I wanted to share today how we plan activities to do with the kids and also some tricks I have found give me some follow through so I actually do activities with my kids! I think it is really easy just to stay at home most days with the kids - and don't get me wrong it feels gooooood to stay home and nothing is wrong with it and I actually think it is really healthy to have those lazy, unplanned days. But even if the kids aren't bored I get a little bored and anxious to get out - and even if we don't get out we do try to be as intentional with our time as we can. So here are my tips and I want to hear what works for you other moms as well!
I wanted to share today how we plan activities to do with the kids and also some tricks I have found give me some follow through so I actually do activities with my kids! I think it is really easy just to stay at home most days with the kids – and don’t get me wrong it feels gooooood to stay home and nothing is wrong with it and I actually think it is really healthy to have those lazy, unplanned days. But even if the kids aren’t bored I get a little bored and anxious to get out – and even if we don’t get out we do try to be as intentional with our time as we can. So here are my tips and I want to hear what works for you other moms as well!
1. At the beginning of each month I like to go through local calendars and see what is going on in our area. There are dozens of websites for any city you are in. I usually just search “Phoenix calendar of events for kids” and lots of websites come up. Here is an example of one. It shows any new exhibits, festivals and fairs, pretty much anything kid related! I especially love to look these up around the holidays because websites will have all the fun activities for the fam. Around holidays look up hotel and resort’s calendars because they usually have really fun holiday events going on.
2. After I find things going on I plan out the month of activities. I usually try to pick at least 2 outings as a family per week and have them in the calendar. Even if it is just “go to the splash pad and get smoothies after” – doesn’t have to be anything crazy but I find that if its in the calendar I can plan our days around those family activities and they almost always happen. If I don’t have it in the calendar sometimes I get lazy and just think “we will go next week” but the calendar keeps me accountable. (I just use google calendar and I have kid activities color coded in a certain color)
3. When David and I plan activities to do at the house with the kids or to go out, we usually look at what their current interests are and plan around that. For example, Atticus and Rosie are SO into Paw Patrol at the moment (especially Chase and Marshall) so I planned a tour at a fire station for the kids and after we came home and did read Paw Patrol books for quiet time. A while ago the kids were really into bugs so we got bug tattoos, nets for hunting plastic bugs in the bath or outside, anything we could think of to do with bugs! Basically we just think of what their interest is and then search Pinterest for “bug activities for kids” there is always gold in there. Lately the kids are super into skateboarding so we have been doing fun activities based around that.
4. When I do stay home all day with the kids I always have a stash of kid favorites. Sometimes it feels like we have played with all the toys and done alllll the things and the kids (and myself) are going crazy. I like to keep some favorites that I know they will get SUPER excited about. My kids favorites are these: water balloons, Target dollar section activities (I always pick up a few when I pass by, they have really cute crafting kits and activities), rocket balloons, giant bubbles.
5. One thing that David does that he taught me is mentally planning the day in your head – even the small moments. He realized that sometimes if he didn’t do this we would kind of just kill time when we could have been more intentional with it. So kind of just planning in segments like in the morning I am going to make X for breakfast and then we will go read for 30 minutes before we get ready and run errands. Knowing he already planned to read with the kids there wasn’t any “what should we do?” moments or maybe everyone would have kind of just done their thing until it was time to get ready. I feel like I am explaining this terribly but this actually really helps!
Tell us what you guys do at home! xoxoxo
I LOVE this post! This is what I do with my 16 month old and it works!
You are such an amazing Mama!
– love from Scotland, ps loads of stunning hikes over here 🙂
Love this post! I was just thinking about this and happened to be playing catch-up on your website and there you go! I had been trying to plan our weekends a bit on Thursday, but I like trying to plan things out for the month ahead of time.
Those are such smart ideas!!🙌🏻🙌🏻
Love this! More parenting posts like this please!! xo
Where did you get your top? It’s so cute!
