Free Activities To Enjoy With Your Family

Posted on October 26th, 2009

Everyone loves to have a little fun now and again. Especially kids! And, of course those that are still kids at heart. But, with the rising economy, it becomes more and more difficult to have money on hand for fantastic family outings.

You may already know, or have heard, that spending time with the ones you love costs you nothing. And that’s true. However, without some activity to help pass that time, you may just be stuck spending time in the living room glued to the “boob tube”. Not very fun. Although, at certain times, going outdoors isn’t always possible.

Blowing Bubbles

Making your own bubbles couldn’t be easier! You can use liquid hand soap and a bit of water to do this. All you would need is a bubble wand, which you could create out of a bit of thin wire(left over Easter Egg wire dippers would be excellent for this), and a container for the bubbles(you could simply use a bowl or plastic container for that) and you’re all set.

For smaller children, try picking up some “tear free” shampoo to create your bubble mixture with. Do remember that the more “foamy” a liquid soap is, the lower quality your bubble mixture will be. Now, to create your own bubbles, simply take 1/15 cup of liquid soap(actually it is said that dish washing liquid works best) mixed with 1 cup of water inside whatever container you want to store it in.

Board Games

Almost every family home has one form of board game or another. Whether it be your standard board game such as Monopoly, Sorry, Trouble, etc., or a DVD type trivia game, these can provide hours of fun.

While DVD style games are fun, the classic board games are better as you will never have the same outcome. Meaning, even though you are playing the exact same game, the winner is unknown until you have finished the game.

Try spicing up the game by playing for different types of prizes, but be sure that everyone will win something. The prizes could be dividing up chores that are to be done, having the 1st place winner getting the easiest household chore and the last place winner receiving the more difficult, or the chore that is least preferred by all family members.

You could also try having the prizes consist of allowing the 1st place winner pick tomorrow’s activity, 2nd place winner picking the following day’s activity, and so on.

If you don’t have a board game lying around, why not invent your own games? Activities such as “treasure hunts” can be fun and educational at the same time. You can create your own maps or clue lists and let the first place winner(s) have first pick at the treasures. And, of course, the treasures can be anything you can think of that would have significant value within your particular family unit.

Also, a good game of hide and seek can also be hours of fun for all ages. And, hide and seek can be played both indoors or outdoors depending on the weather.

Play Card Games

Almost every “dollar store” sells decks of cards for a buck. And, almost everyone knows how to play card games. Whether it’s “Go Fish”, “Old Maid”, Gin Rummy, or 5 Card Draw Poker. Obviously, you wouldn’t want to teach your child how to become a poker virtuoso, but playing a card game such as “War” or “Go Fish” can help develop your child’s math skills.

Now, you don’t have to have a special deck of cards for games like Go Fish, Old Maid, or War. Any standard deck will do. So, when the kids are awake, you can play those card games that are child oriented, and when they go to bed, you and your friend, or significant other can play a more adult oriented game such as poker or Rummy.

Always have some sort of “prize” on hand if you plan on having a family Go Fish tournament. And be sure that everyone is a winner with the prizes going down in vaule or size. This is especially important for younger children so that no one every feels as if they are a “loser”. And, no one likes to feel that way, even older children. Although they might never admit it

Working On Puzzles

If you need a bit of quiet time, then working on a 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzle may just be what you need. Not only does this type of activity build a child’s problem solving skills, but it also helps develop their multi-tasking skills when you add conversation into the mix.

There are other forms of puzzles you could work on together, including crosswords, word finds, and of course the ever popular Sudoku. Any one of these can help develop yours and your child’s brain power while spending some wonderful quality time together.

Home Movie Night

The way the phrase “home movie night” is used here is not to watch movies you have made of your family, but, rather it is to allow each member of your family to select a movie from your own DVD or VHS collection and watch them.

Try having each family member select a favorite movie or one that they have not viewed for quite some time to make it more interesting for everyone. Pop up your own popcorn, make your own special “smoothies”, and have a healthy snack to go with your movie.

Make it an entire day of family fun and participation. Get everyone involved with the snack making and movie choosing. This can be a great way to spend time together on a rainy day.

You could also do some sort of fun activity during “intermissions”, or between movie playing as well to make it more interesting. Such as, to decide which movie will be watched next, try playing a quick game of charades. The winner gets to watch their movie. This way, you’re not just “vege-ing out” in front of the television.

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