What: Teach your kids how to do one new thing. And then get them to teach you one new thing.
How: You will play teacher on day one. Choose an activity or skill you want your kids to learn. You can teach them to ride a bike, swim, sew, take pictures—it’s up to you. On day two, it will be their turn to play teacher. They can teach you how to rock at Mario Kart, tweet, make animal sculptures out of clay—it’s up to them.
Where: Your home
What you’ll need: It depends on the activities you choose.
Time out: Two days
Cost: Zero (unless your chosen activities require any purchases.)
Why you’ll love it: Because you’ll have fun teaching and learning
Why your kids will love it: Because they’ll have fun teaching and learning
Why it’s good for them: Not only will they learn new skills, they will also realize that they possess knowledge worthy of sharing.
Bonus: You can turn this into a regular thing.
Dress up
What: Spend an afternoon playing dress-up with your kids.
How: Bring out dress-up worthy clothes—gowns, skirts, jackets, necklaces, crazy shoes, hats, ties. Put together crazy outfits, create characters and spend an afternoon in the world of make-believe. Be pirates in search of hidden treasure, a royal family throwing a party or mermaids looking for your lost lobster. The only limit is your imagination.
Where: Your home
What you’ll need: Clothes and accessories—lots of it
Time out: A few hours
Cost: Zero
Why you’ll love it: Because you’ll remember your own afternoons spent playing dress-up
Why your kids will love it: Because they’ll have a lot of fun
Why it’s good for them: Dress-up isn’t just a good way to tear them away from their computers and video games, it’s a great way to exercise their imagination.