School starts in just 6 short weeks. We have had an amazing Summer so far and are loving all of our time together. Soon the mornings will be short and rushed, the days will go by quickly between drop off and pick up and there won’t seem like enough hours between dinner and bedtime. As our children get older time seems to fly by and we are reminiscing of the days of learning to crawl, saying first words and taking those first steps. It’s important that we take time with our kid to reconnect during the busy school year. Here are 5 great after school activities that can help you reconnect with your kids.
Park Dates: Take them to the park and let them climb, slide and hang from the playground. Run around and get out all the energy they have pent up after sitting all day at a desk. Don’t just sit there on your phone and scroll social media while they play. Spot them on the monkey bars, climb the rock way or go down a slide with them.
Family Walk: We love to take small hikes/walks as a family. There are all kinds of simple trails around our community and they make for a great time to get outside and be able to visit at the same time. Talk to each other, look for bugs and maybe have a race. Because we live in Texas and the majority of the year is pretty warm to hot we make sure to pack water bottles for everyone and a few snacks too. A family favorite are Goldfish® crackers. Kids love them because they are delicious and fun, moms love them because they are baked with real cheese and contain no artificial flavors or preservatives.
Board Games: Some days are a little too hot to be outside playing, We love to set up some yum snacks and break out our favorite board games. Everyone has a great time laughing and plotting their win.
Help Cook: The weekends are when our family loves to sit down and have breakfast together. Kids love to help in the kitchen and there are tons of tasks that are age appropriate for kids. Cooking is also a great time to practice reading and math skills together.
Read Together: Make time each evening before bed to read a few books together or a chapter or two. Kids love to be read to and it helps them expand their vocabulary as well. Bonus its super relaxing for parents too.
What is your family’s favorite way to reconnect during the busy times?
