You have a weekend coming up and you don't know what to do, so your kids end up playing video games all weekend. Here are some ideas to get you and them out the door.
1. Take a hike - Go to the local park or try urban hiking - hiking through the city and see if you can find something you haven't seen before.
2. Local Library - Many libraries today get their patrons in with events and activities. Reading buddies is popular at ours - teenagers read to your kids while you roam the library uninterrupted. I would have love this when my kids were little. And then of course there are the books, magazines and videos. Sometimes I just walk through the how-to books just to see if I find something new.
The library can also be a source for other activities in the area. Most libraries have a community bulletin board or flyers.
3. Build a campfire - Fall is a great time to have a fire in the backyard. Roast hot dogs and then finish it off with some marshmallows.
4. A board game - yes, that's right a board game. One of the best bonding activities - and yes better than minecraft. Our family favorite is anything by Cranium and the classic Clue (actually we have Disney's clue). The game is less than the cost of a couple of movie tickets. Unlike computer games, bored games have you face each other so that the conversations are more interactive and fast paced.
5. Meetup.com - Find a playgroup in the area or perhaps a yoga class or a writer's group.
6. Camp in the backyard or in the living room - I do not sleep in the tent with them but setting up a tent and eating like we're camping (sometimes we get pizza) is just fun. For a special treat, and for my sanity for their safety, my kids sleep with the dog outside.
7. Do a fun run or 5k - today many runs have fun runs for the little ones or if they are older do a 5K. Most runs have a theme and support a good cause. One of my favorite runs with my kids was the chocolate 5K - hot chocolate and chocolate dipped everything.
8. Charades - I don't get it with this game but from the little tots to the teenagers, they love this game. A new twist on Charades for the older kids is the board game Anything Goes - they are silly charades with silly guesses.
9. Visit a local tourist spot - We live near DC, so the tourist stops are far and wide but what about the ones in your hometown - a museum, a historical building or trail, or the older section of town that you can just walk from shop to shop. Learn about how your town got named or how it got settled. You may be surprised.
10. Scrapbooking - Print those photos and get them into a photo album. You get to relive some great adventures you had over the year while preserving those memories.
What do you do on your weekends?
1. Take a hike - Go to the local park or try urban hiking - hiking through the city and see if you can find something you haven't seen before.
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| You're very lucky if you can do a beach hike. |
The library can also be a source for other activities in the area. Most libraries have a community bulletin board or flyers.
3. Build a campfire - Fall is a great time to have a fire in the backyard. Roast hot dogs and then finish it off with some marshmallows.
4. A board game - yes, that's right a board game. One of the best bonding activities - and yes better than minecraft. Our family favorite is anything by Cranium and the classic Clue (actually we have Disney's clue). The game is less than the cost of a couple of movie tickets. Unlike computer games, bored games have you face each other so that the conversations are more interactive and fast paced.
5. Meetup.com - Find a playgroup in the area or perhaps a yoga class or a writer's group.
 |
| Even the dog is ready to roast marshmallows |
7. Do a fun run or 5k - today many runs have fun runs for the little ones or if they are older do a 5K. Most runs have a theme and support a good cause. One of my favorite runs with my kids was the chocolate 5K - hot chocolate and chocolate dipped everything.
8. Charades - I don't get it with this game but from the little tots to the teenagers, they love this game. A new twist on Charades for the older kids is the board game Anything Goes - they are silly charades with silly guesses.
9. Visit a local tourist spot - We live near DC, so the tourist stops are far and wide but what about the ones in your hometown - a museum, a historical building or trail, or the older section of town that you can just walk from shop to shop. Learn about how your town got named or how it got settled. You may be surprised.
10. Scrapbooking - Print those photos and get them into a photo album. You get to relive some great adventures you had over the year while preserving those memories.
What do you do on your weekends?
This time of year in the north-east, we're in apple picking season. Its a great way to spend a Sunday morning/afternoon with the family. In a few weeks, we'll take a drive to view the foliage, and work in a Hike (see suggestion 1 above). Foliage photos get the most "likes".
ReplyDeleteYes, we're just coming into apple picking season and thanks for the tip about the photos.
DeleteWe love doing a lot of these things. This weekend we are going to a local festival :)
ReplyDeleteYes, this time of year has a lot of festivals, I think people go out doors more this time of year than any other time I can think of.
DeleteWe love to find great spots to eat. Dining out is a big thing with us and by finding new places with either kids play areas, near the beach, overlooking the water and boats keeps our boy entertained. We try to ensure there is something for everyone and at the same time, he gets to learn table manners when eating out.
ReplyDeleteSo cool that you have "visit a library" on you list. I think there are far too many children and adults alike you haven't stepped inside a library in far too long. We have a brand new big and beautiful library being built near me in Selkirk, Manitoba. I can't wait for it to open!
ReplyDeleteMy last thing with my three year old was a castle. Both of us had a real good time!
ReplyDeleteI recently spent a Sat visiting a local farm. We went on a farm tour then had a picnic onsite. It was fun, informative, and FREE!
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ReplyDeleteI love board games. I think my all time favorite is scrabble though :-D I love charades, too! To your fabulous list of family activities for the weekend, i could add riding a bicycle in the park followed by an outdoor picnic and some volleyball playing. I don;t have kids to do this with but i remember how much i loved i when I was a child ;-) Thanks for a great post, Joanne!
ReplyDeleteI do agility trials with my dog and we get a lot of people coming to watch the dogs running the obstacles. The trials are held on weekends and are sanctioned by the American Kennel Club. Got to AKC.org and search the website for agility and then go to your state and see if they one in your area. People brings tents and hang out. It is a lot of fun for anyone.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, weekends are for laundry, groceries, and cleaning. Well, just part of the weekends anyway. My husband and I make an effort to always do something, whether it's going to the local farmer's market or doing many of the things on your list. Now that we've moved from Charlotte back to Idaho, I'm a little bummed because Boise doesn't offer the same wealth of things to see and do. It's one of the most geographically isolated state capitals. But in any case, I've already made a list of things we never tried to do and restaurants we never ate it. So in a way, we're treating our old city like a new home and re-discovering it as we go.
ReplyDeleteYou've got a lot of good ideas for weekend activities. This time of year on weekends, I go hiking with Journey, my miniature, red poodle, and bring a my water bottle and backpack with a notebook and a camera. Things like shopping, I prefer to do during the week when it is less crowded.
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