Play Board Games

Most of us reading this blog will remember a time where we spent endless hours playing a board game. Board games bring families together for hours of fun and entertainment! This strengthens family relationships by giving them something common to focus on.

In this day and age, children are spending a very increased amount of time in front of the screen. In fact, in 2020 it was recorded that children from 8-18 spend on average 6-7 hours a day on a screen. This massively exceeds the recommended guidelines of 2 hours maximum per day. Investing in a board game will give your kids eyes the break they need!

Head down to a local charity shop and you’re bound to find a cheap board game somewhere. Or why not borrow one of a family friend for free? If you’ve got a particular one in mind, head over to eBay or Amazon and find it for a decent price. It’s definitely a great investment when you take into consideration the number of hours of entertainment it’ll provide you and your family!

Here’s a list of our top 15 suggestions (make sure you check the player age range on each):

1. Monopoly (obviously)
2. Chess
3. Catan
4. Clue
5. Battleship
6. Articulate!
7. Connect 4
8. Scrabble
9. Villainous
10. Axis & Allies
11. Risk
12. Operation
13. Boggle
14. Connect Four
15. Twister

Netflix marathon

I mean, who doesn’t love a Netflix marathon? This goes against our previously stated statistic but sometimes kids deserve a film day. We forget that our kid’s lives can be pretty hectic too and they need downtime as much as we do. So, maybe it’s time to grab some snacks (popcorn is a must) and choose some films that you know your kids will love. Whether it’s Disney movies, comedies, chick flicks, or any other genre that your kid will enjoy. Don’t forget to watch the trailers first! Here are some suggestions if you need reminding of some classics:

Top 10 Disney movies of all-time

⦁ Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
⦁ One Hundred and One Dalmatians
⦁ Fantasia
⦁ Cinderella
⦁ Beauty and the Beast
⦁ The Lion King
⦁ The Little Mermaid
⦁ The Princess and the Frog
⦁ The Mighty Ducks
⦁ Queen of Katwe

Top Kids Comedies of All-time:

⦁ Ice Age
⦁ The Mitchells vs the Machines
⦁ Storks
⦁ The Willoughbys
⦁ Paddington
⦁ Minions
⦁ Zootopia
⦁ Lilo y Stitch
⦁ Diary of a Wimpy Kids
⦁ Beethoven

Top Chick Flicks of All-time

⦁ Miss Congeniality
⦁ Mean Girls
⦁ 13 Going on 30
⦁ Legally Blonde
⦁ She’s The Man
⦁ A Cinderella Story
⦁ Sleepover
⦁ 10 Things I Hate About You
⦁ The Princess Diaries
⦁ Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

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Explore Museums

There are so many free musemns everywhere. All you have to do is search for free museums near you and I guarantee a whole list will come up! It’s a great way to save money and the kids will love it. You can choose from so many different types to suit your children’s interests – history, maritime museums, archaeology, art and so much more! It’s important for kids to learn new things each day and the museums share a lot of information on a whole range of topics. And I think we can all agree that it’s a more appealing way to learn than sitting in the classroom.

Go camping

Again, go camping! This is something the whole family will enjoy. You don’t have to spend a fortune on taking them to a hotel resort. Because let’s face it, kids don’t really appreciate or care for the luxury in life. In fact, your kids are much more likely to enjoy a night around a bonfire in the middle of nature than some fancy five-star resort. Camping will give your children a sense of adventure and freedom. It allows them to discover the joys of being outside which is especially important in the 21st century with all the technology available to them.

Beach days

Nothing beats a beach day. Just tell your kids they’re going to the beach and I guarantee their little faces will light up with joy. Going to the beach for your kids is like transferring to a different water-filled planet. They can spend hours enjoying playing in the sea and sun. And bringing a spade and bucket can keep them busy and entertained for the whole day. Just sit back, relax and let kids be kids. Oh, and go early to get a good spot! If you live in a city and nowhere near a beach then take them to the nearest park. They will have just as much fun.

Gardening

Kids love to plant things and get their hands dirty! Planting a vegetable garden can be an enjoyable experience because they love the idea of growing their own food or plants. And it can be very exciting to watch them grow! The digging part is what they enjoy the most though. Plus, your children can learn lots of new skills whilst gardening. Such as management skills, control and locomotor skills. As they organise their tools, dig and find patches to plant things. Of course, you need a garden to do this. But if you live in a flat, it’s very likely that there will be an area nearby that you can take your kids.

