If you are the parents of a little one or an adolescent, you are probably looking for some new things to do as a family. The time you spend with your kids makes a massive impact on their development as well as their family pride. This is your chance to spend quality time with your little ones before their lives become uber-busy with academics and after-school programs. Let’s take a look at some family-friendly activities that will help you establish a deep bond with your child.
Explore the Greater Outdoors
An outdoor adventure appeals to parents and kids alike. Take your little one(s) out for a camping trip and the result will undoubtedly be a fortification of your relationship. Leave the hand-held games, tablets and other gadgets behind for a cabin getaway at Refreshing Mountain. It’s the perfect place for your kids to enjoy nature’s beauty and spend meaningful time with their parents and siblings. You can spend the day outside hiking, zip lining, taking a dip in the water or simply appreciating the wildlife. Head on back to one of the large climate-controlled cabins to enjoy a comfortable night of sleep.
Read as a Family Unit
If you and your kids don’t have library cards, it is time to sign up. Take out a new book from the library on a weekly or monthly basis and spend time reading it together. You don’t have to zoom through an entire novel in a week’s time. Devote at least 10 minutes each day for some family bonding time around the book. It will boost your kids’ reading comprehension skills and add depth to your parent-child bond.
Take a Family Vacation
Too many parents leave the kids at home with the grandparents or a babysitter while vacationing. Though it might be tempting to get away from your little ones’ demands for a week, doing so might not be the best for your current relationship. Consider how hectic your average work week is. You might not have an abundance of time to spend with your kids. Your family might not even eat dinner together on a regular basis. Use your vacation as an opportunity for family bonding. Ask the kids where they would like to go and settle on a destination that appeals to the grownups as well as the little ones.
Involve Your Kids in the Planning Process
Plenty of parents make the mistake of adopting an authoritarian air when it comes to planning out kids’ schedules. This is a critical mistake that drives a wedge between the little ones and the parents. Kids really value the opportunity to provide their unique input into the planning process. Whether it is what chores they do, the school activities they participate in or where the family goes out to eat, the kids should be included in the discussion.
Adopt a Family Tradition
Though family traditions might seem a little cheesy to some parents, these rituals make a monumental impact on children. Incorporating a new tradition will inspire family pride. Consider letting your kids select the tradition and they will value it that much more. It could be anything from the order in which Christmas gifts are handed out to letting your child select or bless the Sunday meal.
Make a Family Photo Book
This just might be the perfect family bonding activity. Take plenty of pictures during family vacations, get-togethers and your child’s activities. Devote half an hour or so each weekend to building a family photo book. Create this photo book as a family unit and your kids will feel that much closer to mom and dad. Watch their faces as they relive the experiences each year by flipping through the books they made!
There are many ways to bring the family together and many benefits. Be creative, borrow ideas, and have fun creating memories in the process. What greater gift can you give than the gift of memories?
Refreshing Mountain is a year-round retreat and adventure center providing family friendly fun and refreshment for over 30 years in Lancaster County, PA. We provide a variety of outdoor adventures, day field trips, and corporate team-building events, and overnight getaways with activities including zipline canopy tours, high ropes course, climbing tower, problem solving challenges, and much more. Our center is built on 80 acres of beautiful PA woodland and is conveniently located just a short drive from Lancaster and Hershey attractions.