatic, and that’s for the best, as the kids would have more fun with the classics -- and learn more to boot. For the really little children, there are the old standbys of “Simon Says” and “Hot or Cold,” while older kids would get a kick out of “Hide and Seek.” Once everyone’s settled down, break out those jigsaw puzzles that are tucked in the back of the closet and see how long it takes to finish one.
Cooking
Cooking doesn’t seem like something kids would love, but you’d be surprised. They often take keenly to the kitchen as it offers them to chance to be like the adults, so roll with it if you want them to learn a basic life skill while developing healthy eating habits. If you’re in need of a recipe, world-renowned chef Jamie Oliver has a few ideas. Of course, you’ll need to supervise the little ones as they crack eggs, chop vegetables, and stir the sauce.
Gardening
What about the tomatoes for the salad? Are you going to use the ones you bought from the stores or some fresh ones from the vine? You might as well let the kids pick a few and help out with the watering and weeding while they’re out there. For you, it’s free labor. For them, it’s a wonderful learning experience that will teach them about the life cycle of plants and where our food comes from. A flower bed provides just as much fun and education.
Exploring Nature
Hiking, fishing, bird-watching, geocaching -- these are just some of the activities to choose from once you head out into the great outdoors, and the kids will appreciate blowing off some steam while getting some sunshine and fresh air. Plus, there’s a lot to learn about the local flora and fauna you’ll see on the nature trails, and you may even want to bring a book to help you identify the different species you see along the way. Oh, and don’t forget the sunscreen.
Once that’s sorted out, there’s little left to do than enjoy some time together with the ones you love. However, don’t forget the most important rule: Have fun!
Article By: Anya Willis
Image via Pixaba