When most people think of special days in February, Valentine’s Day is the one that comes up the most often. But the day most people forget is Family Day. Trying to keep your children busy can be challenging on any day let alone in the middle of winter when most businesses are closed, but we’re here to help with some ideas for this Family Day!
Board game time
Put those phones & tablets away. Say goodbye to PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch! Make this day a board game day. Dig deep in your closet & choose one of those board games you haven’t played in year. If they want to get creative, maybe they can make their own game! Here are some of our personal favourites:
- SORRY
- Trouble
- UNO
- Clue
Once Upon A Time
Nothing says “family time” like cuddling up and reading a story together but if you want to take it a step further, how about making a fort or castle to go with the theme of the story you’re reading? The kids can even dress up as their favourite character in the book and act it out! I asked my coworkers to give me some of their favourite childhood books for inspiration:
- Green Eggs and Ham by Dr Seuss
- Elephant and Piggie by Mo Willems
- The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
- Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
- Click, Clack, MOO by Doreen Cronin
Catch a flick
Sometimes just chillin’ out and watching a family movie on Netflix or going to your local theatre and watching a new release is just the right amount of family time. Just a few great family movies out in the theater are:
- Dolittle
- Frozen 2
- Jumanji
Homemade Fun
One of my favourite things to do when I was a kid was to make homemade playdough and I promise your child will love it too! Not only does it allow you to create something with your kids while spending some quality time together, it gives them something that will probably occupy them for quite some time without making a total mess. If you’ve already created playdough before, maybe try out a “homemade slime” recipe for even more creative fun! Here is a simple Playdough recipe to follow:
Materials
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
- Food coloring
- Saucepan
- 1 cup flour
Directions
- Combine water, oil, salt, cream of tartar, and food coloring in a saucepan and heat until warm.
- Remove from heat and add flour.
- Stir, then knead until smooth. The cream of tartar makes this dough last 6 months or longer, so resist the temptation to omit this ingredient if you don’t have it on hand.
- Store this dough in an airtight container or a Ziploc freezer bag.
So, as you can see, there is plenty to do with your children on Family Day that doesn’t even involve stepping out of your home on these cold, winter days. Let us know what you’re doing on your Family Day by posting a photo on Instagram and tagging @royalcitysoccerclub!