Keeping the kids constantly occupied is something that’s a challenge for every parent, and when you are a single dad, it can get very stressful very quickly. If you are looking for some fun activities and ideas to wipe away the hours this weekend with your little ones, we have some great ideas for you today.
Here are some of the different things you can do with your kids this weekend to bond and keep them happy.
Set up a football pitch in the garden
One of the easiest ways to keep your kids happy and active is to encourage play in the garden. With the many devices and apps kids have these days, they don’t always go outside as much as they should, but you can change this by setting up a football pitch in your back garden. You can buy goal posts online and they can be either dug into the ground or will pop up and make for easy winter storage. Bringing the kids out for a game or two will keep them healthy and happy at the weekend.
Super Skateboarding
My seven year old has become slightly obsessed with skateboarding since he started watching it in the Olympics. In fact it has become a phenomenon around where we live and he often does skateboarding lessons locally. When we are at home, he will take his board out whenever he gets the chance. I encourage him to do it on the tarmac in our driveway, which is lovely and smooth and he loves teaching himself new tricks. He also likes teaching his siblings and has even been known to teach me a few moves. Anything that gets our heart-rates up is a bonus and encouraging my son out into the fresh air on his skateboard is always a winner too.
Road Trip
If it’s bad weather and your kid can’t play outside, this doesn’t mean they need to be cooped up in the house all day. If you have a good quality car from Vauxhall Cars, you can head out and explore without having to face the elements or get wet and cold. Choose a route with fun sites and play some fun kids music.
Build a fort
Rainy days are perhaps the most difficult of all times to look after and entertain the sprogs, and that’s why going old school is sometimes the best option you have. Instead of playing on mobile apps, if your kids are pretty young you can try and build a fun fort in the living room and have a great time! Your fort can consist of anything from chair cushions to blankets and once you have built it you can even decorate the inside with fairy lights for some extra fun. Try and place your fort so it’s facing the tv and you can put a Disney movie on for the kids and bring them some snacks after their tough construction work.
Create a craft table
There is nothing better on a weekend afternoon than setting up a table in your kitchen or dining room with lots of paper, pens, paints, and glitter. Make a morning trip with the kids to your local craft store and let them pick out some things they want to play with, then get home and leave them to create some artwork for your fridge! This is such a good way of developing your child’s artistic talents as well as stimulating their senses with colour and texture. Plus, it’ll keep them out of your hair for a few hours while you enjoy your Sunday football game.
Play video games
One of the easiest ways to play with your kids at the weekend is to buy a multiplayer video game as a family. Grab some extra controllers and enjoy playing multiplayer games such as Crash Team Racing, Mario Kart, and Rocket League. There are so many great racing and other games you can play together and this will be an awesome way to spend a lazy afternoon at the weekend.
Try some fancy dress
Kids love to be creative, and dressing up in fun costumes is a great way to let their creative juices flow. Grab yourself some face paints, Eyeliner, glitter, and costume clothing and have some fun transforming the kids into their favourite book and tv characters. Whether you do this for a party or not, it’s still a fun way to spend the afternoon and your kids will love to run around as their favourite character.
Teach cooking and baking
Cooking and baking are both super important skills to teach your kids when they are young. The process of teaching your kids how to cook or bake doesn’t have to be stressful or dangerous, and in fact there are some amazing recipes you can make with your kids easily this weekend to get them used to cooking and understanding where their food comes from.
This pizza recipe for example is the easiest recipe to teach your kids, and it will make for an amazing Saturday pizza party as a family.
Easy homemade pizza
Ingredients:
- 500g strong bread flour
- 325ml lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 7g dry active yeast
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- Tomato sauce
- Toppings
- Add your sugar, yeast and olive oil to the water and leave for 15 minutes.
- Mix the flour, salt, and garlic salt.
- Add your wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix into a dough.
- Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes. To ensure you have enough gluten in the dough you can perform the window pane test. Grab a piece of the dough and stretch it, and if it holds its form and becomes see through, it’s ready to go.
- Place in an oiled bowl, cover in cling film, and leave for a few hours to rise.
- Knock out all the air and then split into either 2-3 large pizzas, or 4-5 smaller pizzas for the kids.
- Preheat the oven as high as it will go.
- Roll out your pizza and let the kids top it with whatever they want.
- Cook the pizza for around 10 minutes until bubbling and risen!
Have a family game night
There is nothing better as a family activity than a games night with board games and fun classics like charades and Pictionary. If you want to occupied the kids and spend time with them this weekend organizing a fun games night is a great idea. You can set up your living room with games, put some music on in the background, and make some nachos and fun mini hotdogs and sausage rolls for the night.
Set up a movie marathon
If the weather is super cold outside and it’s windy and raining, one great way to bring everyone together for a fun afternoon is to create your own cosy movie marathon in the living room. There are a few steps to creating the most cosy movie marathon you can, and here they are:
- Set up blankets and duvets on the floor in your living room along with cushions to create a cosy seating space for yourself and the kids.
- Choose a line up of amazing movies.
- Make some fresh popcorn, sweet and salted, and place in bowls on your coffee table.
- Make some nachos and other snacks for everyone to enjoy while watching the movies.
- Use old newspaper or paper to blackout your windows and make the room feel like a cinema.
- Settle in and watch your movies!
Go for a woodland walk
Sometimes the best activity you can do with the kids at the weekend is to get outside and enjoy some fresh air. There are so many amazing parks and countryside locations you can visit in your local area and beyond, and a walk on the wild side is exactly what your kids need to stay active as well as to appreciate nature and the serenity of the world. Pack some simple sandwiches and finger cakes with you for the trip and find a place to sit down in the middle of your walk to take in the scenery.
Go to the museum
Teaching your children about science, history, and art is so valuable and it will help them develop a good understanding and appreciation for the world. If you are at a loss for activities to do this weekend, head down to your local museum and enjoy looking at some amazing artifacts or taking part in interactive science experiments. If your kids love to learn, they will be in their element here, and a quick trip to the gift shop on the way out won’t hurt!
