Keeping kids active during the cold months or on a rainy day when you live in a small space can be difficult. Here are a few of our family favorites that will not only help with your child’s development but grow your bond as a family. Activities can provide so much more than just “time filler” for your children, they can help build fine motor skills, follow directions, take turns, and learn to play together.
Card Games
Depending on your child’s age, card games might be difficult. But most kids from the age of 3-4 and up can play a handful of basic card games. In an age of technology, sometimes we need to get back to basics and stop overthinking entertainment. My kids and I bond so much when I sit on the floor and play a simple game of “go fish”. A few of my family’s favorites are Go Fish, War, Old Maid, Animal Rummy, Spoons and of course Uno. So many of my favorite childhood memories involve playing games with my family. It is where some of the best conversations happened and these experiences will create a tight family bond as well as some healthy competition.
Hang Man
Laugh all you want but my kids and I play Hang Man on a white board a few nights a week and it is a blast. The white board is not very large and doesn’t take up much space and the dry erase markers are left over from my daughters school supplies from last year. Not expensive and not much space. My kids ages are 10, 5, & 4 and each one is in different stages of learning but it’s a simple activity the whole family can enjoy. Hang Man helps my children learn their letters, spell words, take turns, and again doesn’t involve electronics or toys that take up lots of space.
Charades
We play this a few different ways. Either we act it out for the rest of the family to guess or we pull out that white board I was just telling you about and we draw it. The person to guess the most wins. This game involves lots of laughs and lots of creativity.
Scavenger Hunt
An indoor scavenger hunt is so much fun. This one can require planning ahead but is just as easy in a small space as it is in a large space. My house is very small but still has lots of spaces. Hide clues around the house that will keep your little ones busy solving riddles and working together as a team. At the end they find the prize or treat. It creates a sense of accomplishment that builds confidence and they start to navigate that hard world of solving problems together.
Book Making
A few white pieces of paper folded together and stapled and then let their imagination run wild. At the end, let them each take their turn to read their book out loud to the family. This is a common activity in my home. Now my 4 yr old’s book is mostly filled with pictures while my 10 yr old’s book is incredible; filled with details, a great plot and has sparked in her a love for creating books. She is currently on the third draft of her book which she hopes to publish one day.
Get in the Kitchen
The kitchen is a great place to create memories and bond as a family. The earlier you teach your kids cooking and baking basics, the better. I can’t say this loud enough, Let your kids in the kitchen with you! I don’t care if its making a basic pb&j or a 5 course meal. Start letting them help and at least teach them the basics.
Play dough
Play dough can be found in every classroom or daycare and for a good reason. There is no wrong way to play with play dough. It’s not a competition and children often feel success about their creations. Playing with play dough has so many benefits including building their finger and hand muscles, creativity, work on their concentration, and can be a great calming activity. You could also make your own play dough with a few ingredients you most likely already have at home. This activity can help your child learn to measure, follow simple directions, have a sense of accomplishment and have a great activity to share with friends and family.
Arts & Crafts
I know what you are thinking, what in the world does this have to do with minimalist living. Isn’t this bringing more stuff in our home? Yes and No, hear me out. Let’s get the benefits of making a craft and instead of keeping it, give it away. There are lots of articles about the benefits of art for children, but there is also great benefit in giving and thinking of others. I love spending the time with my kids making the crafts but our house just doesn’t have the space to keep them. Just have the conversation with your kids before you start that we are going to do a craft and afterward we are going to go to the local nursing home and hand them out to put a smile on someone else’s face. You could also take them to a children’s hospital or send them to a grand parent. The point is, don’t let being a minimalist deter you from the incredible experience making art with your kids. One spring, my 3 kids and I painted around 30 easter pictures on construction paper. It took us a few days to complete them and after I wrote on each picture the name of the child who painted it and what their age was. On Easter Sunday, I drove my kids to the local assisted living facility to hand them out to people who had no where to go on this holiday. I am not sure which were more excited, my kids or the residents. It boosted moral in the facility and my kids beemed with pride. Since this, we have made it a point to do something for others, especially around the holidays for those who are alone.
Family Jenga
This is a made up game that I read about a few years ago but has become more of a family favorite as my kids get older. This would be a great game if you have older children or just a group of adults. You take a regular wood Jenga set and write one question on every piece and then set the tower up as usual. The player pulls the piece out, reads the question out loud and answers it before putting it at the top of the tower. You learn a lot about each other and create a better bond as well as have fun.
Build a Fort
This one is a blast but can be a bit tricky in a small space. Yes it makes a big mess but it takes up hours of the day and creates lot of laughs. Everyone has to work together and everyone gets a turn to express what they want in the fort. In the evening we turn the fort into a pretend tent for a sleepover/movie night or we build a pretend camp fire out of our toys, bring our star machine out and shine it on the ceiling and pretend we are sleeping under the stars. Let your imagination run wild and have fun. Trusts me, it will all be worth having to clean up the mess.