1. Put on grungy clothes and go for a grubby walk. Plan to stomp in every mud puddle and utilize every opportunity to get messy!
2. Go for a drive together. Take off and just cruise down some fantasy drive to look at the rich houses or find a scenic route in the country. Slow down and just talk.
3. Go through the house with a grocery bag and fill it with junk you can get rid of– clothes, makeup, utensils, broken crayons, whatever. Then dump it out in a messy spot and help the kids take it apart, use it for crafts, cut it up, make creations or whatever else they can dream up.
4. Invent a card or board game together.
5. Make up a personalized word search, crossword puzzle or other word games. You can include their pets, their friends’ names, interests, funny memories, whatever you like. Crossword puzzles are tough but fun to make up using graph paper, especially if you’re stuck waiting for things and just keep it with you.
6. Check out an old favorite movie from the library (free!) and pop some popcorn. If you like, add a family twist to it– like each family member has a phrase, image or word to watch for. When yours come up you pick from a stack of cards made up with silly tasks (do 5 jumping jacks, cluck like a chicken, give your mom a kiss…).
7. Make a game of supper. Make some small finger foods like mini muffins, some baby carrots, pea pods, etc. Then make cards up for those too and take turns– Eat something green, pass a carrot to the person on your left, eat as many peas as your age… If you’re out of that food, you have to "draw"…. improvise and laugh your way through supper!
8. Make fortune cookies! Involve the whole family in writing up fortunes, from silly to serious, and then make your own cookies to wrap them in with this recipe.
9. Gather up old buttons, silk flowers, big earrings, ribbons and other notions. Help your kids sew them onto sneakers, hats, backpacks or old jackets to personalize them. You can get permanent fabric glue to make it even easier.
10. Start researching your family tree with them. They’ll love finding out neat things about their ancestors and so will you! Start by just interviewing relatives, especially older ones. Not only will you all learn something about your heritage, but your loved ones will love to share their stories with a new generation.
Have a magical week!
~ Alicia