Making the Most of 5 Minutes

In this fast paced society, we are all so busy. By the end of the day, parents can feel guilty about not taking advantage of the limited time we have with our kids.

In our home, we decided to take a familiar concept and adjust it to fit the needs of a family. Pretty much everyone I know has been to at least one bridal shower where guests contributed date night ideas by writing activities on popsicle sticks that the newlyweds could do together in the future. Instead of date night excursions, families can come up with short activities to do each night, once a week, etc.

If your children are old enough, they can share their thoughts. You can color the end of each popsicle stick a different color for each member of the family as you all write down ideas and alternate whose activity you do.

Infants and Toddlers

·         take a walk in the backyard and talk about the plants and animals you see

·         dance

·         if you own a guitar or keyboard, play a song for your kids

Young Children

·         do coin rubbings using crayons and paper and talk about the value of the coins

·         play Tic-Tac-Toe

·         choose a category (plants, animals, food, etc.) and make Play-Doh items that fit into that category

  

At our son’s one year birthday party, we set out the popsicle sticks and asked our family and friends to share their ideas with us.  We now have a container full of activities we can do together.