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Hiking

Get out into nature and breathe in some fresh clear air! If you didn’t already know, hiking has so many benefits. It can help reduce stress, anxiety and depression by connecting you to nature. And needless to say, it keeps you fit and healthy. Even if you’re living in a city, there will always be somewhere close by that you can go to for a hike. You’ll most likely discover new places and for free! So find a scenic trail, grab your friends (and bag) and set off.

Plan a sports activity with friends

Playing sports is also beneficial in many ways. It can help you keep in shape and maintain your fitness. It will distract you from any hardships you’re experiencing too and it’s almost guaranteed you’ll enjoy yourself. You can choose out of many different sports such football, basketball, tennis, hockey, golf, watersports and so many more. Find your friends that enjoy the same sports and gather them together. It will give you hours of free fun. And it’s actually a great way to make new friends too. Get your friends to bring their friends along for a game and connect with new like-minded people.

Go fishing

Fishing can bring you lots of enjoyment mainly because of the challenging aspect of it. It’s a great feeling when you come back home with a bag full of fish ready to cook for dinner! It’s a fun outdoor activity that is absolutely free. Many men have claimed it gives them a primal hunting urge, a sort of man vs nature feeling. You don’t need to train to be good at it, you just need to know the good spots and be patient. So anyone can join in on a fishing trip with little or no experience. And you also get to immerse yourself in nature.

Find free tours, festivals or events

You’ll be surprised at how many free tours, festivals and events will be on offer in your town or nearby. Some of them might not be completely free but there is usually only a small entrance fee. It’s fun to check these things out and see what’s on offer. Usually, there is lots of entertainment and you’ll have a great time. Just bring enough cash for some beers and a hotdog and you’re good to go!

Go camping

You really don’t need much money to go camping. Just get some snacks and drinks and invite some of your closest friends to join you. You’ll soon realise that the enjoyment you get out of things considerably depends on who you’re around. You’ve probably heard of the saying ‘it’s not what you do, it’s who you do it with’ right? It’s unnecessary to splash out on a five-star hotel resort when you can have just as an amazing and memorable night for free. Never underestimate how magical a night with your best pals underneath the star lite sky can be.

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Fitness activities

There was a period that no one was allowed outside and this was a huge worry for parents. Usually, if your child is overactive, you could take them on a walk, down to the local park, cycling and any other outdoor activities that would allow them to burn off some energy. But for a few months, people were only allowed out for ”essential trips” which meant hospital appointments, shopping for food and water supplies, dog-walking etc. So burning off that steam had to be moved inside. But fear not, there are endless fitness activities that you can practice inside too. Such as fitness DVDs, yoga, WII fit (if you have one) and so much more. And the best thing? you can easily get up a youtube video and find thousands of free fitness routines.

Legoooooo

Let’s face it, who doesn’t love lego? It’s something that you can get enjoyment out of at any age. And lego is so advanced now that you can make thousands of different things. Children love the thrill of building and lego can easily keep them entertained for hours with more complicated and time-consuming builds available. Want to build a house, a car, your favourite movie hero, a theme park? lego has got you covered. The lego creations almost seem endless.

Baking

It’s time to get those colourful sprinkles out. It’s no secret that children’s favourite thing about baking is that they get to eat it at the end. Which makes it fun and yummy for them, win-win! It’s also a great way to start teaching your kids the basics of cooking skills that can come in super useful in the future. And who knows, maybe your kid will want to become the next Mary Berry. Some simple things to start off with are cookies, cakes and pizza! Then you can move onto more complicated dishes depending on your children’s age.

Back or front garden activities

If you’re lucky enough to have a front of back yard during the COVID-19 pandemic then you should use it to your full advantage! It’s important for the children to get fresh air and blow off steam outside. Even if you only have a small outside space there are many different things you can set up to keep your children entertained. You can turn it into a waterpark super easily by getting a plastic sheet and fairy liquid or baby shampoo. Of course, the kids will absolutely love this and you’ll struggle to get them inside in time for dinner. Or get some messy arts and crafts out there! Painting is a good one to take outside.

Try these four great activities out and you’re guaranteed to keep your kids entertained!

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