Awe these photos are so cute
xo
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Loved this post! It’s good to keep things fresh and fun for everyone’s sanity! One thing I like to do is go through wacky holidays and pick a couple out for each month. 🙂
Such great advice! There’s so much fun to be had at home and kids don’t mind that, but there are also so many great opportunities to take your kids to do fun things. I’ve also come to realize that there are a lot of free things available that kids will still have fun at. It’s getting so hot here in Phoenix so I think splash pads will be on repeat for us.
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Thanks for this post!
Really cute ideas, and I love your pictures!
Love this post so much. So many great ideas! I also love the first outfit you’re wearing on the basketball court, so cute and sporty
Bridget
https://thebridy.com/
I love the new feature of a the blog that lools back at a year ago’s blog post, I just really miss the old format of your blog. I know your life & style have evolved and that’s all good, I just liked the previous format better where there was lots of full size pictures to scroll thru and then the writng at the end and more fashion, travel pics and less book club, miscellaneous stuff, etc… But that’s just my personal opinion, I will still look at your blog just miss how it used to be.
I love that you plan ahead for these things. What a great way to make sure you don’t miss anything!
Kari
http://sweetteasweetie.com/passion-fruit-colada/
Such good ideas and I love the pictures!
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Love this post! I have 2 kids ages 2.5 and 14 months and we live in Florida and it’s finally starting to get hot again which is great because we can water play again! We love water balloons and we got an inflatable pool with a sprinkler and slide ($35 on amazon) and my kids love it and even though we have a real pool sometimes it’s annoying getting them both in and out and I always have to go with them but with the kiddie pool they can play by themselves and I can monitor. Also! My son loves washing our cars so we give him a bucket and sponge and the hose and he will wash my car for an hour. On rainy days we love playing hide and seek inside and we watch more TV than we should haha. It’s all about balance! We also have a science museum about 30 min away but it’s awsome and my kids love the animals and aquarium and science tables, so try to find one of those!
Such a cute and fun idea!!! Goldie and River would love this
These are great suggestions, Amber. I’ll definitely keep this in mind for when I have kids. Do you by any chance have any suggestions for how to plan adult activities for couples? I feel like you and David are always doing cool things together. Any tips you have would be great! Thanks!
^^^^^ this!
This pictures are absolutely amazing! Love your are Rosie’s hair <3
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Such great tips!! you sounds like such a great, fun mom!
These pictures are so adorable!! We love planning fun outings with our boys. I love those lazy days at home but there is something about getting out for a bit that does everyone some good. Sierra~Beautifully Candid
I so agree with the previous poster – you are sooo organized, Amber! I work full time so this is our typical weekend plans ~weather: We usually just get up, go downstairs and my daughter (3) starts playing with whatever is in our living room (and it is a lot LOL) while we put Disney Jr. on (I know, I know!). I make breakfast and we eat together. If it’s warm outside (Virginia, so not in April yet, apparently!) we eat breakfast on our deck outside. She has a water table set up there, with bubble machine, and this big bubble wand that she can dips in a large flat plate and makes bubbles from. It’s all about the bubbles! We usually do Barnes&Nobles story time in the winter Sat. mornings with her two boy besties (4 and 3 yrs old), or we walk (or she’s on her tricycle) through a park nearby to the farmers market where we shop for produce and meat and these amazing doughnuts. We usually get stuffed so that goes through lunch. In the afternoons we typically walk to a playground or spend more time on our deck grilling with friends and she has a sprinkler on and a big inflated pool to keep her busy until dinner! I love summers, but winters are a bit limited. If it’s cold we just play at home – she loves puzzles and has mastered those for 5+ years!!!
Those bubbles look so fun! You have such a lovely family. I think being intentional with time is so important; I love the mindset of planning things in advance so you can be more intentional. Have a great Tuesday, xAllie http://www.theallthatglittersblog.com
Planning the day in my head and evening the small moments… going to start practicing that!
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Love A’s and Rosies little smiles!! They are always so happy and full of life <3
BlondieintheCity.com
You’re so organised, Amber! Your kids are so lucky to have you as a mother 🙂 I think joining the community and local events is a great idea, and you all get to socialise with your neighbours and meet new people as well! ❤️❤️
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
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