The New year is always a good time to introduce new ideas or concepts to your family.
Here are 6 family activities that you can introduce over the next few days as you welcome in 2020 that will enhance your parent / child bond and make family time fun.
Many of these ideas could become annual traditions and would make wonderful keepsakes to look back at.
1. Family Brainstorm session
Sit the family at the table and using a large sheet of paper with the date in the centre, write down all the things you as a family would like to accomplish by the end of 2020.
This could be simple activities like plant a vegetable garden or more long term plans like save for a Disney land holiday.
2. Resolution journals
Give each family member a blank book and explain that these are their New year journals.
In here they are free to express themselves, use any medium to draw or write, add stickers or cut out pictures,add photos ect.
They can record :-
- Their new year resolutions
- Daily moments of gratitude
- People they want to spend more time with
- New skills or activities they want to try
- Books they want to read
- Places they want to visit
- Or a toy wish list
3. Thank you card day
The chances are that by New year the kids are bored and looking for something to do. Give each child some stationary and card and let them make Thank you cards to friends and family for Christmas gifts recieved.
You can then visit the post office and use snail mail to post off their cards.
In days where everything is online, this would make a wonderful suprise to an older relative.
4. Interview
Interview your children at the beginning of each year.
I love looking back at these interviews to see how my children have grown.
You could ask questions like :
- Name
- Age
- Year
- Where do you live?
- Favourite food
- Favourite colour
- Favourite movie
- Favourite book
- Who is your best friend?
- Who are your pets?
- School
- Grade
- Name one word to describe yourself
- Whatfoyou like doing?
- What are you good at?
- What do you like doing?
- Where is your favourite place to go?
5. Memory jar
A memory jar is similar to a time capsule.
In a clean jar, let your child add small things like photos, trinkets,small shells, a movie ticket., ect throughout the year. Seal these and store them until your child is older.
6. Wishing tree
Make a wishing tree by painting a dry tree branch that has been planted in a pot.
Cut several paper star shapes for each family member and let them write their wishes for the new year.
Attach these to the tree with sewing cotton.
You can remove them as soon as the wish is ganted.
