TV-Free Brainstorm
Are you trying Turnoff Week this week? Don’t know what to do? It’s Wednesday, are you running out of ideas? Here’s a brainstorming-type list. See if you can find some inspiration here:
- Cook together - Bake fun goodies or make dinner. Try something exotic - kids are far more likely to eat “weird” food if they make it themselves. Have a Kids Cook Night!
- Be tourists - visit a local attraction that you have never visited before.
- Try a craft or an art project. For ideas, you can always search the old Unplugged Projects (the category is: “Unplugged Project” of course!). Be sure to check out readers’ links for ideas too.
- Flip a rock to see what’s under it. Photograph, draw, or write about your results.
- Go outside and play. If you live in a city and have no yard, then go to the park.
- Read a book out loud. By the way, you don’t have to read only simple picture books to toddlers. They love those, but a nice, appropriate chapter book read in bits can hold their attention (and yours) too.
- Put on some music and dance.
- Dejunk your house, or a room of your house. Eliminating and organizing stuff might not always be fun, but it leaves you with a lightness of spirit when you are done. Here’s a post with some ideas for what to do with your cast-offs: Sort, Junk, Donate.
- Volunteer with your child for a local charity. If you are unfamiliar with the organization it is best to call first to find out what they need and whether a child the age of yours would be welcome.
- Play some board games together, or have a formal family game night. My advice for preserving your sanity: try to pick a game that your children like, but that is not deadly boring for the adult participants. (ie. stay away from Candyland - that one sends me into an immediate coma.)
- Write a story together and illustrate it.
- Play with your pets, wash the dog, teach him dog tricks, put the cat away and get the bird out …
- Learn a new skill together: knitting, crocheting, French knitting (aka. corking, mushroom knitting, knitting knobby, knitting nancy, spool knitting), finger knitting, weaving, embroidery, needlepoint, wool felting. If you don’t have a French knitter, make one out of a tin can. If you don’t have a weaving loom, make one out of a picture frame!
- Take a walk around your neighborhood, or be adventurous and go on a real “nature hike!” Check out these sites for more outdoors/nature-related ideas: Backyard Nature, Green Hour
- Organize a family (or neighborhood) soccer game. Or basketball, or baseball, or tag, or “Mother May I…”
- When all else fails…bring out the Mommy I’m Bored Box.
Themocracy
I appreciate your comments and suggestions. Would like to hear more, as it comes. Thank you. Connected to you through Kids Craft Weekly.
[Reply]
Mom Unplugged Reply:
September 28th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Hi Sarah,
Thanks so much for your comment! Please stay in touch, I post new ideas as I have them. I hope people find them to be helpful.
[Reply]
Would love to receive more ideas. Thank you.
[Reply]
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