As families spend more time together, they’re looking for more ways to have fun than watching TV and playing with smartphones. Here are 5 activities that are entertaining for children and adults alike?and are all inexpensive or free.
- Stay in for live entertainment: Ready. Set. Action. Turn off your TV and other devices. Create a theater-like atmosphere and drape sheets or blankets over tables and chairs. Act out stories from books, read or recite poems, sing or Karaoke, dance, or stage a play with homemade sock puppets.
- Hold a backyard decathlon: Put your imagination to work. Set up an obstacle course in your backyard. See who can do the most sit-ups, push-ups, leg lifts, and jumping jacks in a minute, and race around the yard. Make award certificates for the winners, and let whoever wins the most competitions choose which dessert to make after dinner.
- Get creative with arts and crafts: Look for craft materials around the house and search Pinterest for DYI craft ideas. For example, search “empty soda can” to find ideas for jewelry, coasters, and art sculptures. Or, draw caricatures of each other or pictures of your favorite family vacation. Make a year’s worth of personalized birthday or holiday cards.
- Use your library’s digital capabilities: Most local libraries offer so much more than just books. You can download ebooks and audible books from home. Go to your library’s website and discover what’s available for all ages.
- Cookie or Cake Decorating Content: You don’t have to spend a lot to have a lot of fun. Raid your pantry for cake mixes, frosting, candy pieces, food coloring, and more. Create cookies or cupcakes to decorate and have a contest for different categories – best decoration, best use of candy, or funniest decoration. Best of all, you can eat the trophies.
