Boredom busters: Fun activities for the family
With this list of activities, boredom will not set in this festive season.
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The festive season is in full swing and you might wonder what to do next. The same is true for your kids, so why not get the family together and take part in these activities:
- Origami
Get stacks of scrap paper (you can even collect free newspapers) and make use of platforms such as YouTube and Pinterest for ideas and folding instructions on a wide variety of origami designs. Use thread to hang them from the ceiling.
• Puzzles
Building puzzles is not only a super fun family activity, but it also has many cognitive benefits for the little ones. Puzzle building helps to improve their attention to detail, improves memory, increases IQ, improves problem-solving abilities and better collaboration and teamwork.
• Prepare meals as a family
Long gone are the days of having to wonder how to make a dish. Search the internet to find easy recipes and start making meals as a family. Not only does this promote the children to help around the house making your job easier, it also is a fun family bonding experience.
Here are a few fun dishes you can make with the whole family:
– Make your own pizza
– Create your own pancake stack
– Build your own burger
• Home day spa
Planning a spa experience (at home) as a family can be exciting. Get everyone bathrobes, some massage oils, a few towels and a classical playlist. Top the ambience off with some scented candles and you are good to go. Chances are the kids will pass out on the bed after they have been pampered and give you the chance for some alone time.
• Create fun science experiments
Search the internet for fun children-friendly science experiments that make use of ingredients and products that should be available in your kitchen cupboards or on your garage shelves. Not only is it fun, but they also learn something from it.
• Watch old movies
We all have our favourite family movies we can watch repeatedly without getting tired of them. Some classics are available on Showmax and Netflix. Do you still remember the heart-warming Shrek, Matilda, Annie, Shark Tale, The Lion King, Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Home Alone, The Karate Kid, The Incredibles, Beauty and the Beast and The Parent Trap?
• Play board games
Get your children off their phones and do something that will challenge them. Board games may sound like an old and boring idea, but it still is one of the best ways to spend quality time as a family (while having fun).
• National Geographic Kids
This channel on YouTube is filled with professionally produced videos with interesting trivia facts, animals and science topics. You can choose between short, minute-long videos which you and your child can take in and digest easily, as well as longer, more in-depth videos which delve deeper into a specific topic.
• Picnic in the backyard
With summer in full swing, make use of the good weather and have a picnic in the backyard or in a nearby park. Grab a blanket, pack a picnic basket and head outside.
• Play a game of freeze dance
Music is such a great way to sway a mood! Compile a playlist of the children’s favourite tunes, turn up the volume and ask them to dance until the music stops. When it does, they have to freeze in whatever position they find themselves in – even if they have one leg up. To make the game more challenging, ask the kids to freeze in specific poses like animals, shapes, letters or even yoga postures.