Top things to do with your children:
- Play outside: go to the playground, ride a bicycle, take a walk in the woods, toss or kick a ball together, jump rope, hopscotch
- Build together: build with wooden blocks, Legos, play doh; make forts inside and out; do puzzles
- Play games: board games, cat’s cradle, jacks, paper airplanes, tag, hide and seek
- Do arts and crafts: paper, glue, yarn, clay, paint, and everything else you can think of!
- Read together: books, magazines, signs
- Establish a daily wakeup and bedtime routine and schedule; in the first week, plan to use that schedule once; every week after, add one more day following the schedule.
- Establish a technology schedule (e.g., when and how long to use devices); in the first week, plan to use that schedule once; every week after, add one more day following the schedule.
- Talk to your kids everyday about any subject they like. If you can’t get your kids to talk think of asking them some funny questions. We love this list.
- Set aside time to play board games as a family. That opens up opportunities to enjoy conversation, it also teaches important skills like taking turns and being generous when you win or loose a game. No one likes a sore loser. No one likes a person that gloats either!