I can remember the fun times that my brother and I often had with my dad growing up. We used to cook while watching movies together, and talk about what we would cook later. Oftentimes, I can remember my dad and brother playing basketball in the backyard while I played with the dog. I’d often practice throwing razor sharp knives while my brother played with nunchucks…
Wait a minute, knives and nunchucks? Now that I’ve got your attention, let’s focus in on some more appropriate parent-child bonding activities that everyone can try out.
Storytelling
Reading fairy tales and children’s books to your kids is really fun and it will strengthen the bond between you and your children. This is especially true with small kids because they will grow accustomed to your voice when you read to them. If your kids are a little older you can tell them your own personal stories. Try to stick to the funny stories; they’ll love it and hopefully, remember them forever. Both our parents and our grandparents did this with us and we enjoyed it so much more than reading from a regular children’s book. By including some personal, fun, stories, your children will learn more about where they come from and hopefully they’ll be able to one day pass the stories down to their own children.
Plant Trees or Plants
I think I was about four and a half years old, but I still remember the time when we planted a couple of pine trees in front of our house. My dad had brought small saplings home and had the family plant them together; mom loved the idea and joined in as well. Even though we haven’t lived in that house for many years now, when I pass by, the tall trees are the first thing I see!
Mini Sewing Projects
Now, don’t jump to conclusions; this isn’t just an activity for girls. Yes, although sewing is predominantly an activity associated with girls, there are plenty of things our young boys can sew too! In addition to the classic dresses, doll clothing and handbags, superhero capes are also a fun item when it comes to imaginary play. Sit your chap or gal down and have them sew a logo on a cape. The most important thing is to help foster your child’s creativity, so just go along with whatever they’re interested in making. You may be surprised at your child’s creativity!
Picnic
Picnics do not begin on a lovely grass field in a calm park outside of the city. It actually starts in your kitchen with the food prep! So, let you kids in on the fun. Let them choose what to prepare and let them do it themselves. It may be a bit messy, but they’ll never forget the experience and neither will you. You will both have a lot of fun before you even leave your house! Don’t forget to prepare some activities for after the meal like dodgeball or frisbee.
All in all, your children love you and want to bond with you. In today’s fast paced world it can seem hard to slow down and spend the quality time that we all wish we could with our little ones. Although this may seem true, when we focus on small moments of connection with our children throughout their lives, we will be able to foster a strong bond that will serve as an anchor to them throughout their life.
Helen Spencer is the founder of HelloSewing, a blog providing honest sewing tips and sewing machine advice. She loves all things DIY- crafts, drawing, decorating, making beautiful things out of scratch with her own hands and above all – she simply loves sewing! You can get in touch with her on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.
