Parenting Today
After the holidays, winter days at home can feel long and stagnant.
Get the family involved in fun new adventures without breaking the bank or needing to plan far ahead. With these 10 days of mini-challenges, you can reinvigorate the whole family during the mid-winter slump.
Cooking
Even if you typically cook dinner as a family, take the time to try a new recipe and meal plan. Choose something with at least one ingredient new to your family, and enjoy shopping together at a specialty market. Make sure that everyone has at least one job during meal prep and service. Set the table with fancy dishes to make the event memorable!
Decorating
Taking down the holiday décor can leave your home feeling a bit empty. Get the whole family involved in decorating one room or area of the house with something cheerful and fun. You can thrift the items you need or DIY something from recycled materials. Here are a few ideas for places to decorate:
- Make a table runner or placemats.
- Style shelves in the living room with items from around the house; frame a new photo as the centerpiece.
- Rearrange furniture in a bedroom.
Gratitude
The holiday season is so busy that it can feel overwhelming to acknowledge every person who touches your life. Once the hectic season has passed, it’s the perfect time to think about gratitude as a family and share that sentiment with others. Sit down together and write cards to friends, family, and community members who made last year special. Try to deliver them in person if possible!
Giving Back
Even after the holidays have passed, the spirit of giving shouldn’t disappear. Take a day to volunteer as a family or prepare items to give back to your community. Letting the kids take the lead and choose a location or recipients is a great way to help them practice executive functioning skills while reaffirming community care. Here are a few ideas for ways to give back:
- Collect used towels and blankets from neighbors and friends to donate to a local animal shelter.
- Walk the neighborhood and offer to shovel snow/mow lawns/clean leaves for houses that need it.
- Stock your local little free libraries with books from thrift stores.
Discovery
Spend time being tourists in your own town! Download a guide online or look for blogs that have travel reviews and choose destinations that you don’t usually visit around your area.
Look for museums that offer free admission for locals, nature paths that you haven’t traversed, and food spots that are hidden gems.
Memories
Spend a day reminiscing with the family. Go through old photos, play family videos, or take turns telling stories. You can pick random words and use those as prompts to recollect fun times. For a hands-on activity, have each person make a memory page for the past year to start a new tradition.
Spring Prep
The darkest days of winter can seem to drag on endlessly, so having a day dedicated to preparing for Spring often lifts the mood. There are so many fun ways to start thinking about projects that will flourish in the warmer months. Choose something that your family can follow through with when the days get brighter. Here are a few ideas:
- Start an indoor herb garden that you can transplant outside when it’s warm enough.
- Sew new covers for the patio chair cushions.
- Head to the local thrift store and find new spring décor or vases for the first buds.
- Look through local hiking guides to find the top-rated trails for a spring outing.
Fun and Games
Upgrade your typical family game night by making the whole day about being silly! Let everyone pick a board or card game to play at some point during the day. In between those bigger events, there are several fun activities going on in the background. Some inspiration:
- Pick a “secret word” that no one is allowed to say. Keep a tally of how many times each person messes up!
- Put 10-15 silly movement ideas into a jar. Each hour, draw one and have everyone do that movement for the next 5 minutes.
Nighttime
With so much darkness during the middle of winter, it’s tempting to hole up inside and avoid the cold. This day’s adventure challenges your family to embrace the cold, dark outdoors and discover the unique nighttime fun opportunities in your area. Here are two of our favorite ideas:
- Pack blankets, hot chocolate, and the binoculars to head out stargazing.
- Invite friends to a backyard bonfire.
Family Vision
Wrap up the 10 days of mini adventures by focusing on your family’s mission, vision, and values. Rather than house rules, a family vision statement helps kids understand how their choices throughout the year align with family goals. Getting everyone involved leads to more buy-in! Write up your family’s vision and values to put somewhere prominent in the house for the coming year.
